Emancipation: Unsuccessful Or Successful?

Some may argue that Emancipation was an ultimately successful endeavour as it brought about both fundamental and necessary change, and whilst it is true that there were various factors that ensured the development of Russia from a backward thinking and archaic nation that relied very much on what was -in flourishing western countries – a repressive and outdated feudal system, the ill-considered and very evidently selfish way in which this much needed reform was executed meant that despite some factors, from which the development and modernisation of Russia’s class system itself were enabled, for Alexander II were exactly the opposite of what he had been – perhaps covertly – attempting to achieve. For this reason it is difficult to claim Emancipation

In the long term peace was also kept and peasant disturbances were reduced for the next 40 years. This could give the impression of Emancipation being successful as serfdom was abolished without provoking an immediate major rebellion and was relatively non-violent, and although there were 647 peasant riots in the four months following the Emancipation that would indicate lack of success, there were not necessarily for political reasons.

Conversely, despite the peaceful nature of Emancipation itself it created discontent amongst the many groups in society, something that greatly threatened the Tsars power in the way that he had been attempting to avoid. Emancipation was not extreme enough to satisfy the westernisers, but reversed traditional values adequately to anger Slavophiles. This would indicate the lack of success as Alexander’s half-hearted enforcement of the reform meant that he was unsuccessful in pleasing either side of society, generating opposition toward his authority in the