motives for reform
The Crimean War
Alexander II became Tsar in March 1855. Russia was in the final stage of a disastrous war in the Crimea (north of the Black Sea). They had been fighting the British there since 1853 and had suffered several defeats, including the Battles of Balaclava and Inkerman in 1854. In August 1855, they lost Sebastopol, a major naval base. The final defeat in 1856 highlighted both the problem of Russia's reliance on serf armies (where harshly treated conscripts served 25 years) an the country's economic backwardness, particularly its lack of railways and outdated weaponry. Despite spending 45% of annual expenditure on the army, Russia suffered incompetent officers, humiliation and an increase in uprisings. Alexander II's Views
Having travelled the empire, served on his father's Council of State and led a serfdom committee, Alexander II believed in serf emancipation to curb tensions and stimulate the economy. His brother, Grand Duke Constantine and his aunt, Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna, as well as other enlightened bureaucrats, such as the brothers Nicholas and Dimitry Milyutin, shared his views. |
Motives for Reform
Political motives Tsarist autocracy depended on the nobility, yet many nobles who traditionally shunned business and relied on serfs to make money out of their estates were in heavy debt. A growing serf population and inadequate agricultural systems meant declining incomes and many had been forced to mortgage their land and even their serfs, as security for loans from the State Bank. Younger nobles had become apathetic, demotivated and critical of the regime. Economic motives Serfdom kept the peasants in the mirs, preventing them from moving to work in town factories and keeping the internal demand for goods low. The traditional practices of the mir prevented experimentation with new agricultural methods and rural poverty left many serfs unable to pay their taxes (the Poll tax and obruk). Consequently, by 1859, the state faced a debt of 54 million roubles. Moral and intellectual motives Westernisers believed that Russia should abandon serfdom, imitating Western Europe, while Slavophiles favoured reforming serfdom but wanted to keep Russia's traditional peasant society. Some intellectuals presented the moral case against treating people like animals, while nihilists believed in sweeping away all tradition - including autocracy. |