Alexander_II

Devon M, Teresa R, and Danielle B

=**Alexander II** =

This is a statue of Alexander II, that is located in Senate Square in Helsinki, Finland || http://www.flickr.com/photos/eigna1753/2155174427/ This is a picture of Alexander and his wife Marie of Hesse || http://www.flickr.com/photos/j-c_goersch/3146688411/ This is a picture of the cover of a Biography by Edvard Radzinskij on Alexander || http://www.flickr.com/photos/eigna1753/2167137200/ This is a picture of Alexander and his wife Marie of Hesse || http://www.flickr.com/photos/sftrajan/3030779801/ This is a portrait of Alexander II, painted in Catherine Palace ||
 * [[image:1877121958_b51172450e_m.jpg width="168" height="227"]] || [[image:2155174427_aabbcdbdd9.jpg width="190" height="232"]] || [[image:3146688411_a90aec6813.jpg width="159" height="237"]] || [[image:2167137200_735025baa7.jpg width="154" height="226"]] || [[image:3030779801_600eb36c3d.jpg width="165" height="215"]] ||
 * http://www.flickr.com/photos/danjc003/1877121958/

media type="custom" key="3126988" " Alexander II, Commire, Etty" Becoming the new czar after the death of his father, Russia under Alexander II suffered a humiliating defeat in the Crimean War. In the next war that came, however, Russia was victorious. This was the Russo-Turkish war. Even though they had initial defeats, the Russians won in the end. However, the gains Russia would have received were scaled back by the Congress of Berlin. “Although Alexander and the Russian public were dissatisfied with the settlement, Alexander continued his alliance with Germany and Austria.”(Commire 33). “Alexander’s reign…was remarkable for its imperial expansion.”(Commire 33). After the sale of Alaska to the United States, Russian c ommanders began to expand along the east and central-Asian frontiers. The central Asian Khanates of Khiva, Bokhara, and Kokand were annexed. Land in the Amur-Ussuri region of China was acquired and Vladivostok was founded as the far-Eastern capital. Soon, the remainder of the land east of the Caspian Sea was added to the Empire. Sakhalin Island was received from the Japanese. These acquisitions improved much-needed communication and caused industrial expansion to these parts of the world. The most critical internal problem in Russia at that time was serfdom. To avoid what could have become a violent revolution, Alexander II set to reforming the conditions of peasants almost immediately. Despite conservative nobles opposing the reform, Alexander was determined to push it through and appointed a secret committee to prepare recommendations for emancipation. In 1861, he signed the Emancipation Act, which freed about 25 million serfs, giving them immediate legal rights and pieces of land. However, the serfs had to pay redemption fees to their former nobles, which they often couldn’t do, and the new system of village governance was restricting. “Although emancipation was a progressive step for Alexander, it did not end the desperate poverty of the serfs, and it helped undermine the already weak economic base of the Russian state.” (Commire 33). Alexander supported the destruction of many traditional Russian administrative institutions. Next the Zemstvo Law was issued in order to put in place district councils elected under a system of voting that ensured peasant representation. This improved health care, local industries, roads, communications, agricultural methods, schools, and literacy throughout Russia. Other major reforms included the introduction of jury systems, equality of all classes before the law, public debates of cases, more academic freedom, the abolition of corporal punishment, the restructuring of secondary schools, the introduction of universal military services, and the abolishing of the privileges of nobility. Alexander’s reforms did not succeed in bringing rapid social and economic growth, and eventually he abandoned his efforts due to growing rebellions in Russia and elsewhere. “Alexander was embittered by seeing his efforts turning into confusion and hatred.” ( Rice 244). However, his remarkable reforms are remembered as the largest true attempt by a czar then to improve the lives of the common people. This is why he is known as Alexander the Liberator. If what he was trying to do had succeeded, perhaps Russia could have avoided what would become a violent and turbulent future. (Commire) ||  ||   ||
 * ** The Accomplishments of Alexander II **
 * The League of Three Emperors **
 * “ ** In foreign affairs, Alexander…tried to achieve a diplomatic improvement with France in 1857…” (Commire 33). This attempt at an alliance with France failed, and Alexander I turned to other options. Alexander, in an attempt to remove the isolation of Russia from European nations, drew closer to Germany and Austria. The two leaders of these countries, Kaiser Wilhelm and Francis Joseph I, formed an alliance with Alexander II called the League of the Three Emperors. Even though this alliance would eventually fall apart, the remnants of it had a great effect on the future of these three countries.
 * Russo-Turkish War Victory **
 * Imperial Expansion **
 * Serf Emancipation Act/ Reforms **

Social, Political, and Economic Background It is said that the spectators were very disrespectful during his coronation ceremony, and there was a problem pinning the crown into the new empresses hair. The coronation marks the beginning of the reign of an emperor. (Streich)
 * Social || The Coronation: Alexander II was coronated on September 7th, 1856 in Moscow. He "wore a general's uniform with the Order of St. Andrew on a golden Chain". (Edvard Radzinsky, Antonina Bouis)

The Emancipation of Serfdom: After the Emancipation Act Of 1861, the former serfs became a "class of independent communal proprietors". (Conservapedia) This event is what earned him the nickname "The Liberator". The serfs, their own new social class, would receive small, low-grade portions of their former owners's land to own for themselves. After serfdom was gone, however, many former serfs found it difficult to make a living. It may have been an easier life for some, back when they were serfs. (Salter)

Freedom of Speech: During his reign, Russia had more freedom of speech than before. Previously, anyone who voiced an opinion criticising the government would be locked up. In his reforms, he gave people a lot more freedom to say what they wanted, and they were no longer jailed for diasgreeing with what he did. This time of free speach "was unfortunately curtailed in the late 1870s after several attempts on his life. " (Conservapedia contributors ) (Russian Reforms)

Seeds of Democracy: Local government had a lot of reforming as well under Alexander II. Elected city councils called Dumy were formed in 1870, and they were in charge of decisions that had to do with schools, roads, healthcare, and similiar local issues. Russia was slowly transforming from an absolute monarchy into something more like a democracy, allowing the people to make more decisions for themselves. (Salter)

Womens Rights: Alexander II changed a lot to improve education in Russia. Women could now receive a secondary eduction. In the past it had been very difficult for women to receive a good education. His reforms on education and employment for women marked the start of an eruption of feminism in Russia. Charities were set up to help women who were poor. These, and the new job oportunities available for them, saved many women from a life of prostitution. Though they did not receive absolute educational equality to men under his reign, Alexander's reforms were a huge step towards turning the empire into a society that was beginning to accept men and women as equal human beings. (Salter) || Alexander was thought to have regained some of his power by passing reforms affecting the nobility. Alexander set up a gentry Land Bank, so nobles that were buying land were able to get loans. There were talks of a change in the legal system, but no changes were made. The plans to end zemstva was dropped, and the independence of zemstva was reduced in 1880. At this time, the number of eligible voter dropped. In 1892, it was said that an estimated 0.7 percent of the populations of Moscow and St Petersburg were eligible to vote. At this time though, Alexander was allready dead. Alexander also established the emancipation of the serfs, which freed 25 million serfs and gave them legal rights and land. Alexander made this a top priority during the reforms, to avoid revolts and riots from peasants. Another thing Alexander did, benefiting the Russians, was signing the Treaty of Paris. The treaty of Paris took away the protection of Russia from Pirates, which created more opportunities for trade with other countries. (Etty) || FREEDOM OF SERFS: Reformers wanted a more productive economy, and a big step towards improving Russia's economy would be to free the serfs. There were more than 22 million serfs in Russia at this time, all of them basically slaves to their lords, and the majority of Russians now believed that it was time to free them. This could advance the economy of Russia to that of Britain or France by moving toward a liberal society that worked for the West. Freed Serfs had to give annual payments to the government for 49 years (Smitha). LOCAL ECONOMIC WELFARE: In another step towards improving Russia's economy, Alexander II gave Russians some local authority, creating district assemblies in which the peasants and gentry could work together and compromise. These were responsible for education, local roads, medical care, insurance, and the storage of food reserves. All these things were improved, and they attracted many professionals, such as teachers, doctors, and bookkeepers. Cities and towns were given the power to look after their own economic development by use of a limited democracy (Smitha). GROWTH OF INDUSTRY: The system for state finances was improved under Alexander II. The expansion of rail lines allowed for crops to be transported to far-away consumers, at a more stable price. This railway expansion increased Russia's ability to export grain, which provided more money for further industrialization. A growth in the mining of minerals, coal, iron, and steel industries, and the railway-equipment industry were other results of this. All of this stimulated the economy further. Industrial suburbs grew and industrial workers rose in number (Smitha). CONQUEST OF NOMADIC PEOPLES: In the Russian conquest of central Asia, Russia gained from it cotton and other raw materials. It sold tobacco, manufactured goods, and vodka to the nomadic peoples in the conquered areas, taking advantage of them for Russia's own gain. Merchants bought land in order to lease it out again to the people at greedy rates and also taxed them (Smitha).
 * Political || Alexander II lead Russia as an emperor. People felt that Alexander suited the Imperial Russian stereotype very well. That stereotype was rude and blunt in conversation, and terrifying when angry. When he first stepped into office, Alexander was not able to follow policies which contradicted his father. At the time Alexander had received petitions from his people for reform. Most of Alexander's instincts appeared as an opposition of liberalism. On April 29, 1881 Alexander passed a manifesto based on the thoughts of his Minister of Internal Affairs, Loris-Melikov. By 1881, even after the reforms made by Alexander, Russia was still backward, administratively privative and economically weak. Some of Alexander's early reforms consisted of appointing Nikolai Bunge as Minister of Finance, in hopes of modernizing Russias economy.
 * Economic || CRIMEAN WAR: The Treaty of Paris gave the Turks control of the Bosporus, making it a naval arsenal.The Treaty took away protection of Russians from pirates along 1,000 miles of Black Sea coastline. The failure of the Crimean War demonstrated the economic situation of Russia at that time. When Alexander II took power, he determined to change this(Smitha).

(Smitha) || media type="custom" key="3200332" "Etty" Want to test your knowledge of Alexander II? Try out this quiz: http://quizlet.com/test/755268&matching=on&tf=on&ignore-case=1&ignore-punct=1&ignore-spaces=1&ignore-parenth=1&prompt-def=1&limit=10/

Works Cited

-"Alexander II." __Biography Reference Bank__. H.W. Wilson. 25 Feb. 2009 <http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com/hww/results/getResults.jhtml?_DARGS=/hww/ results/results_common.jhtml.21>. -"Alexander II." __ Oxford ____ Reference Online __. Oxford UP. 25 Feb. 2009 <http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ ENTRY.html?entry=t142.e261&srn=5&ssid=323064477&authstatuscode=202#FIRSTHIT>. -Commire, Anne, and Deborah Klezmer. “Alexander II.” Historic World Leaders. 31-34. -Etty, John. “Alexander III, Tsar of Russia .” __ History __ __ Reference __ __ Center __. EBSCO. 18 Feb. 2009 < [|http://web.ebscohost.com/]  ‌  ehost/  ‌  detail?vid=9&hid=109&sid=80abb3d1-aa50-4936-88c1bf006229f6bd%40sessionmgr104&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=khh&AN=30032045#db=khh&AN=30032045#db=khh&AN=30032045>. -Rice, Tamara Talbot. __Czars and Czarinas of__ __ Russia __. New York : Lothrop, Lee & Shepard, 1968. -" Russia Reforms and Their Limits, 1855-92." __History Russians Abroad__. 24 Feb. 2009 <http://www.russiansabroad.com/russian_history_38.html >. -Salter, Mike. "Alexander II." __Conservapedia__. 24 Feb. 2009 <http://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Alexander_II&oldid=605331 >. -Smitha, Frank E. " Russia and Empire, 1856-1903." __Macrohistory and World Report__. 2003. 18 Feb. 2009 <http://www.fsmitha.com/h3/h47-ru.htm >. -Streich, Michael. "Emancipation of the Serfs by Alexander II." __suite101.com__. 24 Feb. 2009 <http://russian-ukrainian-belarus-history.suite101.com/ article.cfm/emancipation_of_the_serfs_by_alexander_ii>.