COLEGIO INTERNACIONAL LOS CAÑAVERALES

SCHOOL YEAR: 2021 – 2022

BACCALAUREATE SECTION
Subjetc: Social Studies
9th Grade
Teacher: Juan Pablo Arias Solarte

Guiding Questions:
 What was Russia like in 1855?
 Why did Alexander II carry out reforms?
 How effective were the measures taken to emancipate the serfs?
 What other reforms were carried out under Alexander II?
 Why did Alexander II's reforms result in the growth of opposition?
 What do historians say about Alexander II?
 What were the key features of the rule of Alexander III?

THE UNION OF SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLICS

So far, it must be clear, that the Soviet Union was determinant for the 20 th century history. Some of the
arguments that explain that, are the following: USSR was the first major communist country in History; played
an important role in the ending part of the WWII; became a Superpower Country after the WWII; the
Domestic and Foreign Policies during the Cold War with the intentions to extend the communism in Europe
and other countries.
Now the question is why the Soviet Union was created? From the start of the 20th century, Russia’s economic
problems grew steadily worse. From 1900 to 1915, the country was facing virtual economic collapse and the
industry was moving into crisis after crisis. Shortages of materials and goods were growing worse and even
the army lacked supplies and weapons. And the participation of Russia in the World War I, only brought the
worsening of conditions for all Russians.

Beck, R. B., Black, L., Krieger, L. S., Naylor, P. C., & Shabaka, D. I. (2009). WORLD HISTORY
PATTERNS OF INTERACTION. McDougal Littell, p. 871

This scenario was propitious for the upheavals that took place during the 1917-18, Russian Revolutions. Such
conflicts brought a dramatic change in the political, economic, cultural and social systems within Russia,
discarding the Tsarism as the imposed system and creating the first communist country. But this would not be
possible without the peoples´ support. But how did nation like the Russian Empire end up in such crisis?
The explosion came in 1917 and 1918, yet the fuse had been burning for nearly a century. The cruel,
oppressive rule of most 19th-century tzars caused widespread social unrest for decades. Russia was
experiencing some dramatic reforms, but also severe repression, since the 19 th century. In other words, to
understand the peoples´ discontent that caused the Russian Revolutions, it is necessary to comprehend the
reforms and repression developed in Russia since the 19 th century.

What was Russia like in 1855?

As the map above indicates, Russia in the middle of the 19th Century was a vast country having annexed
territories to the west, the east and to the south over the course of the previous few hundred years; indeed by
1815, it covered almost a sixth of the total land surface of the world and contained 22 different nationalities -
only 40% of these people actually spoke Russian. However, despite its vast size, its geography and climate
meant that only parts of this great empire could be inhabitable and productive. In 1855, agriculture was the
most important aspect of Russia's economy but was still backwards, and although it had vast reserves of
natural resources, the industrial revolution that other parts of Europe were experiencing had not yet taken
place. Many factors limited Russia's ability to compete with the rest of the world. Socially, the country was
divided between the privileged top orders of the church and the nobles and the majority of the population - the
peasantry who lived as 'serfs', working the nobles' land. There was only a small middle class, and very little
movement between the classes took place. All decision making in Russia was in the hands of the Tsar who
was regarded by his people as 'little father'; his power was backed up by the powerful Russian Orthodox
Church. He was supported in the running of the country by a small group of advisers and by a large army of
civil servants, the 'bureaucracy'.
Within a context as the previously exposed, the Tsar Alexander II carried important reforms trying to change
this picture.

Why did Alexander II carry out reforms?

Nicholas I bequeathed Russia to Alexander II at a difficult time. In particular, the results of the Crimean War
were disastrous for Russia and revealed many weaknesses. The war had revealed Russia’s glaring
backwardness in comparison with more advanced nations like England and France. Russian defeats, which had
set the seal of final discredit on the oppressive regime of Nicholas I, had provoked among Russia’s educated
elite a general desire for drastic change. It was under the impact of this widespread urge that the tsar embarked
upon a series of reforms designed, through “modernization,” to bring Russia into line with the more advanced
Western countries.
The abolition of serfdom. In the face of bitter opposition from landowning interests, Alexander II, overcoming
his natural indolence, took an active personal part in the arduous legislative labours that on Febuary 19, 1861,
culminated in the Emancipation Act. By a stroke of the autocrat’s pen, tens of millions of human chattels were
given their personal freedom.
What other reforms were carried out under Alexander II?
The abolition of serfdom brought in its train a drastic overhaul of some of Russia’s archaic administrative
institutions. The most crying abuses of the old judicial system were remedied by the judicial statute of 1864.
Russia, for the first time, was given a judicial system that in important respects could stand comparison with
those of Western countries (in fact, in many particulars it followed that of France). Local government in its
turn was remodeled by the statute of 1864, setting up elective local assemblies known as zemstvos. Their
gradual introduction extended the area of self-government, improved local welfare (education, hygiene,
medical care, local crafts, agronomy), and brought the first rays of enlightenment to the benighted Russian
villages. Before long zemstvo village schools powerfully supported the spread of rural literacy. Meanwhile,
Dmitry Milyutin, an enlightened minister of war, was carrying out an extensive series of reforms affecting
nearly every branch of the Russian military organization. The educative role of military service was underlined
by a marked improvement of military schools. The army statute of 1874 introduced conscription for the first
time, making young men of all classes liable to military service.
Why did Alexander II's reforms result in the growth of opposition?
Alexander II's reign saw the growth of opposition towards Tsardom despite the new reforms. There are several
reasons for this:

 the new openness of the reforms raised expectations that the Tsar was unable or unwilling to satisfy.
 the relaxation of censorship allowed new ideas to spread
 many students went abroad where they were influenced by new ideas; Switzerland in particular attracted
many students where they found well known Russian dissidents such as Mikhail Bakunin who argued that
the regime should be overthrown by violent revolution
 the growth of the Zemstvo gave moderate educated Russians (liberals) a taste of political power and they
started to demand more 'reform from below' so to have some form of representative government
 there was also opposition from the Right: many of the conservative bureaucrats, nobles and landlords
disliked the new reforms as it took away their influence and privilege, and in the last years of Alexander
II's reign he gave in to the conservative forces that surrounded him and brought the reforms to an end. This
of course increased opposition from those who wanted to seen an end to repressive Tsardom.
The last years of Tsar Alexander's reign saw a wave of terrorist violence that ultimately succeeded in killing
the Tsar himself. The group that was responsible for carrying out the attack on his life was 'The People's Will'
which developed from a movement known as Populism. Although its terrorist activities failed to ignite the
revolution that they hoped for, it did help to develop the political consciousness of the Russian people and lay
the seeds for future revolutionaries groups such as the Social Revolutionaries.
A period of repression after 1866 led to a resurgence of revolutionary terrorism and to Alexander’s own
assassination.
What were the key features of the rule of Alexander III?
Alexander III was the second son of Alexander II and thus had not been prepared or educated to take over the
throne. However his older brother died in 1865, making him the heir to Alexander II. He developed ideas of
the extreme right-wing that impacted the importance of autocracy. His father's brutal assassination was
traumatic and Alexander blamed the reforms for the growth in terrorism. He was not a 'westerniser'; indeed he
opposed Western ideas; he showed his suspicion of Western ideas and fashions by wearing a thick beard in
traditional Slavic tradition. Russia was still significantly backwards and economically weak when he came to
the throne; the chaotic nature of the Empire in these years suggested that strong leadership was necessary to
sort out Russia's problems.
Questions.
According to the reading, answer the following questions:
1. Write down the unknown words and look for the meaning.
2. Why did the modernization reforms were not as effective as they intended to be?
3. Why can you say that serfs and landowners had opposing postures to Alexander II´s reforms?
4. Read the following extract and using this, the sources above and your own research, identify the (a)
economic (b) political and (c) moral reasons for ending serfdom.
Arguments for ending serfdom had grown stronger during the reign of Nicholas I. By the mid 19th
Century, agricultural inefficiency combined with the pressures of a rising population meant that not
enough grain was being produced. Serfs could no longer produce enough food to feed themselves, let
alone enough to provide a surplus for nobles to sell. Landowning serfs were thus falling into debt and
desperate peasants were increasing resorting to violence. By freeing the serfs, it was hoped that peasants
would then have more incentive to work the land thus producing a grain surplus which would provide
money for investment which would encourage industrialization (sic). Wealthier peasants would also mean
a greater demand for manufactured goods which would in turn encourage industrial growth. Ending
serfdom would also mean that peasants could move to the cities to provide labour for manufacturing. It
was also clear that serfdom was holding back any modernization (sic) of the army. The need to end 25
year military service and replace it with shorter periods of service with 'citizen soldiers' meant that the
existing system of serfdom was unsustainable. Speaking to the nobility of Moscow in April 1856,
Alexander II said that 'the existing order of serfdom cannot remain unchanged. It is better to abolish
serfdom from above than to wait for the time when it will begin to abolish itself from below.'