Alexander II In Overcoming Opposition To Russia Essay
How successful was Alexander II in overcoming opposition to his regime?
In 1861 Russia was a backward state, other countries in Europe had undergone the industrial revolution but Russia was still an agricultural country with a large lower class of serfs. Alexander II made the decision to emancipate the serfs in 1861 mainly due to a fear of revolt but also as a cause of liberal pressure and in the interest of economic growth. Throughout this decision and decisions to make other reforms different political groups opposed Alexander II. In the first instance from left wing revolutionary groups who were against the autocratic state and desired a democratic state. The different revolutionary groups used different methods of proposing their beliefs, …show more content…
One of the first examples of this was when he made reforms concerning the university statute of 1863, which encouraged revolutionary activity. The universities were now allowed to self-rule, which meant more modern subjects, which encouraged liberal ideas. The relaxation of censorship in 1863 accentuated this, as students were able to openly discuss radical ideas the following was published in a journal by a group of student revolutionaries called Young Russia, “There is only one way out of this oppressive and terrible situation which is destroying contemporary man and that is revolution- bloody and merciless revolution”. They believed that “the sovereign has betrayed the hopes of the people”. The growth of students led to an increase of educated people who were critics of the Tsarist regime, this was the opposite of what Alexander II had wanted to achieve when he made university more accessible and relaxed censorship. Between the years 1861 to 1865 Alexander II made a substantial amount of liberal reforms, which led revolutionaries and liberals alike to believe that Russia was beginning to improve. From 1865 to 1880 Russia entered into a repressive stage and Alexander II introduced many counter reforms this involved the appointment of Count Dmitri Tolstoy in 1866 as the minister of education. Tolstoy blamed the university system for the spread of revolutionary activity. To combat this he
In 1861 Russia was a backward state, other countries in Europe had undergone the industrial revolution but Russia was still an agricultural country with a large lower class of serfs. Alexander II made the decision to emancipate the serfs in 1861 mainly due to a fear of revolt but also as a cause of liberal pressure and in the interest of economic growth. Throughout this decision and decisions to make other reforms different political groups opposed Alexander II. In the first instance from left wing revolutionary groups who were against the autocratic state and desired a democratic state. The different revolutionary groups used different methods of proposing their beliefs, …show more content…
One of the first examples of this was when he made reforms concerning the university statute of 1863, which encouraged revolutionary activity. The universities were now allowed to self-rule, which meant more modern subjects, which encouraged liberal ideas. The relaxation of censorship in 1863 accentuated this, as students were able to openly discuss radical ideas the following was published in a journal by a group of student revolutionaries called Young Russia, “There is only one way out of this oppressive and terrible situation which is destroying contemporary man and that is revolution- bloody and merciless revolution”. They believed that “the sovereign has betrayed the hopes of the people”. The growth of students led to an increase of educated people who were critics of the Tsarist regime, this was the opposite of what Alexander II had wanted to achieve when he made university more accessible and relaxed censorship. Between the years 1861 to 1865 Alexander II made a substantial amount of liberal reforms, which led revolutionaries and liberals alike to believe that Russia was beginning to improve. From 1865 to 1880 Russia entered into a repressive stage and Alexander II introduced many counter reforms this involved the appointment of Count Dmitri Tolstoy in 1866 as the minister of education. Tolstoy blamed the university system for the spread of revolutionary activity. To combat this he