Alexander 3's reforms

Alexander 3's reforms

1. Local Government

   • Land Captain July 1889
     • Power to override, and ignore Zemstvo decisions/ elections, village assemblies
     • Controlled law enforcement
     • Power of death penalty
   • Changed election arrangements 1890
     • Peasant vote reduced
       • Lost the little power/ability to discuss
     • Zemstvo placed under central gov control
     • Property owners of certain value ONLY on electorate JUNE 1892
       • Ensures conservative, aristocratic electorate
     • ALL CHANGES MADE TAX COLLECTION MORE EFFICIENT, RE-ESTABLISHED CLASS PRINCIPLE IN COUNTRY, LOCAL NOBILITY POWER REASSERTED

2. Policing

   • Statute on Police Surveillance 1882
     • Area deemed one of "subversion"
       • Search and arrest those they expected had done a crime
         • Those arrested had no legal right to representation
   • Vyacheslav von Plehve heads Dept of Police 1881-1884
     • Pyotr Durnovo 1884+
     • More police, branches, spies, counter spies, agent provacteurs
   • Okhrana put Royal family under surveillance

3. Judicial

   • Minister Justice greater control decree of 1885
     • Dismiss judges- only favourable to autocracy in control
   • 1887 closed court sessions
     • At mercy of judge/no fair trial
   • 1889- Appoint own town court judges
   • 1887 property education quals needed for jurors RAISED
   • 1889- Volosts under direct jurisdiction of Land Captain in country, judges in towns

4. Education

   • Delyanov
   • University Charter 1884
     • Appointments of chancellor, dean, professor subject based on 'religious, moral and patriotic orientation'
     • Uni closed to women
     • Separate uni courts abolished
     • Students gather no more than 5
   • Lower classes restricted to primary education by Orthodox Church
     • Prevent growth of radical/independent thinkers
     • 21% pop literate by 1897

5. Censorship

   • Tolstoy head of
   • 1882 Temporary Regulations
     • Newspapers closed
     • Lifetime bans could issued on editors/publishers
   • More active censors
   • Extended to theatre, art and culture

6. Peasant reform

   • Land Bank 1883
   • May 1881- Redemptions fees reduced
     • Arrears cancelled
   • May 1885 poll tax abolished, replaced with inheritance tax