REASONS FOR THE EMANCIPATION OF THE SERFS (Alexander II - 1861)

MORALITY
1. Members of the Royal Family had considered that serfdom was MORALLY and ETHICALLY WRONG!
  1. Catherine the Great (1762 - 96)
  2. Nicholas I
    1. "an evil, palpable and obvious to all."
2. Many nobles and liberal state officials had come to accept the view that it was wrong to 'own' someone as if they were a possession/object.
  1. Affected/influenced by writers who had drawn attention to the 'plight of the serf.'
    1. Turgenenv
    2. A radical group of intelligentsia was growing; opposing serfdom!
3. MAJORITY of nobles did NOT emancipation.; argued that it would be damaging to the Russian state, as well as (of course!) their own livelihoods.
RISK OF REVOLT
1. Social instability!
2. Disturbances amongst the peasant community had been on the rise since the *1840s.
3. The Russian ARMY was made up mainly of peasants! So, it would have proved difficult for the government to contain a major uprising; if one were to happen.
4. Significant spike in peasant disturbances between the period, *1857 - 1859.
5. The Tsar became so worried, that he issued an order for WEEKLY REPORTS on the 'mood' of the peasant population, *1857.
6. UNRELIABILITY
  1. Main sources of data = UNRELIABLE (derived from Tsarist police records!)
  2. HISTORIANS argue that the scale of unrest in the peasantry was EXAGGERATED!
  3. SOME NOBLES actually believed that MAJOR reform posed the risk of evoking serious peasantry revolts; as, peasants may be 'disappointed' by the reforms, and percieve it as a sign of Russia's weakness.
ECONOMIC
1. Many GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS and INTELLECTUALS became enlightened by the growing necessity to abolish serfdom; they were convinced that it was the only way for the Russian economy to advance!
  1. Nichlas Milyutin (an official in the Ministry of Interior Affairs)
    1. "... Only with the emancipation of the serfs will the betterment of our rural economy become possible."
      1. A written MEMORANDUM, *1847.
  2. Arguments that FREE LABOUR was MORE PRODUCTIVE than FORCED LABOUR; this was impoverishing the population and reducing the growth for domestic demand, which was essential for economic GROWTH to take place!.
    1. A FREE LABOUR MARKET could be the most productive within both agriculture and industry!
      1. UNRELIABILITY
        Immediately AFTER EMANCIPATION, the government introduced internal passports to restrict the movement of the peasantry.
        This suggests that FREEING LABOUR to allow capitalist growth was NOT the priority!
        Olga Crisp (a historian)
        Argued that the poor TRANSPORT SYSTEM was more significant in preventing economic growth.
      2. Adam Smith (an economist, at the time)
CRIMEAN WAR
1. Drew attention to the state of the Russian Army.
2. Military REFORMERS believed that Russia needed a smaller, better trained army, as well as a reserve force; just like European powers.
  1. Would involve shorter conscription periods; a risky operation!
    1. Trained serfs would be released back into their poverty-ridden villages, and have the military knowledge to potentially operate an uprising if dissatisified!
      1. So, this is why many officials maintained the notion that military reform could ONLY be carried out FOLLOWING the abolition of serfdom!
3. QUESTION OF LOYALTY!
  1. For how long would the serfs remain LOYAL if NOTHING was done to improve their living conditions and accommodate their aspirations?

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REASONS FOR THE EMANCIPATION OF THE SERFS (Alexander II - 1861)

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	Criado por Chloe Fairbrother aproximadamente 10 anos atrás