Alexander+III

Alexander II’s return to reformism Alexander III >> Education during the reactionary > //-Marta Dziedzic//
 * 1880’s Alexander II was “isolated from the Russian people, unpopular with the educated public, and cut off from the bulk of society and the Court. His fate had become a matter of indifference to the majority of his subjects”
 * Grew increasingly unpopular which led to his assassination, afterwards his son Alexander III because tsar.
 * Was Alexander II’s son from his first marriage
 * Influences:
 * Alexander III was influenced less by his father then by his tutor Konstantin Pobedonostsev
 * Influenced his views on conservatism
 * Konstantin Pobedonostsev
 * Was against democracy but supported autocracy
 * Democracy: a system of government in which people choose their rulers by voting for them in elections
 * Autocracy: a form of government which the ruler (the autocrat) exercises absolute political power, unlimited by other factors such as a parliament or a constitution.
 * Supporter of Orthodoxy and opposed other religions
 * Was against nationalities other than Russian within the Russian empire
 * Universal Manhood Suffrage
 * The right that all males over the age of consent have to vote, in order to choose a government or national leader.
 * Pobedonostsev considered the UMS:
 * A ‘fatal error’
 * ‘among the falsest of political principles’
 * Parlimentarianism - ‘triumph of egoism’
 * Freedom of press- ‘one of the falsest institutions of our time’
 * Nikolai Denilyevski
 * Also influence Alexander II but not as much as Pobedonostsev
 * “‘Prophet’ of the new temper in Russian thought, and especially in Russian foreign policy.” –//Europe 1870-1991 p 61//
 * In 1871 wrote the book //Russia and Europe//
 * Rejects the idea of westernization
 * Suggests focusing pan-Slavism
 * Pan-Slavism: A political doctrine which advocated the political union of all Slav peoples. This was widely viewed in other European states as a cover for the political ambitions of Russia
 * Less aggressive then old Slavism
 * Conservative Legislation 1882-1892
 * Assassination of previous tsar led to the replacement of some government officials
 * Example: Mikhail Loris-Melikov was replaced by Nikolai Ignatiev who was later replaced by Dmitri Tolstoy
 * The office of justice of peace was replaced by the Land Commandant (zemsky nachalnik)
 * Qualifications included:
 * Being a noble
 * The person had to support the administrative and judicial authority in their local area
 * It had more power than the secret police (zemstva)
 * Laws restricted rights to vote
 * Rural and urban areas had laws that restricted who could vote
 * St. Petersburg- the amount of voters was reduced from from 21000 to 7000.
 * Minister of Education was I.V. Delyanov
 * Opposed educational reforms of Alexander II
 * Universities/ Schools:
 * Reduced autonomy
 * Raised tuition fees
 * Made sure that only the children of nobles would be able to attend school
 * Schools under the local cleregy:
 * Only schools that kept their autonomy and could continue to educate as they wished
 * Concequences:
 * Were few world-renowned elite that disguised illiteracy rates in Russia:
 * Pavlov, Mendeleiev, Chekhov, Tolstoy, Gorky, Klyuchevsky, and Tchaikovsky
 * 79% of the Russian population was illiterate
 * Russification
 * The attempting to suppress the local characteristics of various regions within the Empire, and spread Russian characteristics to all the Tsar’s subjects
 * Russians were a minority and made up only 45% of the population, the remaining 55% was other nationalities
 * This meant that in order for the Russians to have power they had to russify the other nations within the Empire
 * People were separated into three groups by J.N. Westwood
 * Disloyal
 * Poles
 * Ukrainians
 * Tartars
 * Georgians
 * Loyal
 * Finland
 * Armenia
 * Baltic territories of Estonia
 * Latvia
 * Lithuania
 * Jews
 * Conditions were worse under Alexander III
 * Was illegal to live in the pale
 * The pale was an area in western Russia to which Jewish settlement was legally restricted. It had been established in the 18th century by Catherine the Great. Also known as the Pale of Settlement
 * Anti-Semitism arose from the orthodox church
 * Anti-Semitism is the hostility of Jews or the Jewish religion (Judaism)
 * Were blamed for
 * The polish rebellion
 * The assassination of Alexander III
 * Government supported pogroms
 * Pogroms are violent attacks upon Jewish communities and upon their property
 * May 1881 215 disturbances occurs
 * 1905 in Odessa, Ukraine around 500 Jews were killed
 * Restrictions
 * Were not allowed to trade during Christian holy days
 * This weakened merchants as they did not trade during their holy days
 * The 10% of Jew in education were given strict rules to follow
 * Solutions
 * There were two outlets to the abuse
 * Zionist movement
 * A form of Jewish nationalism which advocated the establishment of a Jewish state
 * The Bund
 * A Jewish socialist organization
 * Was one of the factors in the development of revolutionary socialism
 * Russification was a ‘dissolving agent’ then nationalism was, ironically it was supposed to reduce nationalism
 * Russification was a ‘dissolving agent’ then nationalism was, ironically it was supposed to reduce nationalism

Outlines for History Essay Exam: 3. Compare and contrast the policies of Alexander II and Alexander II of Russia.

Decoding the question: Compare and contrast (given an account of similarities and differences between) the policies of Alex II and III of Russia. Compare for example economic, local gov, education, legal, army (DOMESTIC). Also FOREIGN policies. Then DO SOMETHING (creative) with the comparisons.

SAMPLE OUTLINE: 1. Introduction a. Thesis: Though Alexander II was more liberal than his son in his policies, both Tsars tried to preserve the autocracy and centralized power through their domestic policies. 2. Body a. Local Government  i. Alexander II 1. Created the Zemstva (very liberal idea of having local councils) 2. However, weighted voting system à aristocrats could dominate the regional bodies. 3. Could only decide on stuff like infrastructure, agriculture (couldn’t make economic decisions etc.) 4. Alex II: Tried to preserve autocracy by not allowing a national body 5. Later in reign, restricted powers of Zemstva 6. Therefore: by restricting powers, he was still preserving the autocracy and centralization of power, like his son (below) did.  ii. Alexander III 1. Like father, supported CENTRALIZED power (crucial for autocracy) 2. Law of 1890 increased representation of the gentry, restricting peasant vote and further reducing their say 3. Restricted activity of that city duma’s were allowed to handle b. Policies on Education <span style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 2.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; mso-text-indent-alt: -9.0pt; text-indent: -2.0in;"> i. Alexander II <span style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 2.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level4 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">1. Initially, let universities more autonomy, could teach philosophy and stuff. MORE liberal education <span style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 2.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level4 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">2. However, later took more conservative line and got rid of minister of education (replaced him with a more conservative one). <span style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 2.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level4 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">3. Increased censorship again <span style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 2.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level4 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">4. So really, equally conservative-- believed that by restricting educate, could protect autocracy. <span style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 2.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; mso-text-indent-alt: -9.0pt; text-indent: -2.0in;"> ii. Alexander III <span style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 2.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level4 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">1. Turned away from the few remaining reforms of his fathers <span style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 2.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level4 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">2. Reduced number of university entrants (limiting education means less challenges to autocracy) <span style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 2.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level4 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">3. Mr. P (very conservative) was his education minister, who instigated these reactions to reform. <span style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 1.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">c. Policy of Choice <span style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 2.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; mso-text-indent-alt: -9.0pt; text-indent: -2.0in;"> i. Alexander II <span style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 2.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level4 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">1. Example to show reform but also conservatism. ANALYZE to show that they preserved autocratic and centralized power. <span style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 2.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; mso-text-indent-alt: -9.0pt; text-indent: -2.0in;"> ii. Alexander III <span style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 2.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level4 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">1. Example of his policies to illustrate equally conservative views.DITTO above. <span style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">3. Conclusion

//Maria and Lydia//