The new Tsar believed he had to reverse the liberal policies his father had started in order to restore Tsarist Ideology in the empire that was now his. The Tsar devised that in order to reinstate Tsarist Ideology and extend his authority in his empire he would have greatly decrease the power of the Zemstvas. The result of this was the life of the peasants worsening greatly; their lives were becoming extremely difficult as they were living in fear of eviction as redemption payments were becoming too expensive to be met. Indirect taxes on items such as tea, sugar and vodka made things even more difficult for the peasants. They held the Tsar personally responsible for their problems which resulted in many violent incidents erupting throughout the countryside and the support for the Tsar decreasing severely. By 1889 Zemstva justices of the peace had been replaced by Land commandants; landed nobility chosen by the Tsar to hold positions of authority
The removal of The Zemstva caused the normally supportive, middle class to be alienated from the Tsar. However Alexander was still suspicious and strongly feared political opposition. This fear was encouraged by Pobedonastev as he had always been very wary of local governments. Therefore the abolition of the Zemstva resulted in Alexander alienating both the intelligentsia and possibly the peasants, furthermore various groups who had previously supported Tsarist Ideology became enemy to the Tsar.
Pobedonastev had filled Alexander’s mind with a strong fear of Political opposition. This led him to introducing measures to stop all forms of opposition against Tsarism. Pobedonastev warned Alexander that courts of law gave revolutionaries ideal opportunity to spread their ideology which caused Alexander to abolishing trial by jury. Courts no longer dealt with political crimes and those suspected of committing a political crime were killed by the department of police or sent into exile in Siberia. In 1883 the police state in Russia was reintroduced by the Tsar, he believed this would extend his influence over the empire. The Okhrana were established as the Tsar’s secret police and they were there to infiltrate revolutionary organisations and to ensure that there was no threat whatsoever to the position of authority which was held by the Tsar. The Tsar extended his authority to such great extent that his loyal subjects lived in fear as well as the ordinary Russian people. Both sets of people were joint in their belief that Alexander was the only person to blame.
To extend his power further the Tsar increased censorship. The people now lived in fear and ‘talked in whispers’ about anything to do with the state for fear of being misinterpreted. Political organisations distributing anti-tsarism literature were infiltrated by the Okhrana, and in some cases sent into exile. Tightening censorship, a further repressive policy carried out by the Tsar, did exert his control over his people but it also increased discontent amongst the Russian Empire and reduced support for the Tsar.
It has been argued that the most repressive of the Tsars policies was Russification. Over 200 minority powers such as the Ukrainians, the poles and the Baltic provinces lived within the Russian Empire and the Tsar felt that he had to tighten his power of these people. He chose to do this through the policy of Russification. The Tsar together with Pobedonastev and Tolstoy felt that it was important to implement the traditions of Russia, culture of Russia and Russian way of thinking and life throughout the Empire. Russian was taught in all schools and most subjects were taught in Russian also. Everyone in the Empire was made eligible for conscription into the Russian army.
Overall the policy of Russification was not as a success. Those opposed to the Tsarist Empire were not quelled. Perhaps, more importantly valued friends such as the Finns and the Armenians were alienated. The vast Russian Empire, with its many diverse national groups, required a respected figurehead in the person of the Tsar to act as a unifying force. Instead it was presented with three decades or more of frantic, bullying oppression. This policy has to be regarded as ‘one of the great mistakes made by Russia’s last two Tsars’. Of course it extended his authority over his empire but it lost him the support of the majority of the minorities in his empire.
The final policy introduced by the Tsar was not a repressive one but a reforming one. The Tsar’s policy of industrialisation proved that he was a reforming Tsar but he still wanted to be in full control of everything. Sergei Witte, the Minister of Finance, oversaw Russia’s industrial development, particularly the construction of the Trans- Siberian Railway. Witte hoped that this railway would make internal migration much easier and increase the Russian Empire’s productivity. He really wanted to see Russia competing with the industrialised western powers and he encouraged foreign investment and loans. France provided much need support for Russia’s industrialisation as part of a military alliance in 1894. Unfortunately industrialisation did not benefit the Russian people. Working and living conditions deteriorated greatly. There was very high unemployment and huge food shortages. Most blamed the Tsar for the situation which they now found themselves in, so industrialisation, a double edged sword, therefore, did not help Alexander III-The people’s ‘Little Father’- in extending his authority through the Russian Empire.
Tsar Alexander III’s policies to extend his authority throughout the Russian Empire make it clear why so many of his people turned against him. Abolishing the Zemstva was the first mistake made by the Tsar as it destroyed the only power the Russian people had ever had. This was so harshly snatched away so there was obviously going to be great resentment from the Russian people towards the Tsar. Alexander’s subjects feared him because of the severe treatment of political opposition and the policy of tight censorship, Russia had been turned into a ‘police state’ once again. Furthermore he angered many of his minority countries by removing their national identities through the policy of ‘Russification’ which caused them to withdraw their support for him. The introduction of industrialisation also had an adverse effect on the people’s feelings towards the Tsar. Although Alexander never implemented any of his policies out of evil or hate he successfully managed to turn many of his people against him. Therefore Alexander III was not successful in extending his power throughout the Russian Empire.
