Russia’s military status had suffered greatly when they were defeated in the Crimean war in 1856. Russia was defeated by a force that suffered from poor leadership and tactics, which meant that the Russian people lost a lot of faith in their army. Alexander II knew he had to reform the army or else lose both international status and the Russian people’s respect for the military. He decided to adopt the western military tactic of reserves. In the past serfs had been taken from landowners, and forced to join the army. They then would be in the army for twenty-five years, before they were made free. The new system meant that people were recruited, trained, and then let back to normal life, only called back when the army was in need of soldiers. This meant a lot less money was spent maintaining it and people were more inclined to sign up. For this system to work, however, emancipation was necessary. Landowners did not want people trained in the army to come back and work for them, as they feared an organised rebellion.
Alexander II also tried to reform other sectors of society. One of his best-known reforms was the introduction of “zemstvos”. These were local councils with powers to provide roads, schools and medical services. However, the right to elect members was restricted to the wealthy. Because these councils had much more knowledge of the local area, this allowed the “zemstvo”s to govern much more effectively then a central government in Moscow.
Reforms of the justice system introduced trail by jury and a separation of powers and public and oral proceedings. It also instituted provincial courts and made the senate the final court of appeal.
Other reforms introduced by Alexander II included improved municipal government (1870) and universal military training (1874). He also encouraged the expansion of industry and the railway network.
Alexander's reforms did not satisfy liberals and radicals who wanted a parliamentary democracy and the freedom of expression that was enjoyed in the United States and the majority of other European states. The reforms in agricultural also disappointed the peasants. In some regions it took peasants nearly 20 years to obtain their land. Many were forced to pay more than the land was worth and others were given inadequate amounts for their needs.
Although Alexander II did reform and emancipate the serfs, one major step Russia did not take was to create a Duma, as Alexander II believed this to be a “senseless dream”. This would have satisfied many Russian people, and if one had been created earlier then there would not have been so much repression.
