Were Alexander IIs reforms successful and did he deserve to be called a Liberator?
by
bport1 (student)
Bethan Port
Were Alexander II’s reforms successful and did he deserve to be called a Liberator?
I believe that Alexander II did deserve to be called a Liberator, as he introduced a number of reforms that revolutionised Russia from its extremely backward state. There was a great demand for change at the time, although reforms faced adversity from traditional supporters of autocratic power, such as nobility and gentry. Alexander II remained determined to hold onto his autocratic powers, but was open to the arguments of others; including the much needed abolition of serfdom. It was the subsequent unbalance between Alexander’s commitment to autocracy and his liberal reforms that created opposition towards his reign, and eventually led to his assassination by terrorists in 1881.
The end of serfdom played a big role in developing Russia into a modern state, as Russia was seen to be extremely backward at the time Alexander II took over. By lifting restrictions on foreign travel (and by 1859 26,000 passports were granted to travel abroad) Alexander knew his people would be exposed to Western culture. He had also realised that serfdom was one of the main reasons for the humiliating loss of the Crimean War, and wanted Russia to be able to defend herself and to be equal with European powers. Alexander saw emancipation of the serfs as a method of evolving; serfdom prevented the growth of Russian industry by obstructing free flow of labour and prevented introduction of modern methods of agriculture. Furthermore, Alexander saw from the rising number of peasant revolts that it was wiser to abolish serfdom from a higher power rather than peasants revolting. He therefore maintained a level of peace, which was made all the more difficult by opposition from the ‘Krepostniki’. The immediate impact of the emancipation was often delayed as Alexander could not get the support of the Krepostniki, and the reforms often favoured landowners over peasants. For example, 75% of allotments awarded to the serfs were less than 4 dessyatinas which was not enough to feed a peasant family. However, within 20 years of the reform, emancipation led to over 85% of former serfs becoming landowners, and Alexander had avoided a major rebellion.
