Did the reforms of Alexander the second qualify him as the Tsar Liberator.

Did the reforms of Alexander the second qualify him as the Tsar Liberator

Alexander the second came to power during the Crimean war, which Russia was badly defeated in. The Crimean War made Alexander aware of the faults in the social and government systems of Russia. Alexander knew that there would have to be change in the social and political systems in order to maintain stability and to achieve his aim of a strong Russian state. In order to achieve this, Alexander started his reforms.

The first reform Alexander made was the emancipation of the serfs in 1861.After the Crimean War in which Russia was defeated in, Alexander noticed that the Russian peasantry was a crucial factor in Russia’s weakness. Alexander also saw that the Russian slave system Serfdom, was failing the Russian state, the serfs and the nobles. It was also stopping Russia from becoming a powerful nation. So in order to make Russia powerful again Alexander emancipated the serfs.

The other reform that Alexander made were setting up a local elected council called the Zemstva in 1864.The Zemstva was responsible for things such as health, education, transport and the local economy. Alexander also pushed through reforms in almost all areas of life. This was the local government, the legal system, the military, education, censorship and the economy. But the reforms qualify Alexander as a liberator?

There can be no doubt that Alexander bore direct responsibility for the great reforms that occurred in Russia during his reign. Alexander made the reforms because he wanted to make Russia in ...

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There can be no doubt that Alexander bore direct responsibility for the great reforms that occurred in Russia during his reign. Alexander made the reforms because he wanted to make Russia in a more powerful country like the European countries. So in order for Russia to become as powerful as it’s European counterparts Russia had to be like them. Alexander started by emancipating the serfs. He restored the Catholic Church and freeing prisoners. Alexander set up the elected councils to educate the Russian people. This shows that Alexander wanted to really wanted change. All the previous Tsars didn’t or did not want to change the way Russia was even though they had to change Russian society. Alexander the second did. That is why Alexander might have qualified to be the Tsar Liberator.

But there are also reasons why Alexander might not have deserved to be the Tsar Liberator.

The Crimean war is said to have assisted Alexander in emancipating of the serfs. If the Crimean war had not had happened would Alexander have emancipated the serfs? And would all the reforms have happened. A lot of historians believe that Alexander emancipated the serfs and made most of his reforms to autocracy rather than replace it. Russian Marxist historians insisted that the Tsar was motivated by the desire benefit his noble supporters rather than the serfs, and that emancipation was mainly a means of putting money in the pockets of landowners who were the nobles because after emancipation the peasants were left with less land than before. The peasants now had to pay for the land and many peasants felt they could had being given the land for free. It is also said that Alexander made his reforms because he feared a revolts and revolutions. Because of these reasons Alexander might not have deserved to called The Tsar Liberator.

I think Alexander the reforms of Alexander the second qualifies him as The Tsar Liberator because Alexander was called upon to execute one of the hardest tasks that can confront an autocratic ruler. Alexander had to completely remodel the whole Russian state, he abolished the slavery system and he replaced it with civil decency and freedom.

No matter what bad things the historians say about Alexander’s reforms, what Alexander the second did was still liberation.