Tsar+Alexander+III

Notes by Jorden Olton. **__Past Questions:__**
 * Analyse the strengths and weaknesses of Russia in the second half of the nineteenth century.


 * “Despite his apparently liberal policies, Alexander II was just as conservative as Alexander III.” To what extent do you agree with this statement?

**__Key dates of his reign:__**
 * Compare and contrast the policies of Alexander II (1855-81) and Alexander III (1881-94) of Russia.
 * 1881- Assassination of Alexander II and Alexander III comes to the throne at the age of 36 in March 1881.
 * 1881, April- "Manifesto of Unshakable Autocracy".
 * 1881, Statute of State Security (gave govt. powers to pursue revolutionaries).
 * 1882- Peasants' Land Bank.
 * 1886- Abolishment of the Poll Tax.
 * 1889- Land Captains introduced.
 * 1891-92- Famine.
 * 1894- dies!

**__Background - i.e. personality, upbringing, circumstances in which he came to rule__**
 * Alexander III was the second son of Alexander II and thus had not been prepared or educated to take over the throne. When his older brother however died in 1865, he became the heir to Tsardom.
 * His father had oppointed the conservative **Konstantin Pobodonestev** as his tutor and shaped the conservative thoughts of Alexander III from early age.
 * He had a forceful character, conservative and strongly opposed western ideas.
 * Alexander blamed his father's death on the reforms he had made earlier in his life and strengthened the autocratic element of AIII's reign.
 * Greatly influenced by his tutor who believed that all opposition should be ruthlessly crushed and freedom of press and constitutions represented a threat to the state.
 * Russia was still significantly backwards and economically weak when AIII came to the throne and needed to some drastic changes!

**__Key aims as Tsar:__**
 * His "**Manifesto of Unshakable Autocracy**" issued in April 1881, showed rejection of democracy and further reform and the intent to have "f//ull faith in the justice and strength of the autocracy//".
 * Wanted to **strengthen the autocracy** and **eliminate the opposition** that had arisen from his father's reform.
 * However, also saw the urgent need to modernize and improve economically to become a Great Power.

**__Methods and policies to achieve these:__**
 * The terrorists responsible for his father's assassination were executed and a further 10,000 suspects were arrested.
 * **Censorship was re-introduced** and his fathers plans for a constituent assembly were immediatly crushed.
 * __Local Government__: **Land Captains** were introduced in 1889 to strengthen autocracy and position of the nobility on the countryside- taken only from the nobility, had local authority over administration and could overrule all zemstva's decisions! New laws introduced in 1890 1992 to reduce popular vote in rural and urban areas- in St.Petersburg the electorate was reduced by 2/3 following these reforms.


 * __Peasantry and social policy:__ Some feared, due to the repressive nature of AIII's reforms, that he was going to re-institute serfdom but instead gave more power to the mir- 1893, **banned peasants from leaving the mir** and **strengthened the power the mir had over the individual.**
 * __Power of the state and repression:__ **The Statute of State Security** was issued in 1881 and gave govt. more powers to persue revolutionaries. Gave right to ban public gatherings, close schools and universities and charge individuals for political crimes. Allowed them to imprison suspected opponents of the state without trial and conditions in prisons made more severe.


 * __Censorship:__ **education came under tighter control** of the government and granted most of the independence gained under AII's rule. The **tutition fees were raised** to exlude lower-class children from primary and secondary education; believed this was a waste of time!


 * __Russification and anti-semitism:__ The policy of suppressing national minorities was harshly put into action and the worst off were the jews who were constantly faced with progroms and oppression. The state encouraged violence against the Jewish population as a way to divert popular discontent.


 * __Economic:__ Created the **Peasants' Land Bank** in 1882 to help the peasants purchase land and was so successful that by 1904 the peasants had bought 1/3 of the nobility's land. Also **abolished the Poll Tax** which was payed only by the peasants in 1886.
 * Offered limited concessions to the workers by introducing laws in 1883 and 85 to **improve working conditions for women and children** and in 1886-**labour legislation payment and dismissal** to protect the workers.