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Alexander II and the emancipation of the serfs 1855-81 - Emancipation of the Surfs

Q: What is the traditional historiographical reputation of Alexander II?

The 'Tsar Liberator' - first used by Fydor Dosteovsky in his novel The Brothers Karamazov (contemporary)

Q: What quote implies that Alexander II emancipated the serfs out of fear of rural rebellion rather than for humanitarian reasons?

'It is better to abolish serfdom from above than to wait until the serfs begin to liberate themselves from below.' - 30th March 1856 Alexander II to representatives of the nobility

Q: What historiographical quote implies Alexander II didn't even want to reform the system but he felt forced to out of fear?

'The Emancipation had to be, he (Alexander II) knew, but he did not like it.' - Edward Crankshaw

Q: What historiographical quote emphasises that Alexander II emancipated the serfs out of a sense of self-preservation?

'It was fear, not philanthropy, which forced him on a path that was essential for the economic and political survival of the empire.' - Alan Wood

Q: What quote implies that Alexander II emancipated the serfs for essentially moral reasoning?

'Since he was a child, Alexander believed that ownership of serfs was contrary to the teachings of the Bible and spoke of this idea to his father.' - J. Stephen Graham

8 important questions on Alexander II and the emancipation of the serfs 1855-81 - Emancipation of the Surfs

What is the traditional historiographical reputation of Alexander II?

The "Tsar Liberator" - first used by Fydor Dosteovsky in his novel The Brothers Karamazov (contemporary)

What quote implies that Alexander II emancipated the serfs out of fear of rural rebellion rather than for humanitarian reasons?

"It is better to abolish serfdom from above than to wait until the serfs begin to liberate themselves from below." - 30th March 1856 Alexander II to representatives of the nobility

What historiographical quote implies Alexander II didn't even want to reform the system but he felt forced to out of fear?

"The Emancipation had to be, he (Alexander II) knew, but he did not like it." - Edward Crankshaw

What historiographical quote emphasises that Alexander II emancipated the serfs out of a sense of self-preservation?

"It was fear, not philanthropy, which forced him on a path that was essential for the economic and political survival of the empire." - Alan Wood

What quote implies that Alexander II emancipated the serfs for essentially moral reasoning?

"Since he was a child, Alexander believed that ownership of serfs was contrary to the teachings of the Bible and spoke of this idea to his father." - J. Stephen Graham

How many Serfs were there in the Russian empire what percentage of the population did they make up?

around 53 million serfs in the Russian Empire
made up around 90% of the Population

Who did Alexander II want to demonstrate the reform of serfdom came from?

Landowners: Alexander emphasised that although he had some fundamental demands, he wanted emancipation to come from the entire nobility; describing it as 'national renewal'.

Why did Westernizers think that serfs held back industrialisation?

tied serfs couldn't move to cities to work in factories
moreover, emancipationists argued, free labour would be more efficient in cities than force labour
Serfdom kept living standards so low and the fact that serfs didn't have any disposable income meant that there was a reduction in internal demands for goods

The question on the page originate from the summary of the following study material:

History for the IB Diploma: Imperial Russia, Revolutions and the Emergence of the Soviet State 1853-1924 | 9781107684898 | Sally Waller

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