Alexander the Second and the Title Tsar Liberator Essay

Alexander the Second and the Title Tsar Liberator In the 19th Century, Russia had no zemstva, very little education, industry and railway building, a biased judicial system and very few freed peasants. Czar Alexander II, who succeeded Nicolas I in 1855, went some ways to remedying these deficiencies through a series of reforms. Alexander II became the great modernizer of Russia, walking a delicate line between preserving Russias Slavic identity and enabling its people to benefit from Western advancements. For this reason he was known to some as the ‘ Czar Liberator’. However, indeed he was a liberator in name only. Alexander II initiated substantial reforms in education, the government, the†¦show more content†¦For the educational reform, the Czar adopted a more liberal education. Censorship was relaxed, the universities were given freedom and independence, and more Western ideas were introduced to scholars and students. People were more open-minded and became to demand more under these ‘liberal’ reforms. Though Czar Alexander II returned to reactionary rule when an attempt was made to assassinate him in the 1860s, he did turn once more to reform in 1880. He made plans to set up a General Commission which would include representatives from the Zemstva. This would not be a parliament but would be a ‘consultative voice’ when the Czar required it. But this was an attempt towards a parliamentary government. Superficially, Czar Alexander II seemed to be so liberate from his series of reform. Yet, notwithstanding these measures, it would be wrong, as is sometimes done, to describe Alexander II as a liberal. He was in fact a firm upholder of autocratic principles, sincerely convinced both of his duty to maintain the God-given autocratic power he had inherited and of Russias unreadiness for constitutional or representative government. For the emancipation of serfs, it was actually essential more than out of the Czar’s willingness. The bulk of the Russian population, about 80%, were the peasants and serfs. Alexander II recognised that emancipation was vital. FreedShow MoreRelatedOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pagesfollowed the Great War, the victorious European powers appeared to have restored, even expanded, their global political and economic preeminence only to see it eclipsed by the emergence of the Soviet and U.S. superpowers on their periphery and a second round of even more devastating global conflict. The bifurcated international system that resulted from the cold war standoff extended the retreat of globalization, but nurtured the liberation of most of humanity from colonial rule. The collapse