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The Emancipation of the Serfs (1861) (Life of a serf before 1861 (Direct…
The Emancipation of the Serfs (1861)
Why did Emancipation happen?
Views from Terence Emmons
"Emancipation was probably the greatest single piece of state-directed social engineering in modern European history before the twentieth century"
However, also says that it caused "stresses and strains, of both a short- and long term character"
Emancipation was necessary because serfdom was holding back Russia
Inspiration for Alexander II
Alexander II could have been influenced by Romantic poet/tutor, Vasily Zhukovsky, and by Alexander’s journeys around the empire (seeing poverty, cultures, connects with people)
Influenced by Party of St Petersburg Progress
Liberal nobles and officials
Spent time near Tsar’s aunt (Elena) or brother (Constantine) (liberal)
Members of Royal Family since Catherine the Great (1762-96) said emancipation was wrong
o Nicholas I said it was “evil, palpable and obvious to all”
The Ministry of Internal Affairs favoured Slavophile reform
Embarrassment of Crimean War showed Alexander II that modernisation was necessary. Emancipation tied up many potential labourers/soldiers
Life of a serf before 1861
• Lived in mir (village commune)
• 3 field rotation and strip farming
Direct taxes
• Poll tax- tax taken from everyone for the military (if they couldn’t pay they had to work)
Obrok
Monetary rent for the lord, though few were able to do this
Barschina
Work the serf does for the lord
• Indirect taxes- taxes on salt and vodka
• Serfs were either state owned or private, most were state owned
• Domestic
• Land redistribution- their land and who they belong to can be changed hands between lords, living at their whims
51 million out of about 60 million Russians were serfs
Emancipation process:
Transition period:
• 2 to 9 years
• Everything stays the same except the legal status of serfs (legally free but still had to work for their lord)
• Preparatory stage for stage 2
Temporary obligation:
• Still had to work for landowners
• Size and locations of allotments recorded
• Allotments over maximum size were cut off
• Charters drawn for next stage
Redemption payments:
• Obligations to landowners ceased and replaced by redemption payments, had to pay lord and if they couldn’t they had to work
• Serfs could now purchase land from nobility through government who compensated the landowners
• Peasants often paid more than the market value t compensate landowners for both loss of land and free labour
Largely drafted by Nikolay Milyutin (Minister of Interior between 1959-1866) as well as a group of nobility
Was emancipation a success or a failure?
Success
SOme landowners used their compensation to get out of debt or to invest in industry
Some serfs sold their land and gained a passport so that they could move to the cities for work
Kulaks (the richer peasants) bought up extra land and were able to make a surplus of grain. Set up private farms
However, people resented the kulaks
Failure
Serfs thought they were being withheld the true emancipation. Searched for the Golden Charters
Many peasants felt cheated, especially in Black Earth regions
Small land allocations meant that there was little chance for improvements to farming methods
Typically, peasants lost 1/5 of the land they owned pre-Emancipation
In good soil regions, 5 dessyatinas were regarded as enough to feed a family. However, in Black Soil regions peasants typically had 4 dessyatinas
In 1878, only 50% of peasantry could make a surplus
Still tied to mir, firm restrictions on travel since if the peasant left the mir would have to pay their taxes
Burden of redemption payments
For 49 years
In 1881, 15% of peasantry were still tied to their lord, still temporarily obligated
Nobility
Landowners disliked the loss of influence and power
Many nobility became bankrupt after squandering their compensation, had to mortgage their land
Landowner amount decreased from 115,000 to 107,000 from 1877-1905
Peasant unrest due to emancipation
647 instances of peasant unrest over land allocation in the 4 months after emancipation
Eg in Bezdna