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AQA History A-level - Tsarist and Communist Russia 1855-1964 - Trying to…
AQA History A-level - Tsarist and Communist Russia 1855-1964 - Trying to preserve autocracy, 1855-1894 - Alexander II, the 'Tsar Reformer' 2️⃣
Definitions
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Enlightened despotism - system of government in which an all-powerful ruler granted domestic reforms in order to benefit his people
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Ecclesiastical and military courts - an ecclesiastical court was a Church court where punishments were in the hands of priests; in military courts, army officers awarded the sentences
Party of St. Petersburg - loose title given to liberal nobles/officials who frequented salons of Tsar's aunt, or gathered around his aunt
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Other Domestic Reforms
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Judiciary Reforms (1864)
Pre-Reform
Emancipation required legal/administrative changes to local justice - previously judge examined written evidence prepared by owner/police
No jury system, no lawyers, no witness examinations
Accused was guilty until proven innocent, with judge's decision final
Limitations
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New juries acquitted some guilty out of sympathy; new decree had to be issued permitting political crimes to be tried by special procedures
Were limitations and exclusions, like the ecclesiastical /military courts
Progress
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Single system of courts established before the law - accused was presumed innocent 'til proven guilty, and could employ a lawyer
Criminal cases held before barristers & jury, selected from property owners, w/ judges appointed by Tsar & given improved training/pay
Local Justices of the Peace (JPs) elected tri-anually by zemstva, & were independent from political controls
Publical courts, & proceedings could be reported; National trials recorded in a government newspaper, the Russian Courier
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Other Reforms
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Limitations
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After 1863 Polish rebellion, lenient treatment of Poles/Jews was reversed
Economic liberalisation remained, but mostly at peasants' expense
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Closer Look
1840-1844,<30 outbreaks of disorder per annum, but this doubled over 30yrs, partly due to: pushing peasants to pay higher rent, protests against conscription
Volost was a peasant community of villages & hamlets; admin areas were called mirs, run by representatives; had own court from 1863 managed under nobles and 'peace officer'
Unrest continued under Edict as disputed erupted over land-holding and redemption payments; 647 incidents in 4 months w/ peasant riot in Bezdna (70 dead); noble bankruptcies continued
War against Turkey (1877-78) - in attempt to recover Crimean War losses, Russians went to war against Turkey, concluding it w/ Treaty of San Stefano in 1878 & then Treaty of Berlin which split up new Bulgaria
Number of primary schools rose from 8000 to 23,000 from '56 to '80, w/ pupils raising from 400,000 to 1m; uni students increased from 3600 to 10000 in 1870s