This article includes a list of references, but its sources remain unclear because it has insufficient inline citations. In 1855, Alexander II began his reign as Tsar of Russia and russian foreign policy 19th century over a period of political and social reform, notably the emancipation of serfs in 1861 and the lifting of censorship. Russia continued to expand its empire, occupying the Caucasus, Tashkent and Samarkand. In foreign affairs, the period began with the conclusion of the Crimean War.
Russia’s population growth rate from 1850 to 1910 was the fastest of all the major powers except for the United States. Between 1850 and 1900, Russia’s population doubled, but it remained chiefly rural well into the twentieth century. The proclamation law of 1861 freed the peasants from dependence on the landowners and granted them all the land, previously worked by the peasants for their own use. Agriculture remained in the hands of peasants, who together constituted about four-fifths of the rural population, and former landowners. By the end of 19th century, Russia was the largest producer and exporter of cereals in the world. Industrial growth was significant, although unsteady, and in absolute terms it was not extensive.
Russia’s industrial regions included Moscow, the central regions of European Russia, St. Tsar Alexander II, who succeeded Nicholas I in 1855, was a man of a liberal disposition, who saw no alternative but to implement change in the aftermath of the Crimean War. In 1861 he proclaimed the emancipation of about 20 million privately held serfs. Local commissions effected emancipation by giving land and freedom to the serfs. The land allotted to the peasants was bought from the owners with the State’s assistance.
Reforms of local government closely followed emancipation. In 1864 Alexander II implemented the great judicial reform. In major towns, it established courts with juries. In general, the judicial system functioned effectively, but the government lacked the finances and cultural influence to extend the court system to the villages, where traditional peasant justice continued to operate with minimal interference from provincial officials. Other major reforms took place in the educational and cultural spheres. Censorship, which had stifled opinion under Nicholas, was greatly relaxed, and public opinion found a voice. This greatly facilitated the government’s effort to eradicate corruption, red tape and inefficiency.
The Government encouraged education: it was during Alexander’s reign that the education of the peasant masses started on a vast scale. In the financial sphere, Russia established the State Bank in 1866, which put the national currency on a firmer footing. The Ministry of Finance supported railroad development, which facilitated vital export activity, but it was cautious and moderate in its foreign ventures. The Franco-Prussian War demonstrated the necessity of building a modern army. Alexander’s far reaching policy, however, did not bring political peace to Russia.
