From the beginning of the nineteenth century throughout Europebegins the industrial revolution. It leads to the need to reform many areas. Quickly “reconfigured” in a new way, European countries noticeably overtook Russia. That, in turn, having got involved in the Crimean War, once again saw the weakness of the tsarist regime and the imperial policy in general. In the country hung heavy atmosphere of waiting.
Alexander II was well aware that heit will have to carry out reforms of the 60-70s - this was required by the new time, which was rapidly leaving Russia behind the countries of Europe. Note that the king needed considerable endurance and courage to take this unpopular step for some estates. At the same time, there was no other way out. The bourgeois reforms of the 60-70s of the 19th century were to take place.
Preparation was a long six years.The first ideas appeared in 1855, but did not receive significant development due to the change of the emperor (in this year Nicholas I was replaced by Alexander II). The end of the Crimean War made it possible to engage in internal politics more substantively. Now the bourgeois reforms of the 60-70s began to be actively negotiated in the highest circles. The first and most important reform, the “Manifesto on the abolition of serfdom” in 1861. With this document, dedicated to the sixth anniversary of the throne, Alexander II bestowed personal freedom on the peasants. A similar step pushed the rest of the bourgeois reforms of the 60-70s, made it possible to carry out other significant changes. However, such a benefit was colored negatively. Together with the personal free peasants received ... Nothing. The land - their main nurse, remained at the mercy of the landowner. For her, the peasant was forced to pay a ransom in money, which he did not have. In fact, people were abandoned to their fate. To a large extent, the reform also hit the landlord economy, because the masses of peasants moved to the cities to earn money.
Such a radical change in the country led to other bourgeois reforms of the 60-70s. These include territorial, judicial, military, urban and educational.
Judicial reform introduced prosecutor positionsand a lawyer. Now the court has become adversary. The key to the decision-making was the jury, who sentenced the person. The role of the judge was assigned only to monitor the correctness of the process.
Zemsky reform included the introductionlocal government. Now zemstvos included representatives of all classes. Among the merits of zemstvos it is worth noting the establishment of a network of educational and medical institutions.
Military reform implied educationregular army by universal labor service. However, its timing has decreased significantly. Instead of 25 years now the maximum reached six years in certain branches of the military. Fit men due to their health status, who had reached the age of twenty-one, were called to the service.
Educational benefits also had certain advantages.reform. According to it, each child was obliged to get an elementary education, access to higher educational institutions was opened formally for representatives of all classes, universities received greater autonomy.
The bourgeois reforms of the 60-70s undoubtedly hadpositive results. Thanks to him, Russia from an agrarian country began to turn into an industrial one, although the agrarian sector still occupied large volumes in the country's economy. Nevertheless, the development of industry continued at a rapid pace. Such changes were not supported by all. Against Alexander the Second, there was a persecution on the part of the populists, who more than once attempted on his life. In 1881, this attempt was a success, but the reform machine was already launched, and the country finally entered a new stage of development.
