To what extent did Emancipation solve the problems
of the peasantry for Tsarist society?
The Emancipation Decree of 1861 gave Russian peasants the right to buy land
and serfdom (the Russian equivalent of landed slavery) was abolished. The
peasantry were land dwellers and agricultural workers, they made up 82% of
the population. Tsarist society consisted of the tsar (emperor) who governed
all Russia. Russia contained mainly peasants while the upper class
constituted 12%, the working class 4%, the commercial class 1.5% and the
ruling class just 0.5% of the population. The Emancipation Decree of 1861
was issued to solve the problems of decreased productivity because of an
increasing population. It was also as a result of the Crimean War of 1855-56
which motivated Tsar Alexander II to introduce Emancipation to help the
Russian State. However it had the opposite effect on Tsarist society, the
main reasons for the discontent among the peasants was they could not
understand why they were forced to pay for land hey had farmed for
generations. Emancipation had a far worst effect on the nobility because
they were totally unprepared and as a result did not survive, they had to sell
of land to pay existing debts. The most important reason for Emancipation
was the desire to strengthen the Russian State in military, economic and
industrial terms. It was hoped that revitalised peasant economy would
provide the basis for industrialisation by providing surplus capital for
investment, but this aim was not achieved. Therefore the Emancipation
Decree of 1861 did not solve the problems of the peasantry and only made
things worse then they already were.
The act of Emancipation basically said the peasants were free to farm their
own land if they paid compensation, however the result of this was that
there was discontent over the terms of the act and the effects of this was
that there was a desire for a second emancipation. The Ministry of Interior
reported 647 peasant riots in the first four months and 70 peasants were
killed by troops at Bezdna in 1861. Also, many peasants had to rent more
land from nobles, often on similar terms as under serfdom. Peasants still had
special courts and did not posses full citizen rights and also a massive
population put pressure on the land. Therefore Emancipation did not
change much for the peasants and actually increased the amount of
discontent and this lead to a economic spiral downwards where
agricultural production was not revolutionised as many gentry were
indebted and peasants improvished.
The effect on Emancipation on the nobility was huge because they had
been totally unprepared for existing in a competitive society without the
serfs to rely on. Part of the reason for the generous compensation terms they
received was that the government rushed to ensure their survival as a
moderating force in Russian society in order to counteract more radical
groups. Yet emancipation failed to ensure the survival of the nobility, half of
the money received in he first ten years after 1861 went towards paying off
existing debts. A large proportion of the nobility declined steadily, as did
their ability to act as a stabilising force in Russian society. The position and
power of the nobility had been based on Serfdom. Therefore the
Emancipation Act of 1861 contributed towards the downfall of the nobility
and had a far-reaching effect on Tsarist society because without the
nobility as a stabilising force there was an unstable government and
country.
The effect of Emancipation on the state was that because of the collapse of
the nobility, there was no stability in Tsarist society and there was a lack of
economic, political and social success with the emancipation act. For
example most peasant farmers did not produce a natural surplus as the
state hoped would create an industrialised society. Also peasants did not
form a strong market for industrial goods as they were burdened by
redemption and other payments.
In conclusion group of essentially subsistence peasant farmers cannot be
turned into modern agriculturists at a stroke. Such modernisation
required more than just ridding the serfs of their domination by the
nobility. It required a radical change in the social and economic structure
and in the attitude of the peasantry towards these structures. The Tsar
was not in a position to implement or to offer such a change, even if the
peasants had been willing and able to accept it.
Therefore the Emancipation act of 1861 had a far-reaching effect on
Tsarist society by not solving the problem of the peasantry because of the
economic,social andpoliticaleffects.