What problems did Alexander II face in 1855 Essay Example

1905. By 1861, with great effort, Alexander II achieved what has been considered as "the greatest individual piece of state-directed social engineering in modern European history." In addition to freeing the helot, Alexander II implemented several other reforms. Following the resolution of the Crimean War, Alexander had pledged to reform the legal system in his proclamation on March 19, 1856. He established a committee in late 1861 to overhaul the system. The principles of this reform were made public on October 10, 1862, and the changes were put into practice in November 1864. The results amounted to a complete transformation of the Russian legal system. Courts became public, juries were introduced for most criminal cases, judges were more respected, court procedures were simplified, and suspects were granted the right to have legal representation. The abolishment of serfdom resulted in issues in rural areas. Previously, the Lords had authority over the helot.The group that served as an important group was now in demand for rural policing, as the serfs were freed from the Lords and desired more freedom. In order to suppress any rebellions, Alexander introduced rural policing under the ministry of the inside. These policing groups successfully suppressed peasant rebellions after their emancipation and were the first step in creating autonomous bodies called zemstvos. Zemstvos were introduced at the territory and provincial levels, with the national council claiming that they allowed people of all classes to participate in local affairs. However, this was not entirely true, as voting rights were weighted based on a person's wealth and land ownership. Despite taking orders from various ministries, the zemstvos successfully reformed the healthcare and education systems in

rural areas. From 1855, when the first zemstvos were introduced, about 1000 new elementary schools were built each year and the quality of hospitals improved significantly during Alexander's reign. Over time, Alexander's liberal mindset underwent changes.At the beginning of his reign, Alexander II was eager to liberalize Russia. This was evident in his approach to abolishing old censorship laws, allowing universities more freedom in their teachings, permitting once banned literature into the country, and even allowing exiled authors to circulate their works among the Russian population. However, this pro-liberal attitude could only last for so long. In 1863, there were rebellions in Poland, where Alexander II had implemented his liberal reforms. These rebellions lasted for a year and led to an assassination attempt on April 4, 1866. As a result, Alexander II introduced reactionary measures. The attempt on his life by a young student named Karakozov was seen as a consequence of the liberal education that was promoted. Old censorship laws were reinstated and the teaching of science, which was believed to encourage questioning of authority, was banned in elementary schools. The power of the zemstvos, local governing bodies, was also restricted and Alexander II ruled in a very authoritarian manner. However, despite these setbacks, Alexander II is still remembered for his significant legal reforms that had a positive impact. Unfortunately, his plans for a constitution were never completed due to his assassination in 1881. Although he did not succeed in establishing a constitution, he did successfully address other challenges that he faced during his time as Tsar.Despite not fully achieving his potential, Alexander II's reforms were still noteworthy. Had he not taken reactionary measures

or reversed some successful reforms, he would have been regarded as an even more successful progressive leader. He did grant Russia its first decentralized and representative form of government; however, he faltered in staying true to his liberal beliefs that were evident earlier in his reign. While Alexander II did not fully solve the problems he faced, he did manage to reduce the gap between social classes and introduce welcome changes to the role of the Tsar. If circumstances had not led him to become a victim of an unfortunate event, he could have been remembered as an even greater Tsar.