Characteristics of the Russian Empire in 19 th Century

Characteristics of the Russian Characteristics of the Russian Empire in 19Empire in 19thth Century Century

Geography of Europe

Overview of Russia

Tsar Alexander I Tsar Alexander I December 23, 1777 – December 1, 1825December 23, 1777 – December 1, 1825

Alexander succeeded to the throne after his father was murdered and ruled Russia during the chaotic period of the Napoleonic Wars.

While a reformist, he also won several military campaigns. Under his rule, Russia acquired Finland and part of Poland.

The strange contradictions of his character make Alexander one of the most interesting Tsars.

Adding to this, his death was shrouded in mystery, and location of his body remains unknown.

Alexander II of Russia: The great Reformer (1818-1881)

•Alexander II (1818-1881) was emperor of Russia from 1855 to 1881. •He is called the "czar liberator" because he emancipated the serfs in 1861. •His reign is famous in Russian history as the "era of great reforms."

Great ReformsGreat Reforms

Abolition of Serfdom 1861

Military Reform

Education Reform

Church Reform

Russia in the 1860’s

Great reforms:

Railway

Growth of industry

Commercial ties with the Orient

Modern transportation: cholera epidemic

Unfortunately the great strides in modern transportation accelerated the spread of cholera from India in 1816 to the ports of the Philippines, China, Japan, Persian Gulf then north toward the Ottoman and Russian empires killing thousands by 1826.

Alexander was born on Feb. 26, 1845. His father was Alexander II

Alexander issued an imperial manifesto on April 29, 1881, which ended the constitutional reforms of his father and proclaimed the absolute power of the emperor.

Alexander III (1881 – 1894)

Political Cartoon

The law empowered the government to declare a state of emergency in any part of the Russian realm; administrative officials were given executive powers such as: Authority to make arrests Imposition of fines Confiscation of property without

trial Transfer of cases from criminal court

jurisdiction to that of military tribunals (more severe)

The closing of schools The suspension of periodicals Removal of local officials.

Alexander III (1881 – 1894)

police-vs-protestor

Russia in the 19th Century

Russian literature of the nineteenth century provided an agreeable medium for the discussion of political and social issues. Direct presentations of these discussions were censured.The prose writers of this period shared important qualities: attention to realistic, detailed descriptions of everyday Russian life; the lifting of the taboo on describing the vulgar, unsightly side of life; and a satirical attitude toward mediocrity and routine.

•Russia The Nineteenth Century http://www.photius.com/countries/russia/society/russia_society_the_nineteenth_centu~1297.html Sources: The Library of Congress Country Studies; CIA World Factbook


The Age of Realism, generally considered the culmination of the literary synthesis of earlier generations, began around 1850. The most significant prose writers of the Age of Realism were Ivan Turgenev, Fedor Dostoevsky, and Leo Tolstoy. Because of the enduring quality of their combination of pure literature with eternal philosophical questions, the last two are accepted as Russia's premier prose artists


Revolutionary Thinking & Revolutionary Thinking & “ISMS”“ISMS”

Nihilism

Socialism

Utopian Socialism

Imperialism

Slavophilism

Anarchism

• Marxism• Historical Materialism• Socialism • Leninism• Marxism-Leninism• Democratic Centralism




Virgin and Child, Saint Nicholas, Archangel MichaelUnidentified artist, Russian, second half 19th century,

Russia in the 19th Century19th Century Russian IconSt Nicholas Center Collection

St. Nicholas ~ WonderworkerIn you proved yourself to be a priest,a servant of divine things, O Saint,

for you fulfilled the Gospel of Christ, O holy one.You gave up your life for your people

and saved the innocent from death.You have been sanctifiedfor you were a great guidetowards the things of God.

—Kontakion of St. Nicholas


Main buildings of the university in the Mokhovaya Street, 1798.

The first medical faculty was established in 1775 at the University of Moscow.

Global 19th Century

London, England

Global 19th Century

Boott Cotton Mills, Lowell, Mass., mid-19th century.

New York City Skyscraper

American Civil War

Global 19th Century

Venice, Italy

The smokestacks of a 19th Century French factory

Bibliography

•The Encyclopedia of World History, Sixth edition. Peter N. Stearns, general editor. Copyright © 2001 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Maps by Mary Reilly, copyright © 2001 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

•History of Modern Russia Since 1855History 4318 - Sul Ross State University - Rio Grande College, Uvalde, Texas - Spring 2006


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Characteristics of the Russian Empire in 19 th Century