The Crimean War and Russian Reforms The Crimean

The Crimean War and Russian Reforms

The Crimean War [1854 -1856] Ottoman Empire Russia Great Britain France Piedmont-Sardinia

The Eastern Question? The Ottoman Empire The Sick Man of Europe G How will the weakening of the Ottoman Empire affect the balance of power? G Western powers become concerned with growing Russian influence in the Balkans

Florence Nightingale [1820 -1910] “The Lady with the Lamp” G Championed sanitary nursing

Treaty of Paris [1856] Ø Significance of the Crimean War q Breakdown in the Concert of Europe • Austria is significantly damaged despite not participating in war – Did not help Britain/France as promised – Didn’t repay Russia for help in 1848 – Opens the door for nationalist movements of which Austria is the main opponent » Italian and German unification » Isolation and the loss to Prussia in 1866 forces Habsburgs to recognize Hungarian “autonomy” in 1867 q Myth of Russian power shattered • • Prompts drive for reform in Russia under Alexander II Begins to show the influence of industrialization on warfare

Alexander II [r. 1855 Defeat 1881] in Crimea prompts reform. Ø Serfdom is holding back Russia § No agricultural surplus § No growing middle-class § No investment in industry Emancipation of Russian serfs [1861] Ø But reforms disappoint § Serfs must pay for land • “kulaks” = successful serfs who become small landowners § Agricultural productivity does not increase § Polish resistance suppressed Ø More conservative than “Tsar Liberator” implies Assassinated by anarchists in 1881

Alexander III [r. 18811894] Very Reactionary. Secret police expanded “Russification” program. Jews forced migration to the Pale, pogroms

Forced Migration of Russia’s Jews

Nicholas II [r. 1894 Often 1917] described as weak and incompetent But appoints modernizers Sergei Witte v industrialization 1890 s v leads to typical problems experienced in the West v socialism finds a foothold Anti-Semitic pogroms Loses Russo-Japanese War 1905 Revolution of 1905 v Nicholas violently suppresses v Bloody Sunday v agrees to Duma but later ignores