The main reasons for the abolition of serfdom in Russia

After the Crimean War ended in 1856 , many historians argue that the era of liberation and reform began in Russia. Even at the end of the eighteenth century, many scientists, thinkers and public people found the reasons for the abolition of serfdom. And the grounds really were, at least, the elite of those times believed that serfdom was at least immoral. Even secret societies were created that fought serfdom, but all this was in vain.

In 1855 a new king came to power. Alexander II has been taught from childhood to humane treatment of people, regardless of their social status. Nevertheless, the new ruler was not in a hurry to carry out any reforms, although he understood perfectly well that Russia's technical backwardness, as well as serfdom, were the reasons that could be called the main ones for which the war was lost. Whatever it was, but in the end, Alexander II still came to the conclusion that the reforms are really needed, and they need to be carried out as soon as possible.

So, the basic prerequisites for the abolition of serfdom are as follows: it greatly inhibited the growth of industry, the capital was going extremely slowly, and it was quite likely that Russia would become a secondary state.

The next reason is that, without exception, the farms of the peasants could not stand afloat and went bankrupt, but this all happened because the landowners too often increased corvee, and the obrok farmers had no choice but to go to work in factories.

The third prerequisite is that it was serfdom that was the main reason why the Crimean War was lost. On the face was the fact that Russia has an extremely high military-technical weakness compared to other major powers. In addition, the peasants were very quickly ruined because of various duties and expropriations, many peasants simply escaped from the landlords.

Another reason is the growth of peasant performances. They, in fact, had nothing to lose, so the commotion began. The government was extremely afraid that the second "Pugachevshchina" would not start.

The fifth reason for the abolition of serfdom is that the ruling circles themselves perfectly understood that they are in such a state of affairs as if they were on a powder keg, and we really need to carry out reforms, otherwise it will not end with anything good.

Finally, the sixth reason that serfdom had to be abolished was also that it was widely perceived as real slavery and almost all segments of society condemned this state of affairs.

This is not all the reasons for the abolition of serfdom, but it is these six prerequisites that most worried the government.

It was in the first years of the reign of the new king that a law on amnesty was signed. By the condition of this document, many Decembrists, as well as participants in other insurrections, got freedom, some settlements of the military were liquidated , although the censorship remained, but significantly weakened, and the departure abroad became free.

The new government, though it saw all the reasons for the abolition of serfdom, but they had no clear plan of action. But in the society at that time there were already notes by various cultural, historical and literary figures who offered their projects for a new reform. The most famous was the note of the historian Kavelin, who believed that when carrying out peasant reform, it is necessary to take into account the interests not only of the landowners, but also of the peasants. In his opinion, these people were to receive land for use, and landlords - reward for it.

It was also this man who most clearly described all the causes of the abolition of serfdom, and the people really listened to his words. However, it should be noted that the government was not particularly happy with such activists, he was even fired from his job, but for the sake of justice, it is necessary to take into account the fact that it was his ideas that determined the main provisions of the future reform.