Abolition Of Serfdom Essay

The defeat suffered in the Crimean War had shown the real state of Russia. The country not only emerged defeated from the war but also found itself isolated internationally, and that is what prompted Alexander II to consider reforms, particularly the abolishment of serfdom. One main reason for the ending of serfdom is that the serfs kept rising against their masters and there were numerous act of rebellion that is causing unrest in the country. Furthermore, as most of the Russian army was made up of serfs and they were often malnourished, it shows evidence of the dangers of serfdom. In order for Russia to become a strong military power, serfdom have to be abolished and other reforms have to be implemented. As education developed in Russia, humane feelings and attitudes become more widespread. Thus, there is a growing sentiment for emancipation of serfdom based on
The judicial reforms allow all Russians to be equal before the law and receive the same treatment. ‘The post of the chairmen, assistant chairmen and of other members of the judiciary may be filled only by persons who have a certificate from a university or of higher education, testifying to a completion of a course in jurisprudence…’ This ensures that the members of the judicial are people with sufficient knowledge to give a fair trial and it is based on merit and not hereditary. It also encourages people to be more educated. This reform is one of the most successful of the great reforms and it transformed Russian judiciary from one of the worst to one of the best in the civilized world. Furthermore, ‘jurors are elected from among all classes of inhabitants’ which help ensure fairness and equality. This makes the legal system less corrupt and allows the lower class people to feel that they will be able to attain justice since the jurors are not only composed of people with