History of Russia: From Peter the Great to Gorbachev

Alexander II and the Great Reforms (1x13)

Air date: Mar 23, 2022

Made painfully aware by the Crimean War of Russia's backwardness, the new tsar embarked on a series of reforms, including the abolition of serfdom and the reform of major institutions, that reflected his persistent desire to balance progress with power and change with order. This lecture looks at Alexander's political personality, its role in those reforms, and the crisis that marked the end of his reign, when he was assassinated.