1. Russia
Part 1

2. Russia Before Reform
Sought to protect themselves from the contagiousness of the French Revolution
Napoleons invasion of Russia in 1812 forced Russia to have new concerns about defense
Conservatives wanted to move Russia toward isolation
Many intellectuals however, remained fascinated with western culture and art

3. Some praised political freedom and educational and scientific advance
Russia's ruling elite continued to welcome western artistic styles and took great pride in Russia's growing cultural respectability
The “Decembrist Uprising” – inspired the new tsar - Nicholas I – to became more conservative
Russia then became more conservative
They did maintain their tradition of territorial expansion
They had taken most of Poland and were still putting pressure on the Ottomans

4. Economic and Social Problems
Its economic position did not keep up the pace with its diplomacy
Russia continued to fall more and more behind the rest of Europe in technology and trade
They had a few isolated factories
Russian remained mostly agricultural and based on serf labor

5. There came an even wider gap between 1854 and 1856 when the Crimean War broke out
Here, Nicholas I provoked a conflict with the Ottomans - and oddly, Europeans came to the aid of the sultan
The loss of this war hurt Russia's morale
Europeans had won this war not because of strategy but because of their industrial advantage
This war convinced Russia to change

6. The first step was ending serfdom
Only if the status of serfs changed could they industrialize
The abolishment of serfdom came in 1861
The emancipation was pretty generous
Serfs received freedom, some land, and a little money
This emancipation helped bring change
however, it did not spur the industrial revolution that Russia was looking for

7. Alexander II also introduced some new reforms
Recruitment was extended in the military to include serfs
Provided some state sponsored schools
Literacy increased
Women gained new positions
Russian began to build extensive railroads in the 1870s
This Trans-Siberian railroad connected Russia with the Pacific

8. Finally, modern factories were popping up
Russia encouraged foreign investors to build factories with advanced technology in Russian cities such as Moscow, St. Petersburg, and several Polish cities
By 1900, half of all Russian industry was foreign owned
Russia became a huge debtor nation