The Abolition of Serfdom in Russia, 1762-1907

David Moon. The Abolition of Serfdom in Russia, 1762-1907. London: Pearson Education, 2001. xix, 203 pp. Illustrations. Glossary. Bibliography. Index. Cloth.The Abolition of Serfdom in Russia by David Moon is the latest addition to the Seminar Studies in History series. The book aims to stimulate readers into deepening their knowledge and understanding of the abolition of serfdom in Russia.The Abolition of Serfdom in Russia is organized into four parts: background, analysis, conclusions and assessment, and documents. Piirt One provides introductory remarks on the relationship between the imperial Russian state and its nobles and peasants. Part Two discusses various aspects of serfdom in the Russian Empire and the process of the abolition of serfdom. Part Three examines the significance and aftermath of the abolition of serfdom in the Russian countryside. Part Four comprises of excerpts of historical documents, ranging from Peter Ill's proclamation on the abolition of compulsory noble state service in 1762 to Nicholas II's proclamation on the abolition of outstanding redemption payments in 1907.Moon writes that the origins of serfdom in Russia in the seventeenth century were largely for military purposes. By the eighteenth century, serfdom in Russia determined the serfs legal status, rights of access to land granted to serfs by noble estate owners, serf obligations, and estate owners' administrative and judicial authority over their serfs (p. 18). In the first half of the nineteenth century, the main arguments advanced for the reform of serfdom in Russia were economic and social stability. Government officials believed that serfdom hindered the country's development. Nicholas I in 1 848 urged Russian nobles to act together against the threat of revolt from below. Other justifications for abolishing serfdom were humanitarian considerations and the expansion of the Russian state.The origins of the abolition of serfdom lay in Peter Ill's measures in 1762 to end compulsory noble state service and to secularize church peasants. The measures did not end serfdom. That would occur ninety-nine years later. In the intervening years, minor reforms were introduced to curtail the worst abuses, but these were largely half-hearted and inconsequential. Ironically, Nicholas I, who was reluctant to end serfdom, was deeply preoccupied with the peasant question. His secret committees and reforms of appanage and state peasants prepared Russia for the eventual abolition of serfdom (p. 48).The defeat of Russia in 1856 by France and Great Britain in the Crimean War exposed not only the weakness of the Russian armed forces, but also the inability of the country to raise a well-armed professional army along the lines of the French and British armies. If Russia was to remain a viable European power, the only way out for the government of Alexander II was to abolish serfdom as a means to modernize the Russian armed forces.The Statutes of 19 February 1861 did not abolish serfdom in one fell swoop, but rather set out a graduated process of three stages-a two-year transition period, an indeterminate period of temporary obligation, and a forty-nine-year redemption period (p. …

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