How successful was Alexander II in transforming Russian Society Essay

Despite being donned ‘The Great Reformer’ by various historians, there are two sides to the opinion of Alexander II. Although he emancipated the serfs, brought about military, government, judicial, educational, censorship, economic and church reforms, society was unsatisfied. E. Radzinsky, author of ‘Alexander II: The Last Great Tsar’ suggested that he was ‘two-headed’, with one head for reform, the other for the past, which may be proven in his retracting of reforms due to fear of how much power the people of Russia were acquiring, yet in terms of transforming society, through change and modernising, he was successful. In 1861, just 6 years after coming to power, Alexander II emancipated the serfs. Such an action was revolutionary, yet he was not without his reasons. He assured a group of Moscow noblemen that â€Å"it is better to abolish serfdom from above than to wait for the time when it will begin to abolish itself from below†. The Ukase meant serfs were free men, they could marry, create businesses, have rights and own property without need of approval from the landowner who previously owned them. They could keep the land they previously farmed and the landlords received compensation from the loss of land. This was a huge undertaking, to completely change the Russian system of serfdom, and it brought about enterprise and the seeds of modernisation. Following this reform, Alexander II set out to change even more. Local governments were set up, called the ‘zemstva’, and they could improve public services and administer relief. Towns were now represented by ‘Dumas’ and the electorates understood the town’s issues, so could improve education and local welfare. In the zemstva, liberals were able to discuss the running of the country – a nod towards the western government system. The relaxing of censorship, which had even begun before the emancipation, meant western ideas would spread further. Foreign works were permitted and Russia saw far more books and newspapers published, from a meagre 1836/year in 1,855 to 10,691 in 1964. There were new regulations; no longer did every title of a book need to be checked before being published. Wider reading meant greater education, whilst the emancipation meant that a greater number needed to be educated. The zemstva allowed these educational changes to be funded. Alexander Golovnin was appointed the Minister of Education in 1962, and under him, for the next 15 years education was transformed. In 1970, schools adopted an ‘open for all’ policy. Women and all races could attend secondary school. Between 1856 and 1880, the number of primary schools almost tripled and during the 1870s, the number of students at university did also. The zemstva took over the church’s educational responsibility in 1864, leading to more liberal and modern thinking. The educational reforms lead to all communities being brighter, encouraging further business and free education lead to social mobility and opportunity. The Minister of Internal Affairs, Pyotr Valuev set up the Ecclesiastical Commission in 1862 to investigate church organisation and practise. The church, as a powerful weapon of the government had to retain the loyalty of the people, especially after the abolition of serfdom. In 1868, reforms meant the most talented and educated priests could be promoted within the church, and furthermore, Russia began to accept Polish Catholicism and relaxed her stance on the Jews and promoted the Finnish language. A hugely important reform was economic. After the defeat in the Crimean war, Russia needed to earn back worldwide respect. Mikhail von Reutern, the Minister of Finance from 1862 – 1878 ensured there were taxes, budgets and a watch on government spending. Tax-farming was abolished, whilst banks were allowed credit facilities. Subsidies were spread to encourage the creation of railways and foreign investment in Russia was encouraged. The mining and cotton industries also thrived and national growth did too. This was a big step towards modernisation, exports meant industry and railways meant transport, which also assisted the moving of modern military weapons and soldiers, Russia was moving forward. Ttaxation was fairer now, and that idea of equality spread to the judicial system. In 1864, Dmitrii Zamyatnin modelled a new system on western ideas. There were different types of courts, Volost courts to deal with emancipation, minor offences and the like, with judges who were elected unbiased peasants. The judges were paid more, which meant there was less corruption in the system, and careers in law began to emerge with the greater education system. Open courts meant the public could view sentencing and be deterred from crime, and the press were free to document court cases. Surprisingly, the issue that triggered many reforms such as economic and the emancipation due to the shame in Crimea was the last to be brought about. The military reforms began in 1874, a while after the defeat.. Milyutin, the War Minster, recognised the importance of having a smaller, more professional army as opposed to a large and untrained one. Being in the army was no longer a punishment, and for some a career, as nepotism was stopped by military colleges. The length of service was reduced by 10 years to just 15, and class had nothing to do with whether or not you were conscripted. This all lead to reduced government expenditure on the military, and a small victory against Turkey in 1877. Despite the huge impact of Alexander II’s reforms, they did not all transform society, especially as he withdrew several in years to come. Emancipation did not stop any discontent from the lower classes, as following the Ukase, there were 647 riots in 4 months. Many had less land than before, and were forced to pay ‘redemption payments’ for 49 years at a 6% rate of interest. The nobility were not satisfied either, and by 1905, 50% of the remaining land had been sold, as profits fell. Other reforms were also not without fault. Zemstvas and Dumas never truly had the demands of the peasants fulfilled and they had no greater power. The Provincial Governors, who were appointed by the Tsar, could overrule any decision and by 1914, still only about 60% of provinces had a local government. This caused limitations in all other reforms. The economy remained relatively weak, and despite the open courts in the judicial system, government budgets were definitely not open for public viewing. 66% of government revenue came from indirect taxation and with the changing value of their currency, the rouble; Russia was still not financially stable. The church was certainly not transformed greatly, as if it lost its power, so would the tsar. Clerical poverty was still rife and not all priests were educated. The church still censored media, as did the military and both religious and military courts were not reformed. Unlike the rest of the courts which now had a jury, any political or important crimes were dealt with by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and revolutionaries were still arrested by the Third Section, with peasants still being treated with a degree of inequality in the courts. Educational and Censorship reforms also incited rebellion, with greater opportunity to spread radical ideas or even to spread general intelligence, which meant the government was threatened. The Ministry of Internal Affairs also still held the right to fine and prevent some publications in the media. The Military reforms were not without drawbacks either. Illiterate peasants (of which there were still vast numbers, despite the spread of education) could not benefit from the new training, and officers were still largely the product of nepotism. The army was still in essence peasant conscription and despite the railways, supply was far from perfect, as the trains were slow to develop and spread. Alexander II, the man with whom Queen Victoria herself fell in love with, the ‘tsar liberator’ and the man who transformed a system that had not changed for 300 years was certainly ‘the great reformer’. He revolutionised almost every aspect of Russian society, and despite the fact that it may not have lasted, he still managed to begin modernisation for Russia. He could never satisfy the whole country. Before his death, there were many attempts on his life, and many were close. But he brought about greater equality, rights and hope. He showed the Russian people that change was possible, and strengthened the economy. Even though he grew scared of the nationwide liberation, the Loris-Melikov constitution is proof enough that he didn’t want the country to stay oppressed. Even on the day he was killed, he tried to transform Russia.

Nothing Gold Can Stay by Robert Frost and Where the Sidewalk Ends by Assignment

Nothing Gold Can Stay by Robert Frost and Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein - Assignment Example According to the research findings, it can, therefore, be said that the second half of the poem Nothing Gold Can Stay by Robert Frost talks about the consequences of having a good thing in a society. The part is viewed as an observation of the natural world. The poem describes identical moments in a life cycle. They are the daily, mythic and yearly. The poem uses each cycle to describe how something deemed to be perfect turns out to be the opposite of what is expected. Spring, down and Eden is used to describing situations where people are at the peak of their lives like being a young child and progressing with time to be an old man. In sum, Nothing Gold Can Stay by Robert Frost has a meaning that things or individuals who are highly upheld or successful are the same ones that are easily corrupted by times. The description is given by the speaker or poet of Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein reveals that the poet is conversant with the place. However, the through his words à ¢â‚¬Å"rest from his flight† reveals that the speaker is not comfortable with the present situation in the mentioned place. In the second stanza, it is clear that the speaker yearns for freedom in a different place other than the one they currently are in. However, despite the place â€Å"Where the Sidewalk Ends† is the challenge, the speaker is positive to come out victorious and this might represent a life situation which is threatening, but one comes out of it victorious. The arrows, however, represent a slim chance of hope as they are drawn using chalk. Chalks are easily washable and this can only mean that the speaker’s hopes of finding a way out were slim. The problem in â€Å"Where the Sidewalk Ends† is however solved when the speaker states that the children who drew the arrows knew the directions and would draw them once again in the eventuality of the arrows being washed down by rain. This could only mean that there are no impossible situations an d to even those that seemed impossible, a solution was just lying within waiting to be discovered.

Business research methods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 1

Business research methods - Essay Example Research Process essentially involves several important stages such as preliminary steps, problem definition, management dilemma, primary or secondary data collection, literature reviewing, data analysis, presentation of findings and problem solution etc Out of these research process stages, the problem definition stage is perhaps most important one as effectiveness and successful completion of all other stages are largely depending on problem definition stage. Some of the stages in the research process are more critical than others. For instance, problem definition is most important step because it determines how to set the direction for the remainder of the steps that follow (Neelankavil, 2007, p. 57). The problem to be solved in a research or the issue to be identified must be clearly defined so that more appropriate solution to the same problem can be developed and this illustrates why problem definition stage is more important in the research process. What is Problem Definition and Why it is Important? Sekaran (2003, p. 70) defined Problem Definition, or often termed as Problem Statement, as a clear, precise and succinct statement or description of the question or issue that the organization need to investigate with the goal of finding an answer or solution to the same problem.... in to different functional areas in the organization such as sales, purchase, profit, inventory handling etc can be successfully done only if the problem is clearly defined. Malhotra (2008, p. 38) emphasized that problem definition in research process is the most important step because it involves stating the general problems and identifying various components of the research itself. If problem is clearly defined, significant components that can be made use in the research also can be identified. Therefore, it is very clear that the research can be well-designed and conducted properly only if the basic research question is properly defined. As Malhotra (2008, p. 38) noted, none in all the tasks involved in a research project is more vital to the ultimate fulfillment of a client’s needs and requirements than a proper problem definition. Time, efforts and money spent on any research process can be a mere waste if the problem is ill-defined. An example can illustrate how importan t is problem definition in a research process. An organization that experiences less- morale among its employees may need to investigate why its people are less morale and how it can be resolved. In order to investigate this issue, the problem should be clearly defined. If the researcher defined the problem as less efficiency among the employees, or less productivity among the workers or decreased commitment among managers, the problem is not clearly defined and the solution the research may bring would be of no use to the organization. Following are some of the main reasons why problem definition is more important than solution and any other steps in a research. A well defined problem helps the researcher plan all other research steps to be conducted properly, All other steps like data

What are the sources of your political beliefs Essay

What are the sources of your political beliefs - Essay Example I always believe that there is a strong sense of value when one is engaged with political conversations. It is my stand that having the appropriate information of the subject matter will always pave the way for a meaningful understanding at one’s end. Therefore, it is my point that the advancement of communication channels today is a very important source of information primarily in building up the individual’s political beliefs. Furthermore, it is my belief that the environment plays a crucial role on one’s way of life and actual mind set. Here where I believe race and religion at some point, could be essential factors that could help us explain why a person behaves the way he does. The work at hand therefore considers the media, race and religion as significant sources of political beliefs, primarily of the proponent. Societal modernization is said to shape political culture. I agree with this point. It is a common trend from the past that people acquire substa ntial learning about politics and government from television and newspapers. There is a great influence that these media brought to the people’s level of knowledge and belief concerning their existing political culture. Today, the same trend goes on, but there is already inclusion of modern communication system by the aid of cutting-edge communication gadgets. With mobile communication devices that readily connect to one of the most dynamic sources of information today, the internet, people have the ability to connect with the latest political information in the world from almost everywhere. Let us add to the list the coming to life of social networking platforms like Facebook and Twitter that also have significant impact on how an individual may socialize and readily connect to different tribes and tongues around the world. These social networking programs have important contribution to how political information may be imparted from one person to another. These platforms pro vide the opportunity for everyone to express their opinion on the subject matter, allowing others to react and also direct their point of views. Eventually, social networking activities create an environment that at some point may be conducive for substantial learning and expounding of one’s opinions or ideas. Through these, people may potentially acquire the appropriate matter or the so desired information prior to understanding the whole political point of views. Let us take the case for instance of how someone might agree with the political thought linked to the issue of same-sex marriage in the US. There are various groups trying to showcase certain level of advocacy for the legalization of same-sex marriage. These groups have the opportunity to express themselves by establishing networks of friends on the social networking platforms. Here is where everyone has the opportunity to jump right in and engage in a two-way conversation process that provides the occasion to stre ngthen their prevailing political stand on the issue at hand. There may be disagreements along the way, but the entire process is expected to result to something by which people may have to stick on a clear perspective of the subject matter and stand still on their conviction. This only illustrates the idea that the modern media have the great chance to keep everyone highly involved in political-related matters, as these could be the very sources of their political beliefs. This thought is supported by the recent research studies emphasizing that media exposure provides impact in â€Å"shaping the public’s political knowledge, attitudes and behavior† (Innovations for Poverty Action). However, these studies may have significant limitation, which is the linked overestimation of the impacts of media influence as far as people’s pre-existing views is concerned. Here where my second point comes in. The second point is that my personal upbringing coming from my extern al environment provides the opportunity f

Business to Business Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Business to Business Marketing - Essay Example TCL needs to review its marketing mix strategies in order to have a competitive advantage in the market and make its business sustainable in future. The various changes in the marketing mix strategies that could be helpful for TCL to achieve its objectives are as mentioned below: 2.1 Product Strategy For every marketing strategy of a company the starting point is its product. One cannot set the price or plan for the distribution system of the product without having the knowledge about what product they are offering. Product here refers to both products and services which the company has in offer (Gitman, & McDaniel, 2008, p.295). TCL is a SME which is engaged in the business of providing wide range of services to its clients. Their product or service offerings include mainly four services. They are Media Services, Advertising and Marketing Services. Apart from having its own production unit, TCL also outsources most of its production to another company namely, ‘PJW Media Produc tion’. Hence TCL has a wide variety of products and services in its offerings. Now since TCL is a small business unit with limited workforce its product strategy would be more effective if it concentrates on having a small product line. After narrowing down its product line, TCL should develop the products or services which are highly specialised in nature. It would help TCL to ensure that it provides its customers a service package which is unique in nature (Brock, et al., n.d.). Hence it would be beneficial for TCL to gradually cut down on its product line and concentrate more on those services which are profitable to them and have competitive advantage over its... TCL is a completely service based company situated in Cambridge. The company is running a small business and has a limiting workforce. The recent economic condition had an adverse effect on the performances of the company. The sales revenue of the company has gone down significantly. TCL should look into this issue seriously and various reforms are necessary for the sustainable development of the company in future. Firstly it needs to address its marketing mix strategy. Regarding the product strategy, TCL should think of reducing its wide range of services and concentrate on specialising some of its core services which they are specialised at. Next regarding its pricing strategy, TCL must be flexible in its pricing strategy to cater to the current expectations of its clients. The company should utilise its website to a greater effect for the promotion of its business. Since TCL is a core service agency, public relationships are vital for its development and growth. Developing strong relationships with its clients and forming a strong business network is quite necessary for TCL. Next, the company should think of structuring and developing an effective sales force to boost up its sales and creating strong relationships with its clients. Hence, TCL’s current primary focus would be retaining its existing clients and adding up new clients to its customer base.

Motivation criticism essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Motivation criticism - Essay Example Howard’s ego for instance allowed him to move on and perform the task of painting the house, a job that Jim Sr. was supposed to do. There is a sense of self-actualization in the part of Howard that there is nothing he could have done to prevent Jim Jr.’s death, it was an accident. He reinforces this belief through sublimation which is a very mature way of dealing with his loss. He do so by talking about his experiences as he narrates it to his client, and how he and his wife are also helping Jim Sr. to cope up with his loss. This allows Howard to vent out his emotions rather than suppressing them. Howard and his wife even suggest Rationalization to help Jim Sr. to cope up with his loss suggesting that there are many ways that could contribute to why Jim Sr. had made lemonade that day even tracing back the cause to the very existence of lemonade so as to remove the blame from his son, to somehow potentially influence his way of thinking. His mother also consciously would like Jim Sr. to distant himself from the familiarity of his surrounding, taking him to Europe to see places in hopes that it will distant Jim from the traumatic memories that the familiarity of their place brings. Mrs. Sear’s Super Ego justifies that it is her duty as a mother to help her son deal with his loss as she and her husband was able to find closure from their loss. Finally, Jim’s id was to endure all the pain and defer all gratification as in the Reality Principle; manipulating—brainwashed himself even that the death of his son is his fault, thus he has to be punished for it. Jim started to regress as evident of no longer doing his usual work, becomes dissociate despite the many attempts of his mom to get him involved in activities like crafting, he displaced himself by suppressing his emotion. There was a continuity of painful emotions because he failed to motivate himself to get over the loss of

The use of Non-Invasive Blood Pressure measurement devices to Essay

The use of Non-Invasive Blood Pressure measurement devices to accurately measure irregular heart rhythms - Essay Example The impulse for evidence-based practice is fuelled by pressures from the tax payer and the healthcare facilities who strive for lesser costs, improved access to information and better understanding of treatment and care options among the clients. Rycroft-Malone et al. (2004) defined evidence-based practice as the provision of clinical practice with the aid of the best possible evidence available. Evidence-based practice promotes change in the education/learning of nursing students that encourages them to indulge more on research that is relevant to the practice and encourages a collaborative partnership with clinicians. According to Dougherty and Lister (2011), it is vital to have a wide knowledge about the different forms of evidence that relate to the daily encounters of nurses in clinical practice. The aim of the study is to investigate evidence of the difference in the accuracy of using automated and manual blood pressure measurement device on patients with irregular heartbeats in a bid to determine the better method of obtaining the readings. A literature search was accomplished using electronic databases such as Science Direct and by hand searching. Key words included in the search included: Blood Pressure, measurements, accuracy and BP measurement devices. Undesired articles were filtered by limiting the search to articles published after the year 2000 to date to ensure that they were recent. The search was further limited to adult patients since the study involved only the adult patients. The search included both male and female patients since the study was not influenced by the sex of the patient as key terms. After a systematic research, a number of relevant literatures was obtained. 6 articles from the search were found to be relevant.