Serfdom in Russia occurred for hundreds of years before finally being abolished by Tsar Alexander II in 1861. Under serfdom, laborers, also called serfs, were required by law to work for a lord on his/her own estate. Within this system, serfs were often abused and mistreated. It was not uncommon for serfs to be underpaid, not paid, physically beaten, required to work long hours, and forced to fight in the front lines of wars, such as the Crimean War in the early to mid 1850s. Alexander II eventually freed the serfs, giving them the ability to purchase their own land, run their own businesses, and marry whoever they please. Although the emancipation of the serfs in 1861 ended the feudal system throughout Russia, the country suffered for decades thereafter. …show more content…
Essentially, Alexander II made the point that the current political system of feudalism was heavily favoring the upper and middle classes, thus condemning the serfs to a life of misery and constant oppression from the state and their lords. The biggest reasoning behind him stating this, it to try and regain the support of his nation, while improving the economy. Alexander II realized that Russia was falling far behind in terms of industrialization compared to other European countries, so he wanted to roll in a new economic system that would not only pull in more income, but also better his image with the