1. Autocracy and Dictatorship in Russia, 1855-1955
... extent were the forces of reaction successful in using terror to preserve autocracy and dictatorships in Russia and the Soviet Union 1855-1955? Ironically, the imperial system of rule tried to preserve autocracy through reform, whereas it is clear that the soviet system relied completely on terror to preserve authority. The irony lies in the fact that reform failed whereas terror sustained ... the soviet system for seven decades. Reforms like the Emancipation of the Serfs in 1861 and Army reform in 1870 under Tsar Alexander II seemed successful in preserving autocracy for a limited time...
- Word Count: 1853
- Approx Pages: 7
- Grade Level: Undergraduate