Leo Tolstoy and Russian Modernization
In Leo Tolstoy and Russian Modernization, host Andrew Marr introduces us to Leo Tolstoy, a Russian nobleman who is facing a problem — Russia is not modernizing from its system of serfdom. Tolstoy has a political awakening and acts on his ideas to teach and try to liberate the serfs on his property, but a decree from the Tsar keeps Russia a serfdom in the face of modernity. This video is excerpted from BBC’s A History of the World, a story of human history that uses reenactments, modern footage, and storytelling to explain history’s greatest achievements.
Lesson Express
Q: What conditions did the Russian peasants face?
A: They did back-breaking work for wealthy landowners.
Q: How did Leo Tolstoy contribute to the struggle for modernization in Russia?
A: He believed that Russia needed to educate serfs. He acted by educating the serfs on his own land and offering his serfs their freedom. He took actions to free the serfs and give them their own land.
Q: What happened when Alexander “freed” the serfs?
A: It was freedom in name only. The serfs were not able to buy their land, and Russia continued to be an agricultural nation that was not modernized the way Tolstoy had hoped.