Alexander II did little to really improve the lives of the Russian people

... Alexander II was not as ignorant as Nicholas II - he realised that reform was necessary in order to stabilise and improve Russia. However, his inability to relinquish control as an autocratic power greatly inhibited the reforms he implemented; consequently reducing the effectiveness of his reforms and the improvements upon the lives of the Russian people. A clear case of this is his most famous reform, the Emancipation of the Serfs. On the forefront, it seems as though it was a huge success and greatly improved the lives of the Serfs of Russia in giving them social freedom and land - however, digging deeper, it is clear that this happy image of freedom was merely an illusion. In the process of attempting to appease everyone, Alexander II forfeited the full extent of the improvements that the reform had to offer. This was mainly due to his fear of a rising proletariat

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