Alexander II and the modernization of Russia

This work tells the story of the reforming Tsar who modernized Russia after her defeat in the Crimean War. Few spheres of Russian life were untouched by his reforms. In the face of bitter opposition, he liberated millions of serfs and secured their endowment with land. He reformed the Russian courts, created institutions of local self-government, and promoted railway construction and economic development. Both as a westernizer and as the father of its Industrial Revolution, Alexander II ranks high among the makers of modern Russia.