ABSTRACT
Russia's defeat in the Crimean War not only underscored the need for reforms but largely determined their direction and character. Stability at any price ceased to be an absolute priority. Representatives of the ruling circles in Russia now referred more frequently to the experience of Europe. In this atmosphere the abolition of serfdom finally appeared essential, and preparation for it began. In undertaking the peasant reform the imperial government made one of the most important attempts in the whole of Russian history to break with the traditions of the service state and the police state. In an effort to join the mainstream of European civilization, Russia implemented major reforms based on the principles of hired labor, free competition, political democracy, and ideological pluralism. The transformation of the system of social relations that it entailed occurred relatively peacefully, under the control of the state. Liberal historiography attributed the decisive role in the abolition of serfdom to the autocracy.
