History of Russia and by the 18th century, the Tsardom of Russia had grown to become the Russian Empire, stretching from eastern Poland to the Pacific Ocean. Peasant revolts were common, and all were fiercely suppressed. Russian serfdom was abolished in 1861, but the peasants fared poorly and often turned to revolutionary pressures. In the following decades, reform efforts such as the Stolypin reforms, the constitution of 1906, and the State Duma attempted to open and liberalize the economy and political system, but the tsars refused to relinquish autocratic rule or share their power. The Russian Revolution in 1917 was triggered by a
1861 in New Zealand 1861 in New Zealand The following lists events that happened during 1861 in New Zealand. A ceasefire is reached in the First Taranaki War, with British efforts to defeat Māori disaffected over land purchases having largely failed. Prosperity comes to the south with the onset of the Central Otago Gold Rush. Within a year the population of the Tuapeka goldfields is twice that of Dunedin. The general election of 1860–61 concludes on 28 March having begun on 12 December the previous year. The 3rd Parliament commences. The first National Rifle Shooting Championships is held. This is the oldest national championships