▁working ▁class ▁during ▁the ▁Indust rial ▁Revolution ▁can ▁often ▁be ▁compared ▁with ▁the ▁strugg les ▁of ▁the ▁ser fs ▁during ▁the ▁Middle ▁A ges . ▁In ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁world ▁today , ▁forced ▁labour ▁is ▁still ▁used . ▁ ▁Russia ▁ ▁Ser f dom ▁became ▁the ▁dominant ▁form ▁of ▁relation ▁between ▁Russian ▁pe as ants ▁and ▁nob ility ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁century . ▁Ser f dom ▁only ▁existed ▁in ▁central ▁and ▁southern ▁areas ▁of ▁the ▁Russian ▁Empire . ▁It ▁was ▁never ▁established ▁in ▁the ▁North , ▁in ▁the ▁Ur als , ▁nor ▁in ▁Si ber ia . ▁Histor ian ▁David ▁Moon ▁arg ues ▁that ▁ser f dom ▁was ▁a ▁response ▁to ▁military ▁and ▁economic ▁factors ▁in ▁Russia . ▁It ▁was ▁soci ally ▁stable ▁and ▁adapt able ▁to ▁changing ▁dem ographic ▁and ▁economic ▁conditions ; ▁revol ts ▁were ▁un common . ▁Moon ▁says ▁it ▁was ▁not ▁the ▁cause ▁of ▁Russia ' s ▁back ward ness ; ▁instead , ▁back ward ness ▁blocked ▁alternative ▁methods ▁that ▁were ▁developed ▁in ▁Western ▁Europe . ▁Moon ▁ident ifies ▁some ▁benefits ▁for ▁ser fs , ▁such ▁as ▁ass ur ances ▁of ▁land ▁and ▁some ▁assistance ▁after ▁bad ▁har v ests . ▁Moon ▁arg ues ▁that ▁Russia ' s ▁defeat ▁in ▁the ▁Crime an ▁War ▁was ▁a ▁catal yst ▁leading ▁to ▁the ▁abol ition ▁of ▁ser f dom . ▁ ▁Finally , ▁ser f dom ▁was ▁abol ished ▁by ▁a ▁dec ree ▁issued ▁by ▁Ts ar ▁Alexander ▁II ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 1 . ▁Sch ol