Alexander II's motivation for freeing the Russian serfs in 1861 was to avoid a popular uprising.
He emancipated the Russia's serfs in order to create a large middle class to support the industrial revolution he needed to keep up with the West economically and psychologically.
Also, he stated that it is better to liberate them than to wait until they won their freedom by uprisings “from below.”
Therefore, the Option 1 is correct.
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