- For other people who went by the same title, see Alexander II. Alexander II may refer to Alexander II of Russia (1818&ndash1881 the Emperor of Russia Alexander II of Macedon, King of Macedon
| Alexander II | |
| Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russians | |
 | |
| Reign | March 3, 1855-March 1, 1881 |
|---|---|
| Coronation | September 7, 1856 |
| Born | April 29, 1818 |
| Birthplace | Moscow |
| Died | March 13, 1881 (aged 62) |
| Place of death | St. Petersburg |
| Buried | Peter and Paul Cathedral |
| Predecessor | Nicholas I |
| Successor | Alexander III |
| Consort | Marie of Hesse and by Rhine |
| Issue | Grand Duchess Alexandra Alexandrovna Tsarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich Tsar Alexander III (Alexandrovich) Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich |
| Royal House | House of Romanov |
| Father | Nicholas I |
| Mother | Charlotte of Prussia |
Alexander (Aleksandr) II Nikolaevich (Russian: Александр II Николаевич) (Moscow, 29 April 1818 – 13 March 1881 in St. Petersburg) was the Emperor of the Russian Empire from 3 March 1855 until his assassination in 1881. Events 1284 - Statute of Rhuddlan incorporated the Principality of Wales into England 1575 - Indian Year 1855 ( MDCCCLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year Events 86 BC - Lucius Cornelius Sulla, at the head of a Roman Republic army enters in Athens, removing the Tyrant Year 1881 ( MDCCCLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 1251 BC - A Solar eclipse on this date might mark the birth of legendary Heracles at Thebes Greece. Year 1856 ( MDCCCLVI) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year Events 1429 - Joan of Arc arrives to relieve the Siege of Orleans. Year 1818 ( MDCCCXVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of Events 1138 - Cardinal Gregorio Conti is elected Antipope as Victor IV, succeeding Anacletus II. Year 1881 ( MDCCCLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Saint Petersburg ( tr: Sankt-Peterburg,) is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River The Peter and Paul Cathedral is located inside the Peter and Paul Fortress in St Alexander III Alexandrovich ( 10 March 1845 – 1 November 1894) (Александр III Александрович reigned as Emperor Marie of Hesse and by Rhine ( 8 August, 1824 - 8 June, 1880) was a princess of the Grand Duchy of Hesse and as Maria Alexandrovna Grand Duchess Alexandra Alexandrovna of Russia ( August 30 1842 - July 10 1849) was the eldest child of Alexander II of Russia and Tsarevich Nikolay Aleksandrovich Romanov (Цесаревич Николай Александрович Романов full title Heir Tsarevich and Grand Duke of Alexander III Alexandrovich ( 10 March 1845 – 1 November 1894) (Александр III Александрович reigned as Emperor Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia (later Duchess of Edinburgh and Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha; 17 October 1853 &ndash 24 Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia, in Russian Владимир Александрович / Влади́мирович( 22 April, 1847 - 17 February, The Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich Romanov of Russia (St Petersburg January 14, 1850 (January 4 O Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich of Russia ( Сергей Александрович) ( May 11, 1857 &ndash February 17, 1905) was a Grand Duke Pavel Alexandrovich of Russia (Павел Александрович (October 3 1860 N The House of Romanov (Рома́нов rʌˈmanəf was the second and last imperial Dynasty of Russia, which ruled the country from 1613 to 1917 Alexandra Feodorovna, born Charlotte Princess of Prussia, ( July 13, 1798 &ndash November 1, 1860) was Empress consort of Russian ( transliteration:,) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of Events 1429 - Joan of Arc arrives to relieve the Siege of Orleans. Year 1818 ( MDCCCXVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Events 1138 - Cardinal Gregorio Conti is elected Antipope as Victor IV, succeeding Anacletus II. Year 1881 ( MDCCCLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Saint Petersburg ( tr: Sankt-Peterburg,) is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River At different times a ruler of the territory of modern Russia bore the title of Kniaz (translated as Duke or Prince) Velikiy Kniaz (translated The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya Events 1284 - Statute of Rhuddlan incorporated the Principality of Wales into England 1575 - Indian Year 1855 ( MDCCCLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year AssassiNation is the sixth album by Krisiun, released in 2006 on Century Media. He was also the Grand Duke of Finland and King of Poland until 1867 when it was annexed into the Russian Empire. Grand Duke of Finland, or more correctly translated Grand Prince of Finland ( Storfurste av Finland Suomen suuriruhtinas was from around 1580 Poland, or at least its nucleus was ruled at various times either by książęta (Dukes(ca The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya
Contents |
Early life
Born in 1818, he was the eldest son of Nicholas I and Charlotte of Prussia, daughter of Frederick William III of Prussia and Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Alexandra Feodorovna, born Charlotte Princess of Prussia, ( July 13, 1798 &ndash November 1, 1860) was Empress consort of Early life The son of King Frederick William II of Prussia, Frederick William was born in Potsdam and became Crown Prince in 1786 when his father ascended Luise Auguste Wilhelmine Amalie ( Luisa Augusta Wilhelmina Amelia) ( March 10, 1776 &ndash July 19, 1810) Queen of His early life gave little indication of his ultimate potential; until the time of his accession in 1855, few imagined that he would be known to posterity as a leader able to implement the most challenging reforms undertaken in Russia since the reign of Peter the Great.
In the period of over thirty-six years during which he was heir apparent, the atmosphere of St Petersburg was unfavourable to the development of any intellectual or political innovation. An heir apparent is an Heir who (short of a fundamental change in the situation cannot be displaced from inheriting the term is used in contrast to Heir presumptive Saint Petersburg ( tr: Sankt-Peterburg,) is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River Government was based on principles under which all freedom of thought and all private initiative were, as far as possible, suppressed vigorously. Freedom of thought (also called freedom of conscience and freedom of ideas) is the freedom of an individual to hold or consider a fact viewpoint Personal and official censorship was rife; criticism of the authorities was regarded as a serious offence. Censorship is the suppression of speech or deletion of communicative material which may be considered objectionable harmful or sensitive as determined by a censor This was also regarded as one of the reasons which led to his assassination.
Under supervision of the liberal poet Vasily Zhukovsky, Alexander received the education commonly given to young Russians of good family at that time: a smattering of a great many subjects, and exposure to the chief modern European languages. Vasily Andreyevich Zhukovsky (Василий Андреевич Жуковский ( – April 1852 was the foremost Russian poet of the 1810s Most of the many Languages of Europe belong to the Indo-European Language family. He took little personal interest in military affairs to the disappointment of his father, who was passionate about the military, he showed no love for the military. A military is an Organization authorized by its Nation to use force usually including use of Weapons in defending its Country (or by attacking Alexander gave evidence of a kind disposition and a warmheartedness which were considered out of place in one destined to become a military autocrat. An autocracy is a Form of government in which the Political power is held by a single self-appointed ruler
His Reign
Alexander II succeeded to the throne upon the death of his father in 1855. The first year of his reign was devoted to the prosecution of the Crimean War, and after the fall of Sevastopol to negotiations for peace, led by his trusted counselor, Prince Gorchakov. The Crimean War, also known in Russia as the Eastern War (Восточная война Vostochnaya Vojna) (March 1854–February 1856 was fought Sevastopol ( see pronunciation below) is a port city in Ukraine, located on the Black Sea coast of the Crimea Peninsula Alexander Mikhailovich Gorchakov (16 July 1798 11 March 1883 was a Russian statesman from the Gorchakov princely family Then he began a period of radical reforms, encouraged by public opinion but carried out with autocratic power. All who had any pretensions to enlightenment declared loudly that the country had been exhausted and humiliated by the war, and that the only way of restoring it to its proper position in Europe was to develop its natural resources and thoroughly to reform all branches of the administration. Natural resources are naturally occurring substances that are considered valuable in their relatively unmodified ( natural) form The government therefore found in the educated classes a new-born public spirit, anxious to assist it in any work of reform that it might think fit to undertake.
Fortunately for Russia the autocratic power was now in the hands of a man who was impressionable enough to be deeply influenced by the spirit of the time, and who had sufficient prudence and practicality to prevent his being carried away by the prevailing excitement into the dangerous region of Utopian dreaming. Utopia is a name for an ideal community taken from the title of a book written in 1516 by Sir Thomas More describing a fictional Island in the Unlike some of his predecessors, he had no grand, original schemes of his own to impose by force on unwilling subjects, and no pet projects to lead his judgment astray. He looked instinctively with a suspicious, critical eye upon the panaceas which more imaginative and less cautious people recommended. These character traits, together with the peculiar circumstances in which he was placed, determined the part he would play in bringing to fruition the reform aspirations of the educated classes.
However, the growth of a revolutionary movement to the "left" of the educated classes led to an abrupt end to Alexander's changes when he was assassinated by a bomb in 1881. A revolution (from the Latin revolutio, "a turnaround" is a fundamental change in power or organizational structures that takes place in a relatively It is interesting to note that after Alexander became tsar in 1855, he maintained a generally liberal course at the helm while providing a target for numerous assassination attempts (1866, 1873, 1880).
Emancipation of the serfs
Though he carefully guarded his autocratic rights and privileges, and obstinately resisted all efforts to push him farther than he felt inclined to go, Alexander for several years acted somewhat like a constitutional sovereign of the continental type. The Emancipation Reform of 1861 in Russia was the first and most important of liberal reforms affected during the reign of Alexander II of Russia. Soon after the conclusion of peace, important changes were made in legislation concerning industry and commerce, and the new freedom thus afforded produced a large number of limited liability companies. A limited liability company (abbreviated LLC or LLC) in the law of the vast majority of the United States is a legal form of business Company Plans were formed for building a great network of railways — partly for the purpose of developing the natural resources of the country, and partly for the purpose of increasing its power for defence and attack.
Then it was found that further progress was blocked by a formidable obstacle: the existence of serfdom. Alexander showed that, unlike his father, he meant to grapple boldly with this difficult and dangerous problem. Taking advantage of a petition presented by the Polish landed proprietors of the Lithuanian provinces, and hoping that their relations with the serfs might be regulated in a more satisfactory way (meaning in a way more satisfactory for the proprietors), he authorized the formation of committees "for ameliorating the condition of the peasants," and laid down the principles on which the amelioration was to be effected. Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland Landed property or landed estates is a Real estate term that usually refers to a property that generates income for the owner without the owner having to Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the
This step was followed by one still more significant. Alexander III Alexandrovich ( 10 March 1845 – 1 November 1894) (Александр III Александрович reigned as Emperor Without consulting his ordinary advisers, Alexander ordered the Minister of the Interior to send a circular to the provincial governors of European Russia, containing a copy of the instructions forwarded to the governor-general of Lithuania, praising the supposed generous, patriotic intentions of the Lithuanian landed proprietors, and suggesting that perhaps the landed proprietors of other provinces might express a similar desire. European Russia refers to the western areas of Russia that lie within Europe, comprising roughly 3960000 km² and spanning across 40% of Europe The term governor general or governor-general refers to a vice-regal representative of a Monarch in an independent realm or a major colonial circonscription The hint was taken: in all provinces where serfdom existed, emancipation committees were formed.
The deliberations at once raised a host of important, thorny questions. The emancipation was not merely a humanitarian question capable of being solved instantaneously by imperial ukase. Ukase (указ ukaz) in Imperial Russia was a proclamation of the Tsar, government or a religious leader ( Patriarch) that had the force of It contained very complicated problems, deeply affecting the economic, social and political future of the nation.
Alexander had little of the special knowledge required for dealing successfully with such problems, and he had to restrict himself to choosing between the different measures recommended to him. The main point at issue was whether the serfs should become agricultural labourers dependent economically and administratively on the landlords, or whether they should be transformed into a class of independent communal proprietors. The emperor gave his support to the latter project, and the Russian peasantry became one of the last groups of peasants in Europe to shake off serfdom.
The architects of the emancipation manifesto were Alexander's brother Konstantin, Yakov Rostovtsev, and Nikolay Milyutin. Grand Duke Constantin Nikolaevich of Russia (Константин Николаевич September 9 1827 – January 13 1892) was the second Iakov Ivanovich Rostovtsev ( –) was a leading figure in the formulation of Statutes which effectively emancipated the Russian serfs. Nikolay Alekseyevich Milyutin (1818—1872 was a Russian statesman remembered as the chief architect of the great liberal reforms undertaken during Alexander II 's On March 3, 1861, the sixth anniversary of his accession, the emancipation law was signed and published. Events 1284 - Statute of Rhuddlan incorporated the Principality of Wales into England 1575 - Indian Year 1861 ( MDCCCLXI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common
Other reforms
Other reforms followed: army and navy re-organization (1874); a new judicial administration based on the French model (1864); a new penal code and a greatly simplified system of civil and criminal procedure; an elaborate scheme of local self-government (Zemstvo) for the rural districts (1864) and the large towns (1870), with elective assemblies possessing a restricted right of taxation, and a new rural and municipal police under the direction of the Minister of the Interior. An army (from Latin Armata "act of arming" via Old French armée) in the broadest sense is the land-based Armed forces This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. A penal code is a portion of a State 's Laws defining Crimes and specifying the Punishment. The judicial reform of Alexander II is generally considered one of the most successful and the most consistent (along with the military reform of all the reforms of Alexander Zemstvo ( Russian: Земство was a form of Local government instituted during the great liberal reforms performed in Imperial Russia by Alexander Police are agents or agencies usually of the executive, empowered to enforce the law and to effect public and social order through the legitimatized use of force Alexander II would be the second monarch (after King Louis I of Portugal) to abolish capital punishment, a penalty which is still legal (although not practiced) in Russia. Ancestors Marriages and descendants Louis married Maria Pia of Savoy, daughter of Victor Emmanuel II of Italy and Maria Capital punishment, the death penalty or execution, is the Killing of a person by judicial process as Punishment. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending
However, the workers wanted better working conditions; national minorities wanted freedom. When radicals began to resort to the formation of secret societies and to revolutionary agitation, Alexander II felt constrained to adopt severe repressive measures. Secret society is a term used to describe a variety of organizations
Alexander II resolved to try the effect of some moderate liberal reforms in an attempt to quell the revolutionary agitation, and for this purpose he instituted a ukase for creating special commissions, composed of high officials and private personages who should prepare reforms in various branches of the administration. Ukase (указ ukaz) in Imperial Russia was a proclamation of the Tsar, government or a religious leader ( Patriarch) that had the force of
Marriages and children
During his bachelor days, Alexander made a state visit to England in 1838. Just a year older than the young Queen Victoria, Alexander took a liking to his distant cousin. Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901 was from 20 June 1837 the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland The fondness however, was short-lived. While Victoria married her German cousin, Prince Albert in February 1840, Alexander became a husband the next year. On April 16, 1841 he married Princess Marie of Hesse in St Petersburg, thereafter known as Maria Alexandrovna. Events 1178 BC - A Solar eclipse may have marked the return of Odysseus, legendary King of Ithaca, to his kingdom For the game see 1841 (board game. Year 1841 ( MDCCCXLI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link Marie of Hesse and by Rhine ( 8 August, 1824 - 8 June, 1880) was a princess of the Grand Duchy of Hesse and as Maria Alexandrovna Marie of Hesse and by Rhine ( 8 August, 1824 - 8 June, 1880) was a princess of the Grand Duchy of Hesse and as Maria Alexandrovna The Tsarevitch claimed to be deeply in love with the young Princess and vowed to marry no one else. Marie was the legal daughter of Ludwig II, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine and Princess Wilhelmina of Baden, although there was a question of whether the Grand Duke or her mother's lover, Baron August von Senarclens de Grancy, was her biological father. Louis II ( 26 December 1777, Darmstadt &ndash 16 June 1848, Darmstadt was Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine from 1830 until Wilhelmine of Baden ( September 21, 1788 – January 27, 1836) was Grand Duchess of Hesse and the Rhine Baron August Ludwig von Senarclens de Grancy ( 19 August 1794 - 3 October 1871) was born at Schloss Etoy the son of Baron Cesar August von Senarclens Alexander was aware of the question of her paternity. The marriage produced six sons and two daughters:
Alexander had many mistresses during his marriage and fathered 7 known illegitimate children. Grand Duchess Alexandra Alexandrovna of Russia ( August 30 1842 - July 10 1849) was the eldest child of Alexander II of Russia and Events 1363 - Beginning date of the Battle of Lake Poyang; the forces of two Chinese rebel leaders— Chen Youliang and Year 1842 ( MDCCCXLII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Events 48 BC - Battle of Dyrrhachium, Julius Caesar barely avoids a catastrophic defeat to Pompey in Macedonia. Year 1849 ( MDCCCXLIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Meningitis is Inflammation of the protective membranes covering the Brain and Spinal cord, known collectively as the Meninges. Saint Petersburg ( tr: Sankt-Peterburg,) is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River Tsarevich Nikolay Aleksandrovich Romanov (Цесаревич Николай Александрович Романов full title Heir Tsarevich and Grand Duke of Events 451 - The Battle of Chalons takes place in North Eastern France. Year 1843 ( MDCCCXLIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Events 1479 BC - Thutmose III ascends to the throne of Egypt, although power effectively shifts to Hatshepsut (according to Year 1865 ( MDCCCLXV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Maria Feodorovna, born Princess Dagmar of Denmark (26 November 1847&ndash13 October 1928 was Empress consort of Russia. Alexander III Alexandrovich ( 10 March 1845 – 1 November 1894) (Александр III Александрович reigned as Emperor Events 241 BC - First Punic War: Battle of the Aegates Islands - The Romans sink the Carthaginian fleet bringing Year 1845 ( MDCCCXLV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 996 - Emperor Otto III issues a deed to Gottschalk Bishop of Freising which is the oldest known document using the name Ostarrîchi Year 1894 ( MDCCCXCIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Year 1866 ( MDCCCLXVI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Maria Feodorovna, born Princess Dagmar of Denmark (26 November 1847&ndash13 October 1928 was Empress consort of Russia. Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia, in Russian Владимир Александрович / Влади́мирович( 22 April, 1847 - 17 February, Events 1500 - Portuguese Navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral becomes the first European to sight Brazil. Year 1847 ( MDCCCXLVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Events 1500 - Battle of Hemmingstedt. 1600 - Philosopher Giordano Bruno is burned alive at Campo de' Fiori Year 1909 ( MCMIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Year 1874 ( MDCCCLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich Romanov of Russia (St Petersburg January 14, 1850 (January 4 O Events 1129 - Formal approval of the Order of the Templar at the Council of Troyes. For the game see 1850 (board game. 1850 ( MDCCCL) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link Events 1533 - Conquistadors from Spain under the leadership of Francisco Pizarro arrive in Cajamarca, Inca Year 1908 ( MCMVIII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Year 1867 ( MDCCCLXVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Year 1870 ( MDCCCLXX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia (later Duchess of Edinburgh and Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha; 17 October 1853 &ndash 24 Events 539 BC - King Cyrus The Great of Persia marches into the city of Babylon, releasing the Jews from almost Year 1853 ( MDCCCLIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Events 1740 - Maria Theresa takes the throne of Austria. France, Prussia, Bavaria and Saxony Year 1920 ( MCMXX) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display 1920 of the Gregorian calendar Year 1874 ( MDCCCLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Alfred Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Alfred Ernest Albert 6 August 1844 &ndash 30 July 1900 was the third Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha reigning between 1893 and 1900 Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich of Russia ( Сергей Александрович) ( May 11, 1857 &ndash February 17, 1905) was a Events 1429 - Joan of Arc arrives to relieve the Siege of Orleans. Click here for Indian Rebellion of 1857 Year 1857 ( MDCCCLVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the Events 211 - Roman Emperor Septimius Severus dies leaving the Roman Empire in the hands of his two quarrelsome sons Year 1905 ( MCMV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Year 1884 ( MDCCCLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year HIH The Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna of Russia (Elizabeth Feodorovna Romanova Елизавета Фëдоровна Романова ( 1 November 1864 Grand Duke Pavel Alexandrovich of Russia (Павел Александрович (October 3 1860 N Events 42 BC - First Battle of Philippi: Triumvirs Mark Antony and Octavian fight an indecisive battle with Caesar's Year 1860 ( MDCCLX) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year starting Events 41 - Gaius Caesar (Caligula, known for his eccentricity and cruel Despotism, is Assassinated by his disgruntled Year 1919 ( MCMXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Year 1889 ( MDCCCLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Marriage and Children Alexandra whose nicknames were "Greek Alix" or "Aline" was well-loved by her family Year 1902 ( MCMII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Princess Olga Valerianovna Paley ( Ольга Валериановна Палей) ( December 2, 1865 &ndash November 2, 1929) was the These included Antoinette Bayer (20 June 1856-24 January 1948) with his mistress Wilhelmine Bayer; Michael-Bogdan Oginski (10 October 1848-25 March 1909) with mistress Countess Olga Kalinovskya (1818-1854); and Joseph Raboxicz. Events 451 - Battle of Chalons: Flavius Aetius ' defeats Attila the Hun. Year 1856 ( MDCCCLVI) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year Events 41 - Gaius Caesar (Caligula, known for his eccentricity and cruel Despotism, is Assassinated by his disgruntled Year 1948 ( MCMXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 680 - Battle of Karbala: Shia Imam Husayn bin Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, is decapitated Year 1848 ( MDCCCXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap Events 1199 - Richard I is wounded by a crossbow bolt while fighting France which leads to his death on April 6. Year 1909 ( MCMIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Year 1818 ( MDCCCXVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Year 1854 ( MDCCCLIV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year
On July 6, 1880, less than a month after Tsarina Maria's death on June 8, Alexander formed a morganatic marriage with his mistress Princess Catherine Dolgorukov, with whom he already had four children. Events 1044 - The Battle of Ménfő takes place 1189 - Richard the Lionheart is crowned King of England Year 1880 ( MDCCCLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Events 68 - The Roman Senate accepts emperor Galba. 536 - St Silverius becomes Pope (probable A morganatic marriage is a type of Marriage which can be contracted in certain countries usually between people of unequal Social rank, which prevents the passage Princess Ekaterina Mikhailovna Dolgorukova (In Russian Княжна Екатерина Михаиловна Долгорукова also known as Catherine Dolgorukova
- George Alexandrovich Romanov Yurievsky (12 May 1872-13 September 1913). Events 1191 - Richard I of England marries Berengaria of Navarre. Year 1872 ( MDCCCLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year Events 509 BC - The Temple of Jupiter on Rome 's Capitoline Hill is dedicated on the ides of September Year 1913 ( MCMXIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Married Countess Alexandra Zarnekau and had issue. They later divorced.
- Olga Alexandrovna Romanov Yurievsky (7 November 1874-10 August 1925). Events 1492 - The Ensisheim Meteorite the oldest Meteorite with a known date of impact strikes the Earth around noon in a Wheat Year 1874 ( MDCCCLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 612 BC - Killing of Sinsharishkun, King of Assyrian Empire Year 1925 ( MCMXXV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Married Count George von Merenberg. Merenberg is a community in Limburg-Weilburg district in Hesse, Germany.
- Boris Alexandrovich Yurievsky (23 February 1876 - 11 April 1876). Events 1455 - Traditional date for the publication of the Gutenberg Bible, the first Western Book printed from Movable Year 1876 ( MDCCCLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year Events 491 - Flavius Anastasius becomes Byzantine Emperor, with the name of Anastasius I. Year 1876 ( MDCCCLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year
- Catherine Alexandrovna Romanov Yurievsky (9 September 1878-22 December 1959). Events 1000 - Battle of Svolder, Viking Age. 1379 - Treaty of Neuberg, splitting the Austrian Year 1878 ( MDCCCLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 1790 - The Turkish fortress of Izmail is stormed and captured by Suvorov and his Russian armies The year 1959 ( MCMLIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Married first Prince Alexander V. Bariatinsky and second Prince Serge Obolensky, whom she later divorced.
Suppression of national movements
At the beginning of his reign, Alexander expressed the famous statement "No dreams" addressed for Poles, populating Congress Poland, Western Ukraine, Lithuania, Livonia and Belarus. Congress Poland Kongresówka, officially and formally Kingdom of Poland (Królestwo Polskie {{IPA-pl|'|p|o|l|s|kʲ|e}} Царство Польское Tsarstvo Polskoye Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe. Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the Livonia (Līvõmō Latvian and Livonija Estonian: Liivimaa; Finnish: Liivinmaa; German and Swedish: Livland Belarus ( Belarusian Беларусь / Biełaruś is a Landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered by Russia to the north and east The result was the [January Uprising] of 1863-1864 that was suppressed after eighteen months of fighting. Thousands of Poles were executed, tens of thousands were deported to [Siberia]. The price for suppression was Russian support for Prussian-united Germany. Twenty years later, Germany became the major enemy of Russia on the continent.
All territories of the former Poland-Lithuania were excluded from liberal policies introduced by Alexander. The martial law in Lithuania, introduced in 1863, lasted for the next 50 years. Martial law is the system of rules that takes effect when the military takes control of the normal administration of justice Native languages, Lithuanian, Ukrainian and Belarusian were completely banned from printed texts, see a , e. Lithuanian ( lietuvių kalba) is the official state language of Lithuania and is recognised as one of the official languages of the European Union. Ukrainian (in Ukrainian украї́нська мо́ва ukrayins'ka mova,) is a language of the East Slavic subgroup of the Slavic languages. The Belarusian language, or Belorussian,(беларуская мова BGN/PCGN: byelaruskaya mova, Scientific: belaruskaja mova g. , Ems Ukase. The Ems Ukaz, or Ems Ukase (Эмский указ Emskiy ukaz; Емський указ Ems’kyy ukaz) was a secret decree ( Ukaz The Polish language was banned in both oral and written form from all provinces except Congress Kingdom, where it was not allowed in private conversations only. Polish ( język polski, polszczyzna) is the Official language of Poland. Congress Poland Kongresówka, officially and formally Kingdom of Poland (Królestwo Polskie {{IPA-pl|'|p|o|l|s|kʲ|e}} Царство Польское Tsarstvo Polskoye
Rewarding loyalty and encouraging Finnish nationalism
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In 1863 Alexander II re-established the Diet of Finland and initiated several reforms increasing Finland's autonomy from Russia including establishment of own currency, the Markka. The Diet of Finland ( Finnish Suomen maapäivät, later valtiopäivät; Swedish Finlands Lantdagar) was the legislative Year 1863 ( MDCCCLXIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Diet of Finland ( Finnish Suomen maapäivät, later valtiopäivät; Swedish Finlands Lantdagar) was the legislative A currency is a unit of exchange, facilitating the transfer of Goods and/or services It is one form of Money, where money is The markka ( Finnish) or mark ( Swedish) was the Currency of Finland from 1860 until February 28, 2002, when Liberation of enterprise lead to increased foreign investment and industrial development. Foreign direct investment ( FDI) in its classic definition is defined as a company from one country making a physical investment into building a factory in another country And finally the elevation of Finnish from a language of the common people to a national language equal to Swedish opened opportunities for a larger proportion of the society. Finnish ( or suomen kieli) is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland (92% As of 2006) and by ethnic Finns outside A national language is a Language (or language variant, ie Dialect) which has some connection - de facto or de jure - with Finland Swedish is a general term for the closely related cluster of Dialects of Swedish spoken in Finland by Swedish-speaking Finns as their Alexander II is still regarded as "The Good Tsar" in Finland.
Alexander's attitude towards Finland could be seen as genuine belief that reforms were easier to test in a small, homogeneous country than the whole of Russia. The benevolent treatment of Finland may also be seen as a reward for the loyalty of its relatively western oriented population during the Crimean war and during the Polish uprising. The Crimean War, also known in Russia as the Eastern War (Восточная война Vostochnaya Vojna) (March 1854–February 1856 was fought The January Uprising ( Polish: powstanie styczniowe, Lithuanian: 1863 m Encouraging Finnish nationalism and language can also be seen as an attempt to weaken the strong ties with Sweden. The term nationalism can refer to an Ideology, a sentiment, a form of Culture, or a Social movement that focuses on the Nation
Assassination attempts
In 1866 there was an attempt on his life in Petersburg by Dmitry Karakozov. Dmitry Vladimirovich Karakozov ( Дмитрий Владимирович Каракозов in Russian) ( October 23 Old Style ( November To commemorate his narrow escape from death (which he referred to only as "the event of April 4, 1866"), a number of churches and chapels were built in many Russian cities.
On the morning of April 20, 1879, Alexander II was briskly walking towards the Square of the Guards Staff and faced Alexander Soloviev, a 33 year-old former student. Events 1303 - The University of Rome La Sapienza is instituted by Pope Boniface VIII. Year 1879 ( MDCCCLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Alexander Soloviev ( Александр Соловьёв) (1846–1879 was a former student who on April 20, 1879, unsuccessfully attempted to assassinate Having seen a menacing revolver in his hands, the Tsar fled. Soloviev fired five times but missed;and he was sentenced to death and hanged on May 28. Events 585 BC - A Solar eclipse occurs as predicted by Greek philosopher and scientist Thales, while Alyattes is battling
The student acted on his own, but other revolutionaries were keen to murder Alexander. In December 1879, the Narodnaya Volya (People's Will), a radical revolutionary group which hoped to ignite a social revolution, organised an explosion on the railway from Livadia to Moscow, but they missed the Tsar's train. The term social revolution may have different connotations depending on the speaker Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of On the evening of February 5, 1880 the same revolutionaries set off a charge under the dining room of the Winter Palace, right in the resting room of the guards a story below. Events 1576 - Henry of Navarre converts to Roman Catholicism in order to ensure his right to the throne of France. Year 1880 ( MDCCCLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year See also The movie Russian Ark, an innovative single shot walkthrough with period reenactments spanning three hundred years of court meetings Being late for supper, the Tsar was unharmed, although 67 other people were killed or wounded. The dining room floor was also heavily damaged.
Assassination
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After the last assassination attempt, Count Loris-Melikov was appointed the head of the Supreme Executive Commission and given extraordinary powers to fight the revolutionaries. The Monument to Alexander II, officially called the Monument to Emperor Alexander II the Liberator Tsar, is a memorial of Emperor Alexander II of Russia, situated The Cathedral of Christ the Saviour (Хра́м Христа́ Спаси́теля is the tallest Eastern Orthodox Church in the world Count Mikhail Tarielovich Loris-Melikov (կոմս Միքայել Տարիելի Լորիս-Մելիքով граф Михаил Тариелович Лорис-Меликов ( &ndash Loris-Melikov's proposals called for some form of parliamentary body, and the Emperor seemed to agree; these plans were never realized as on March 13 (March 1 Old Style Date), 1881 Alexander fell victim to an assassination plot. Events 1138 - Cardinal Gregorio Conti is elected Antipope as Victor IV, succeeding Anacletus II. Events 86 BC - Lucius Cornelius Sulla, at the head of a Roman Republic army enters in Athens, removing the Tyrant Old Style (or OS) and New Style (or NS) are used in English language historical studies either to indicate that the start of the Julian year AssassiNation is the sixth album by Krisiun, released in 2006 on Century Media.
As he had done every Sunday for a score of years, the tsar went to the Manege to review the Life Guards of the Reserve Infantry and the Life Guards of the Sapper Battalion regiments. He traveled both to and from the Menege in a closed carriage accompanied by six Cossacks with a seventh sitting on the coachman's left. The Cossacks (Каза́ки́ Kazaki; Козаки́ Kozaki; Kozacy are a group of martial people living in the southern Steppe regions of Eastern The tsar's carriage was followed by two sleighs carrying, among others, the chief of police and the chief of the tsar's guards. The route, as always, was via the Catherine Canal and over the Pevchesky Bridge.
The street was flanked by narrow sidewalks on both the right and left side. A short young man wearing a heavy black overcoat edged towards the imperial carriage making its way down the street. He was carrying a small white package wrapped in a handkerchief. The youth was Nikolai Rysakov,
"After a moment's hesitation I threw the bomb. Nikolai Rysakov ( Рысаков Николай Иванович in Russian) (1861 – 1881 was a Russian Revolutionary and a member of Narodnaya I sent it under the horses' hooves in the supposition that it would blow up under the carriage. . . The explosion knocked me into the fence. "[1]
The explosion, while killing one of the Cossacks and seriously wounding the driver and people on the sidewalk, several critically, had only damaged the carriage. It was bulletproof, a gift from Napoleon III of France. The tsar emerged shaken but unhurt. Rysakov was captured almost immediately. Police Chief Dvorzhitsky heard Rysakov shout out to someone in the gathering crowd. Realizing there was another (if not more than one) bomber near by he urged the tsar to leave the area at once. Alexander agreed to do so but only after he had been shown the site of the explosion. Completely surrounded by the guards and the Cossacks, the tsar made his way over to the hole in the street. It was then that a young man, Ignacy Hryniewiecki, standing by the canal fence, raised up both arms and threw something at the tsar's feet. Ignacy Hryniewiecki Polish (Party name Kotik, Russian for "Kitten") 1856 – 13 March 1881) was a Polish student and Dvorzhitsky was later to write:
"I was deafened by the new explosion, burned, wounded and thrown to the ground. The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood (Храм Спаса на Крови is one of the main sights of St Suddenly, amid the smoke and snowy fog, I heard His Majesty's weak voice cry, 'Help!' Gathering what strength I had, I jumped up and rushed to the tsar. His Majesty was half-lying, half-sitting, leaning on his right arm. Thinking he was merely wounded heavily, I tried to lift him but the tsar's legs were shattered, and the blood poured out of them. Twenty people, with wounds of varying degree, lay on the sidewalk and on the street. Some managed to stand, others to crawl, still others tried to get out from beneath bodies that had fallen on them. Through the snow, debris, and blood you could see fragments of clothing, epaulets, sabers, and bloody chunks of human flesh. "[2]
Later it was learned there was a third bomber in the crowd. Ivan Emelyanov stood ready, clutching a briefcase containing a bomb that would be used if the other two bombs, and bombers, failed. Ivan Emelyanov, a boy of twenty who after graduating from a trade school had studied abroad on a grant from Baron Ginzburg and became a cabinetmaker
Alexander was carried by sleigh to the Winter Palace, up the marble staircase, a trail of blood in his wake, and in to his study where, twenty-five years before almost to the date, he had signed the Emancipation Edict freeing the serfs. Alexander with both legs destroyed, was bleeding to death. Members of the Romanov family came rushing to the scene. One of them was the quiet, sensitive thirteen year old boy named Nicky, elder son of the heir-apparent Alexander; the boy would grow up to be tsar in his own right, Nicholas II. Alexander III Alexandrovich ( 10 March 1845 – 1 November 1894) (Александр III Александрович reigned as Emperor
The dying tsar was given Communion and Extreme Unction. There was nothing to do now but wait. When asked how long it would be, the attending physician Dr. S. P. Borkin replied, "Up to fifteen minutes"[3] At 3:30 that day the standard of Alexander II was lowered for the last time.
The assassination also caused a great setback for the reform movement. One of Alexander II's last ideas was to draft up plans for an elected parliament, or Duma, which were completed the day before he died but not yet released to the Russian people. A Duma (Ду́ма is any of various representative assemblies in modern Russia and Russian history The first action Alexander III took after his coronation was to tear up those plans. A Duma would not come into fruition until 1905, by Alexander II's grandson, Nicholas II, who commissioned the Duma following heavy pressure on the monarchy by the Russian Revolution of 1905. See also Russian Revolution (1917 The 1905 Russian Revolution also known as the Failed Russian Revolution of 1905 was an empire-wide struggle of
A second consequence of the assassination was anti-Jewish pogroms and legislation, deriving in part from the fact that one of those implicated in the assassination, Gesya Gelfman, was of Jewish origin. A pogrom is a form of Riot directed against a particular group whether ethnic religious or other and characterized by destruction of their Homes Businesses The May Laws were anti-Jewish regulations enacted on May 15 (May 3 O Gesya Mirovna Gelfman ( Gesia Gelfman, Гельфман Геся Мировна in Russian) (her name is often incorrectly spelled Gesya Mironovna Despite the fact only one Jew was involved in the assassination conspiracy, over 200 Jews who had nothing to do with the murder of Alexander II were beaten to death in these pogroms.
A third consequence of the assassination was that suppression of civil liberties in Russia and police brutality burst back with a full force after experiencing some restraint under the reign of Alexander II. Police brutality is the world wide use of excessive force usually physical but potentially also in the form verbal attacks and psychological intimidation, by Alexander II's murder and subsequent death was witnessed firsthand by his son, Alexander III, and his grandson, Nicholas II, both future Tsars, who vowed not to have the same fate befall them. Both used the Okhrana to arrest protestors and uproot suspected rebel groups, creating further suppression of personal freedom for the Russian people.
Ancestors
See also
Gallery
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References
- This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain. The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910–1911 is a 29-volume reference work that marked the beginning of the Encyclopædia Britannica The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone
Further reading
- Moss, Walter G. , Alexander II and His Times: A Narrative History of Russia in the Age of Alexander II, Tolstoy, and Dostoevsky. London: Anthem Press, 2002 (available online)
- Radzinsky, Edvard, Alexander II: The Last Great Tsar. Edvard Radzinsky (Эдвард Станиславович Радзинский (b New York: The Free Press, 2005
External links
Alexander II of Russia Cadet branch of the House of Oldenburg Born: 17 April 1818 Died: 13 March 1881 | ||
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Nicholas I | Emperor of Russia March 2, 1855–March 13, 1881 | Succeeded by Alexander III |
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Alexander II |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Nikolaevich, Aleksandr II |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Emperor of Russia |
| DATE OF BIRTH | April 17, 1818 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Moscow |
| DATE OF DEATH | March 13, 1881 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | St. Petersburg |
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