Alexander II of Russia
A reforming tsar who freed Russia's serfs and modernized its institutions, only to be killed by the very revolutionary forces he helped unleash.
1818–1881 (age 63)·Emperor of Russia from 1855 to 1881·Birthday: April 29
Biography
Alexander II ascended the Russian throne in the wake of the disastrous Crimean War, a conflict that exposed the empire's profound backwardness. Unlike his rigidly conservative father, Nicholas I, Alexander understood that Russia needed radical change to survive as a great power. His reign became the 'Era of Great Reforms.' In 1861, he signed the historic Emancipation Manifesto, liberating millions of serfs from bondage, a move of staggering social and economic consequence. He followed this with overhauls of the judiciary, local government, and the military. Yet, each reform created new expectations and unrest. Radical intellectuals, unsatisfied with the pace of change, turned against him. Surviving several assassination attempts, Alexander ironically signed a decree approving a move toward a constitutional monarchy on the very morning he was killed in 1881 by a bomb thrown by members of the revolutionary group Narodnaya Volya. His death ushered in a period of severe reaction under his son, Alexander III, freezing the reforms he had set in motion.
#1 When Alexander Was Born
The biggest hits of 1818
Alexander's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1818Born
1823Started school
1831Became a teenager
1834Could drive
1836Could vote
1839Turned 21
1848Turned 30
1858Turned 40
1868Turned 50
President: Andrew Johnson
1878Turned 60
President: Rutherford B. Hayes
1881Died at 63
President: Chester A. Arthur
Key Achievements
- He issued the Emancipation Edict of 1861, abolishing serfdom for over 23 million private serfs.
- He oversaw significant judicial reforms, introducing public trials and jury systems.
- He sold Alaska to the United States in 1867 for $7.2 million.
- He implemented military reforms that reduced the term of service and modernized the army.
Did You Know?
He was the last Russian Tsar to be born before the Decembrist revolt of 1825.
The site of his assassination in St. Petersburg is now home to the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood.
He narrowly escaped an earlier assassination attempt in 1866 when a student's pistol misfired.
His marriage to his first wife, Maria Alexandrovna, was reportedly unhappy, and he had several mistresses.
“It is better to abolish serfdom from above than to wait for the time when it will begin to abolish itself from below.”
