Alexander III, 1881-1894

The Problems Facing Alexander III in 1881:

• With the Russians making up only half on the population in Russia, Alexander III faced the problem of keeping this large, mult-ethnic empire together
• He needed to maintain his own supreme political power, which was difficult as his father had begun reforms which raised expectations of change in Russia
• He faced pressure from his advisers to make Russia more like Western European countries

Repression and Reaction:

• The assissination of the Tsar threatened the entire social and political system of the Russian Empire
• A threat to the Tsar meant a threat to the Russian Orthodox Church, as they derived much of their power from him

Political Repression:

• Those who wanted reform ranged…