From Reform to Reaction - Alexander II to Alexander III

From Reform to Reaction - Alexander II to Alexander III

A Change of Direction, c.1866:

• Assassination attempts and increasing political activity.

• Personal circumstances.

  • Tsarina Maria Alexandrovna, married in 1841 when he was 23 and she was 17.

    • Children: Nicholas, Alexander, Vladimir, Alexei, Maria, Segei, Paul (7).

    • Nicholas is Tsarevitch (heir to the throne). He was engaged to Princess Dagmar of Denmark in 1864. He tragically died in 1865 of meningitis. Maria was devastated.

    • Alexander is now Tsarevitch. 

  • Yekaterina Dolgorukova, Maria’s Lady in Waiting.

    • Lives with the family.

    • Alexander II has an affair with Yekaterina and has four children with her.

    • A month after Maria died in 1880, Alexander married Yekaterina (morganatic).

    • Alexander’s advisors were not impressed with his actions, and he received much criticism from the advisors and family. Alexander removes himself from the advice and isolates himself from it.

• The Polish Revolt, 1863

• Poles rose up against the Russian government in Poland and the Tsar had to use the police and military to restore order.

• This made Alexander more inclined to distance himself from political events in…