Questions about Alexander II of Russia
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Why is Alexander II of Russia called Alexander the Liberator?
Alexander II earned the title because of the Emancipation Reform of 1861, which abolished serfdom on private estates throughout the Russian Empire and freed more than 23 million people. Freed serfs gained the full rights of free citizens, including the right to marry without consent, to own property, and to own a business. He is also called the "Tsar-Liberator" in Bulgaria for his role in securing Bulgarian autonomy from the Ottoman Empire after the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878.
Why did Alexander II sell Alaska to the United States?
Alexander II sold Alaska to the United States in 1867 for $7.2 million, partly because the colony was losing money and partly because he calculated it would be nearly impossible to defend Russia's North American holdings against Britain in another war. The territory bordered British Columbia and the North-Western Territory, making it vulnerable. Selling to the Americans was a strategic move against British expansion.
How was Alexander II of Russia assassinated?
Alexander II was assassinated on the 13th of March 1881 in Saint Petersburg by members of the Narodnaya Volya (People's Will) revolutionary group. A first bomb thrown by Nikolai Rysakov damaged his carriage but left him unhurt. A second attacker, Ignacy Hryniewiecki, then threw a bomb at the emperor's feet, shattering his legs. Alexander died later that afternoon at the Winter Palace; the attending physician estimated he had no more than fifteen minutes from the time he was brought in.
What reforms did Alexander II of Russia introduce besides ending serfdom?
Alexander II introduced a new judicial system in 1864 based on the French model, featuring open trials, life-tenured judges, a jury system, and local justices of the peace. He established elected local self-government bodies called zemstvos for rural districts in 1864 and large towns in 1870. Military reforms included universal conscription for all social classes from the 1st of January 1874, and the abolition of corporal punishment and branding in the military. He also relaxed media censorship, expanded schools and universities, and eliminated special taxes on Jewish residents.
How did Alexander II of Russia support the United States during the American Civil War?
Russia supported the Union during the American Civil War of 1861-1865, viewing the United States as a counterbalance to Britain. In 1863, the Russian Navy's Baltic and Pacific fleets wintered in the American ports of New York and San Francisco, a visible signal of Russian alignment with the Union cause and a deterrent against Confederate naval operations.
How many assassination attempts did Alexander II of Russia survive before being killed?
Alexander II survived at least four documented attempts before the fatal attack in 1881. Dmitry Karakozov shot at him in Saint Petersburg in April 1866. Antoni Berezowski attacked his carriage at the 1867 World's Fair in Paris. Alexander Soloviev fired five shots at him on the 20th of April 1879 and missed every one. Stephan Khalturin detonated a bomb inside the Winter Palace on the 5th of February 1880, killing eleven people, but Alexander was not in the dining room at the time.