Alexander II had a conflicted personality, oscillating between liberal and conservative policies, and his many reforms and personal tragedies left an important impact on future generations.
Alexander II's most important reform was the emancipation of Russian serfs in 1861. He wrestled with entrenched powers for 4 years, with conservatives and aristocrats adamant about their opposition because they didn't want to lose tens of millions of free labor. But Alexander said firmly: "It is better to outlaw serfdom from the top down than to sit back and wait for it to be overthrown from the bottom up." ”
Portrait of Alexander II, painted in 1855
The decree to emancipate the serfs was promulgated on February 19, 1861, and with a stroke of the tsar's pen, 23 million serfs were freed. For the first time in Russian history, they were free to move, marry and have children, and own their own land without the permission of their masters. Alexander earned him the title of "Tsar liberator," but the end result was as terrible as the brutal serfdom. The state provided loans to landlords who had lost their labour power, and the landlords distributed the funds to the serfs so that they could buy land. However, due to the harsh repayment conditions, many free serfs were eventually destitute; this led to the landlords being unable to repay their loans and falling into bankruptcy. Although at first there was applause for the emancipation of the serfs, liberals soon began to criticize the shortcomings of the policy, while conservatives and aristocrats resented the loss of power and financial security.
Painting depicting the emancipation system of the serfs studying emancipation in 1861
Alexander II's foreign policy was equally wobbly and puzzling. In 1867, fearing a British invasion, he sold Alaska to the United States, and in 1872 he joined the Triple Alliance, allying with Germany and Austria-Hungary. His attitude towards his neighbors is also capricious. In 1863 Alexander granted the Grand Duchy of Finland, which belonged to Russia, more autonomy: it could establish its own parliament, issue currency, and promote the use of the Finnish language. Poland, on the other hand, remained a thorn in Russia's side, and Polish nationalists who opposed Nicholas I's conquest often revolted openly. In January 1863, an armed struggle broke out in Warsaw, with partisans blowing up bridges, cutting off telegraph lines, and killing dozens of Russian officials. It took Russia nearly a year to suppress the rebellion, and the punishment afterwards was severe: thousands of people were executed or exiled to Siberia, and Poland lost its last bit of independence and was even banned from using polish language throughout the country.
Russia's greatest diplomatic blunder was a brief engagement with the Ottoman Empire. In 1876, Bulgaria, controlled by the Ottoman Empire, rose up against Turkey, which was suppressed, and the Russian people were extremely indignant about the poor situation of the Orthodox Christians. This strong religious appeal eventually persuaded Alexander, who declared war on the Ottoman Empire in April 1877. After winning the war and paying 200,000 casualties, Russia liberated the Bulgarians from the Turks, but this victory was wiped out in the ensuing peace talks. At the Congress of Berlin, the European powers feared that Russia's victory would give them a foothold in the Balkans, so they united to force Alexander II to accept terms limiting Russia's expansion of influence.
Alexander II around 1878
As the war drew to a close, opposition to Alexander's rule grew. Both Paul I and Nicholas I tended to keep their distance from the outside world, but Alexander II was willing to be close to the people. On a weathery afternoon, he would walk around st. Petersburg's summer garden with only one aide-de-camp. In April 1866, the assassination of the Tsar by the young student Dmitry Karakotsov attempted; a year later, during Alexander's visit to Paris, another Pole attempted to assassinate the Tsar.
Ironically, the Tsar's efforts to promote liberalization reforms had the opposite effect. Alexander was confused: he repeatedly gave in, in exchange for hatred and ridicule. Conservatives are resentful, while liberals want autonomy and a more open society. Under the threat of terrorism, Alexander began to restore the old system: the "Ohrana" secret police suppressed the words and deeds of university teachers and students, censors imposed harsh controls on newspapers, liberal advisers and ministers found themselves replaced by conservatives, and newly formed military tribunals began prosecuting suspicious dissidents.
This sudden change will only exacerbate negative emotions in society. Indignant students, workers, and potential revolutionaries have sprung up, determined to resort to force to overthrow the existing order.
On Sunday afternoon, March 1, 1881, he sat leisurely in his armored carriage, which was advancing along the Catherine Canal in St. Petersburg when Nikolai Rysakov, a member of the Popular Party, rushed out and dropped a bomb into the air. A flash of fire flashed, the carriage was blown apart, the frightened horses galloped away, and the wounded Royal Guards fell on the snowy embankment. Miraculously, the Tsar stepped out of the carriage unscathed, only to be frightened. The wounded officer shouted at him, "Thank God, you're still alive!" ”
Assassination of Alexander II
At this point, the crowd shouted, "Thank God for being too early!" The student Ignati Grinevitsky rushed out and threw a second bomb at the Tsar's feet. The shop windows on the street were shattered, the sidewalks were blown to pieces, and there were cries of pain all around. The smoke cleared, and I saw Alexander II leaning against the railing, one leg below the knee, the other blurred with blood; blood oozing from multiple wounds on Alexander's face and abdomen, and the snow around him was stained a deep red. With the strength he had, he whispered, "Back to the palace... I'm going to die in the palace. ”
Carrying the Tsar's sleigh back to the Winter Palace, his relatives also rushed to the scene. For an hour, they watched in anguish as the hectic doctors carried out useless rescues. Alexander's eyes kept looking blankly ahead until finally his bloody hand slammed down.
(Source: The Rise and Fall of the Russian Empire)