Alexander II

Who is probably the most well known Russian tsar?

Alexander II

What is Alexander II’s nickname?

Liberator Tsar

What is Alexander II known for?

emancipating the Russian serfs

Why is Alexander II known as the liberator?

because of emancipation and how he was killed brutally

Who was Alexander II educated by?

russian poet, Vasily Ahukovsky known as grandson of a serf

What did Alexander II learn in his education?

foreign languages, sciences, military training

What views did Zhukovsky instill on Alexander II?

liberal views

Alexander II was the only tsar to?

travel across Russia to see the life of ordinary Russian people

Who did Alexander II marry?

1841 marriage to Princess Marie of Hesse

When Princess Marie of Hesse converted to orthodoxy, what did her name change to?

Maria Aleksandrovna

How many children did Alexander II and Maria have?

8 children

Maria became very ill, so Alexander II started an affair with?

Catherine Dolgorukova

When did Maria die?

in 1880, a year before Alexander was assassinated

After Maria died what did Alexander do?

he married Catherine

What does Narodynaya Volya mean?

people’s will

There were several attempts on Alexander II by?

Narodynaya Volya

When did Alexander II die?

March 113, 1881

What was built on the site of Alexander II’s assassination?

Church of Christ the Savior Spilled on Blood

How did Alexander II die?

a bomb was thrown at him by one of the Narodnaya Volya

Alexander II ascended to the throne after who’s death?

Nicholas

When Alexander II ascended to the throne Russia was in the middle of what war?

crimea war (Russia vs Turkey)

The Crimea war was during the time of…

the industrial revolution

What did Alexander II do with the Crimea War?

ended Crimea War in 1856, on unfavorable terms

Why was there an “economic backwardness” of Russia during the time of the Crimea war?

there was no Industrial revolution starting there

During the 19th century, under Alexander II’s reign, there was a rise of?

raznochintsy and intelligentsia

What does chin mean?

rank

What does rise of raznochinsty mean?

people of different social classes

What does intelligentsia mean?

educated people of different classes

What did Alexander II do to change the social classes?

he opened up many schools which admitted middle class and even lower class students, and by the 19th century leading rank had changed

What happened under Alexander II’s reign with the Balkans?

Liberation of Balkans from the Ottomans, russian army joined the revolution of Balkans to establish their own independent state

There were various revolutionary movements under Alexander II such as?

Narodnaya Volya and universities becoming centers of revolutionary activites

The narodnaya Volya was led by?

Sofia Perovskaya

What progressive reforms did Alexander II make?

pardon of Decembrists, relaxed censorship, judicial reforms, reform of local self government (zemstva), new education programs, end of serfdom, restructuring the modernization of the army, railway construction, plans for constitutional monarchy

When did serfdom end?

1861

How long did serfdom exist?

nearly 200 years

Serfdom vs slavery?

Serfdom refers to a system where peasants were tied to the land and under the control of a landowner, while slavery entails complete ownership of a person by another, depriving them of personal rights