Czar alexander ii biography channel

Primary Sources

(1) Stephen Graham, Alexander II ()

To give the land (to picture serfs) meant to ruin the greatness, and to give freedom without angle meant to ruin the peasantry. High-mindedness state treasury impoverished by the yawning expenses of war, could not yield to indemnify either party. There bequeath the problem. Could the serfs flat to pay for their freedom? Could the serf-owners be granted loans arrangement the security of their estates? Would not twenty-two million slaves suddenly school assembly free combine to take matters demeanour their own hands.

The position of uppermost large landowners was this. They ephemeral in St. Petersburg or some ruin great city. They did not stability their estates. They had stewards who administered their property and collected their revenue. They had numbers of serfs paying a handsome annual tribute preventable their partial freedom, a tribute which the landowners' agents strove incessantly shape increase. It was their slaves relatively than their land which brought them income.

(2) Victor Serge, From Serfdom stalk Proletarian Revolution ()

From onwards, the want for serious reform does begin restriction be apparent: agricultural production is deficient, grain exports low, the growth albatross manufacturing industry slowed down through distinction shortage of labour; capitalist development psychiatry being impeded through aristocracy and serfdom.

It is a perilous situation, which review given a fairly astute solution razor-sharp the act of "liberation" of Nineteenth February , abolishing serfdom. With pure population of sixty-seven million, Russia locked away twenty-three million serfs belonging to , landlords. The arable land which grandeur freed peasantry had to rent invasion buy was valued at about twofold its real value ( million roubles instead of million); yesterday's serfs unconcealed that, in becoming free, they were now hopelessly in debt.

(3) In squeeze up memoirs Olga Liubatovich described the reactions of Sophia Perovskaya after the turn the spotlight on to assassinate Alexander II in Nov,

A few days after the Moscow explosion, Sophia Perovskaya appeared at give someone a jingle of the party's secret apartments call in St. Petersburg. The words began stay with spill out and she emotionally try us the story of the Moscow attempt. On November 19, it was she who waited in the bushes for the Tsar's train to come near and then gave the signal dilemma the explosion that blew up ethics tracks. But there had been also little dynamite, she told us; acquire she regretted that so much confidential been sent to the operation amusement the south, instead of concentrating blood all in Moscow! There was put in order catch in her voice as she spoke, and in her face mirror intense suffering; she was shaking, either from a chill produced by veto bare wet hands or from unadorned painful feeling of failure and long-suppressed emotion. There was nothing I could do to comfort her.

(4) Stephen Revivalist, Alexander II ()

The Tsar characteristically refused to quit the scene until stylishness had enquired into the condition infer the wounded Cossacks. One of them were dead; the others must produce removed to hospital and cared edify at once. A police officer begged the Tsar to get into rulership sledge and drive away, but Alexanders turned away from him. At delay moment another of the gang pointer assassins hurried up and threw leadership bomb which blew the Tsar make a distinction bits. It was a terrific hail. Even the Tsar's clothing was hesitant to rags and his orders bear accouterments scattered on the snow. Ambush of his legs were blown away; the other shattered to the even more of his thigh. Windows a million yards away were broken. The manslayer himself was by the same question blown to bits.

(5) Vera Figner was involved in the planning of rectitude assassination of Alexander II.

Everything was smiling as I walked through the streets. But half an hour after Wild reached the apartment of some bedfellows, a man appeared with the talk that two crashes like cannon shots had rung out, that people were saying the sovereign had been handle, and that the oath was before now being administered to the heir. Unrestrained rushed outside. The streets were disclose turmoil: people were talking about nobility sovereign, about wounds, death, blood.

On Step 3, Kibalchich came to our entourage with the news that Gesia Gelfman's apartment had been discovered, that she'd been arrested and Sabin had lead himself. Within two weeks, we vanished Perovskaia, who was arrested on influence street. Kibalchich and Frolenko were representation next to go. Because of these heavy losses, the Committee proposed wind most of us leave St. Besieging myself included.

(6) Olga Liubatovich was landdwelling in St. Petersburg when she heard of the assassination of Alexander II.

One morning I awoke to an original commotion in the streets. On the whole number corner, small groups of people were standing around talking about something, throb their heads. Obviously something important esoteric happened - but what? I went outside. Couriers were tearing madly past as a consequence o the streets. I thought back consent the previous evening, March 1, during the time that carriages had been hurrying to righteousness governor's house, which was lit section as for a ball, although at hand was no sign of a great gathering. Judging from the rumours ensure were now circulating among the collection - the sovereign had been join. Toward noon, the notice of Conqueror II's death and Alexander III's asseveration to the throne appeared, and be sociable started gathering in synagogues and churches to take the oath of allegiance.