Alexander II: The Tsar Liberator and His Assassination

The Romanov Dynasty: Rise, Power, and Bloody End — Fexingo History · Apr 28, 2026 · 5m · transcript

Alexander II, known as the Tsar Liberator, enacted sweeping reforms including the emancipation of the serfs in 1861, judicial reform, and local self-government through the zemstva. Yet his reign ended in blood when he was assassinated by the revolutionary group Narodnaya Volya on March 1, 1881. This episode delves into the man behind the reforms, the rising tide of radicalism, and the bomb-throwing attack that shocked Russia. We explore the People's Will, the 'dictatorship of the heart' of Mikhail Loris-Melikov, and the fateful day on the Catherine Canal. How did the liberator…