Czar Alexander II assassinated in St. Petersbug
Czar Alexander II the ruler of Russia since 1855 is killed in the streets of St.Petersburg by a bomb thrown by a member of the revolutionary Peoples Will group.The Peoples Will organized in 1879 employed terrorism and assassination in their attempt to overthrow Russias czarist autocracy.
They murdered officials and made several attempts on the czars life before finally assassinating him on March 13 1881.As czar Alexander did much to liberalize and modernize Russia including the abolishment of serfdom in 1861.However when his authority was challenged he turned repressive and he vehemently opposed movements for political reform.Ironically on the very day he was killed he signed a proclamationthe so-called Loris-Melikov constitutionthat would have created two legislative commissions made up of indirectly elected representatives.He was succeeded by his 36-year-old son Alexander III who rejected the Loris-Melikov constitution.
Alexander IIs assassins were arrested and hanged and the Peoples Will was thoroughly suppressed.The peasant revolution advocated by the Peoples Will was achieved by Vladimir Lenins Bolshevik revolutionaries in 1917.
