ALEXANDER III THE PEACEMAKER
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By Tatyana Shvetsova
Emperor Alexander III ruled Russia from 1881 until 1894. This was one of
the most tranquil periods in the history of this country. For his consistent
efforts in support of common European peace Alexander III was dubbed ‘the
Peacemaker’.
Alexander III was the second son of Emperor Alexander II and Empress Maria
Alexandrovna. He was born on  February
26th 1845. Historian Boris Krasilnikov turns our attention to the fact
that “until the death of his elder brother Nicholas, that is until his
twentieth birthday, Alexander was brought up as a Grand Prince, rather
than a future Emperor. He had a military career all mapped out for him,
and his chief Mentor was Adjutant-General Perovsky.”
However, as fate would have it, his elder brother Nicholas passed away
in Nice on April 12th 1865. As of that moment Alexander was proclaimed
the heir to the Russian throne. A year and a half later he married his
late brother’s bride Princess Dagmara, daughter of Danish King Christian
IX. There were four children born of that union.
The heir to the Russian throne lived a relatively quiet and secluded life
with his family at one of the Royal Palaces. Boris Krasilnikov writes:
“Alexander loved history, was a collector of antiques, and headed the Imperial
History Society he’d founded. He displayed just as strong a passion for
music, participated in home concerts, playing the French horn and bass.
His reputation was that of a pattern family man, who swore by humane, liberal
values. In actual fact, Alexander professed highly conservative political
views, a fact that was to greatly influence the country’s internal policy.”
Alexander III ascended the throne under extreme circumstances, after the
assassination of his Father, Alexander II by revolutionaries on March 1st
1881. One of Alexander’s tutors, ober-procurator of the Holy Synod Konstantin
Pobedonostsev, an outstanding Russian statesman, wrote to the confused
and grief-stricken heir to the throne:
“I cannot ease my mind over this dreadful shock. Thinking of you this very
moment, standing at the bloody threshold that God saw fit to lead you across
on the road to your new Fate, my soul quivers with concern for your sake:
with fear at the forthcoming unbeknown in store for you and Russia; fear
of that huge burden that you are about to shoulder. In my love for you
as a person, I would seek to spare you that tremendous responsibility and
release you to your previous carefree life, yet I am powerless to do so,
for it is God’s will. It was His will that you be born unto this world
for this particular destiny, and so that your beloved brother, taking leave
of this world, direct you to take his place on Earth.”
Soon after the letter by Konstantin Pobedonostsev, the new Czar was handed
the proclamation found at the apartments of the revolutionaries, who assassinated
his Father.
“Two years of unremitting efforts and sacrifices have resulted in success,”
it read. “From now on all of Russia may see that a persistent and relentless
struggle is capable of undermining even the centuries-old despotism of
the Romanovs. The Executive committee believes it imperative to once again
profess that it repeatedly warned the now-deceased tyrant, remonstrated
with him to put and end to the inhumane autocracy and give Russia back
its natural rights…”
Alexander could make no sense of this obscure political language. He likewise
couldn’t understand why his Father was being referred to as a ‘tyrant’.
For had he not released the peasants from the yoke of serfdom? Had he not
reformed the Judiciary? And what about the regional or Zemsky local self-rule
he’d given the go-ahead?! What more could these people want? Why were they
so restless? They were displeased that his Father had procrastinated with
the Constitution? But didn’t they realize how laborious and taxing a process
this was? Besides, they personally hampered the reforms. His Father was
hounded like an animal. How is it possible to think of reforms when one
is obliged to leave the Palace escorted by Cossacks, in mortal fear for
one’s life?
On March 2nd, receiving top government officials and members of the retinue,
Alexander III said:
“I accept the crown with a sense of determination. I shall follow in my
Father’s footsteps to try and finish what he started. If the Lord sees
fit to deal me the same Fate as my Father, I hope you will serve my son
as faithfully as you served my Father.” 
Historian Dmitry Ilovaysky wrote:
“The first task the young Emperor faced was to soothe the ruffled minds,
unsettled by the preceding tragic events and by rumors regarding planned
successors in the Government. A manifesto dated April 21st 1881 proclaimed
the inviolability of the Russian state system. The coronation of Emperor
Alexander III and his wife proceeded in accordance with ancient custom
at the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin on May 15th 1883, in
the presence of top officials of the Empire and Foreign Ambassadors and
dignitaries. The event was followed up with the usual public festivities.
The second outstanding task the Emperor had to face involved Russia’s financial
and economic wellbeing. The previous financial system was accompanied by
external loans and a drop in customs duties. The latter was due to the
ruinous for Russia influence of the political-economic theory of free trade.
This theory, when put to practice in Russian life, had a most adverse effect
on Russia’s monetary affairs and the internal development of the factory-industrial
production. The last war with Turkey, which cost Russia a high price, significantly
brought up the state debt. So the new Czar addressed the benchmark of National
economic policy. In other words, he offered his protection to Russian industry
by raising customs duties on imported goods, and generally encouraged it
as best he could. A higher degree of frugality and accounting was introduced
in state expenses. Military orders abroad were drastically cut. Firearms,
armored ships and everything else that was commissioned abroad - were now
produced at local plants. All these measures significantly improved the
economic and financial situation of the Empire”.
A great deal of attention was given to bringing order to the railway industry.
Russian industry involved in this sphere was extended patronage to. There
began the gradual process of buying out railway lines from private joint-stock
companies into state property. Since after the abolishment of serfdom the
gentry was obliged to use hired labor for working the land, the Tsarist
government took measures to help it retain a hold over its ancestral property.
A special bank was founded, where the gentry could take out preferential
loans, unlike at private or joint-stock banks. Earlier, in the very first
year of Alexander III’s rule, the government opened a special Peasants’
bank, which helped peasants acquire land property. Finally, for the benefit
of agriculture, a new Agriculture Ministry was set up in 1893, which merged
with the previously existing Ministry of State Property.
According to historian Boris Krasilnikov, “the new Emperor invariably spoke
out for inviolability of unlimited  autocracy,
archetypal traditions of Russian everyday life, and hard and fast repressive
measures in putting down revolutionary trends.”
However this didn’t stop the first Marxist organizations from emerging
in the country. A member of one such Marxist circle – graduate of Petersburg
University Alexander Ulyanov, brother of the future leader of the revolution
and founder of the Soviet State Vladimir Lenin, together with his allies
made an attempt on the life of Alexander III. This happened on March 1st
1887. The revolutionaries were arrested, sentenced to death through hanging
and executed on May 8th that same year.
The revolutionaries persistently led a propaganda campaign in the workers’
midst. Historian Boris Krasilnikov notes:
“As of the 1880-ies the workers’ strike movement gathered momentum. Several
strikes took place in Moscow and nearby towns. The first mass workers’
action was the strike in suburban Orekhovo-Zuyevo in 1885. The strike movement
then spread to Ukraine, Byelorussia, the Baltic states.”
Unlike his predecessors, Alexander III displayed extreme caution in foreign
policy. According to historian Boris Krasilnikov, “he avoided external
conflicts, all the more so – wars, fearing they could only exacerbate the
class conflicts and lead to revolution.”
“Despite all attempts of our western neighbor Prussia to entangle Russia
in its diplomatic web,” historian Dmitry Ilovaysky wrote, “the Russian
government, falling back on the bitter experience of the last war with
Turkey, and the Berlin Congress, absolved itself of all obligations, linked
with past ‘allied’ relations. Having thus reclaimed total freedom of action
in external relations, Russia began seeking more reliable and natural allies.
Herefrom followed a growing rapprochement with France. A noteworthy feature
of this rapprochement was a visit by the French military Squadron to the
Russian base in the Baltics, Kronstadt and the reciprocal visit by the
Russian Squadron to Toulon. The French gave Russian sailors a warm welcome.
It was clear that both countries sought a steadfast alliance.”
The fact that Prussia began speedily augmenting its military strength forced
other European states, Russia included, to follow suit. Emperor Alexander
III at the same time commenced reinstating Russian Black Sea Fleet. At
wharves in Crimean towns of Nikolaev and Sebastopol several large armored
ships were built. Besides that, a whole destroyer flotilla was built.
Russian influence was continually making inroads into Central Asia. In
1884 the Turkmens voluntarily accepted Russian allegiance. England, fearful
for its rich East-Indian domains, looked on with barely-contained irritation
at the dangerously expanding Russian borders. It did everything possible
to stop these developments. Historian Dmitry Ilovaysky notes:
“England galvanized the Afghan Emir into aggressive actions against the
Russians, due to which in March 1885 the Afghans clashed with a Russian
border troop led by General Komarov on the banks of the Kushka River. The
Afghans were beaten and scattered. After this, the Russian borders on the
Afghan side were significantly widened. A railway, built by Russia from
the Caspian Sea to Samarkand, secured our country’s vested interests in
Central Asia and boosted trade. In the early 1890-ies Russia began the
building of the Great Trans-Siberian Railway. The Tsar entrusted his heir
Nikolai Alexandrovich with overseeing this highly important project.”
Sturdy, of athletic build, Alexander III could have been expected to live
a long life, yet… On October 17th 1888 en route from the Crimea, the Royal
train crashed near the Station Borki, not far from the Ukrainian town Kharkov.
There were many victims, yet the Tsar and his family escaped unharmed.
Alexander III felt a minor pain in the small of his back, which he paid
no heed to. However, according to the medics, this led to nephritis, which
reached such a grave condition by the summer of 1894, that the Tsar was
forced to summon urgent medical aid. Alas, it was too late. In September
Alexander went to the Crimea, and died there in Livadiya, surrounded by
his family, on October 20th 1894, without living to see his 50th birthday.
Characterizing his reign, historian Dmitry Ilovaysky wrote: “…this reign,
of a peaceful, protective nature, was distinguished primarily by a national-Russian
trend in internal and external policy. Yet it was brief – just 13 years
and a few months… There was great popular grief at his demise…
For his efforts to prolong common European peace Tsar Alexander III was
dubbed “the Peacemaker”.
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Illustrations:
V.Kelner. “March 1, 1881. Assassination of Emperor Alexander II”, Lenizdat,
Leningrad, 1991
N.Orlova. “History of Russia. Tsars and Emperors”, Bely Gorod, Moscow,
2001
04/07/2005
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