1881-1894
Alexander III suspended all of his father’s reforms. His reign was all about repression, censorship and Russification. But most importantly, it was a time of great industrial development.
“Aleksander III Receiving Rural District Elders In the Yard of Petrovsky Palace in Moscow” by Ilya Repin (about 1886)
Background
Immediately after ascending to the throne, Alexander III put a halt to his father’s reforms. He disbanded the legislative council, who was preparing the constitution, and became vengeful.
Repressions
Large-scale repressions were carried out by the secret police, called the Okhranka, and their network of spies. Progroms against Jews and other ethnic minorities, deportations, and the closing of newspapers and universities occurred.
Alexander III was a Russian nationalist. He launched a campaign of Russification in the border districts.
Economic growth
Alexander III’s reign was also a period of international peace and stability. Not one war took place under his rule. So the economy slowly improved in the 1890s, mainly thanks to Alexander’s Minister of Finance Sergey Witte, who negotiated foreign capital and favourable loans from France.
Soon industrial output was soaring. The construction of the world’s longest Trans-Siberian Railway was begun in 1891.
Death
Despite many assassination attempts, Alexander III died of natural causes, leaving his older son Nicholas to reign as the last emperor of Russia.
Russia Under Alexander III
1881-1894
Alexander III suspended all of his father’s reforms. His reign was all about repression, censorship and Russification. But most importantly, it was a time of great industrial development.
“Aleksander III Receiving Rural District Elders In the Yard of Petrovsky Palace in Moscow” by Ilya Repin (about 1886)
Background
Immediately after ascending to the throne, Alexander III put a halt to his father’s reforms. He disbanded the legislative council, who was preparing the constitution, and became vengeful.
Repressions
Large-scale repressions were carried out by the secret police, called the Okhranka, and their network of spies. Progroms against Jews and other ethnic minorities, deportations, and the closing of newspapers and universities occurred.
Alexander III was a Russian nationalist. He launched a campaign of Russification in the border districts.
Economic growth
Alexander III’s reign was also a period of international peace and stability. Not one war took place under his rule. So the economy slowly improved in the 1890s, mainly thanks to Alexander’s Minister of Finance Sergey Witte, who negotiated foreign capital and favourable loans from France.
Soon industrial output was soaring. The construction of the world’s longest Trans-Siberian Railway was begun in 1891.
Death
Despite many assassination attempts, Alexander III died of natural causes, leaving his older son Nicholas to reign as the last emperor of Russia.
Alexander III