1. The Age of Reform and the Nihilists 1855-1881

2. Alexander II 29 April 1818–13 March 1881 Reigned from 3 March 1855 until his assassination in 1881 Grand Duke of Finland and King of Poland

3. Marriage 16 April 1841 Princess Marie of Hesse, thereafter known in Russia as Maria Alexandrovna

4. Alexander’s Reign Crimean War (1853– 1856) Britain and France invade Crimea

5. The Nihilists The Nihilist Arrested

6. Positivism: the influence of sciene Begins in the 1840s as a response to the ills of society undergoing industrial revolution Karl Marx: economics August Comte: philosophy Taine: race, milieu and moment as defining features of art Darwin: evolution Positivism = the application of scientific method to society and social problems

7. Nihilist movement Nihilists espoused the ideas of social progress Term becomes current with Turgenev’s Fathers and Sons (1862) where the hero Bazarov declares himself a nihilist Medical training; denies emotions, religion, sentiment Unsuccessful relationship, then gets sick and dies

8. Nikolai Chernyshevsky (1828-1889) Arrested in 1862 Writes What is to be done? (pub. 1863) in Saints Peter and Paul Fortress in St Petersburg Revolutionary theme of women’s liberation, free love Revolutionary hero leads ascetic life Book highly influential on Lenin

9. Chernyshevsky’s program Overthrow of Tsarist regime Class warfare, revolution Atheism Communism Women’s liberation Free relations between sexes Creation of sewing circles to save girls from prostitution

10. Populism and terror Narodnik movement of 1860s and 1870s 1874 Young people went out into the countryside to propagate revolution among the peasants Movement suppressed by the police, replaced by Narodnaya volya – terrorist organization Group suppressed after Alexander’s assassination, replaced by other groups including the Socialist Revolutionaries (SR) 1887 Lenin’s brother Aleksandr Ulianov hanged after attempt on life of Alexander III

11. Mihály Zichy, Coronation of Tsar Alexander II and the Empress Maria Alexandrovna Coronation – September 7, 1856 Great national debate in wake of defeat Serfdom Law reform Industrial development begins, especially railways

12. The Tsar-Liberator

13. Emancipation of the serfs 3 March 1861 Emancipation Manifesto was signed and published Peasants set free, but had to compensate landowners

14. Other Reforms Local Self-Government (Zemstvo) for the rural districts (1864) and the large towns (1870) Army and navy reorganization (1874) Reforms in education

15. Suppression of national movements January Uprising in Poland (1863-1864) Martial Law in Lithuania Polish-Lithuanian territories were excluded from liberal policies 1876 Ems ukaz banning Ukrainian language Polonia (1864) by Jan Matejko

16. Assassination attempts April 4, 1866 by Dmitry Karakozov 20 April, 1879 by Alexander Solovyov December 1879 5 February 1880

17. Assassination 13 March (1 March Old Style), 1881

18. The Church of the Saviour on the Blood