Alexander II has been the target of…

Alexander II has been the target of numerous assassination attempts (1866, 1879, 1880), despite his having maintained a generally liberal course since becoming emperor in 1855.

Alexander signs a manifesto, the Loris-Melikov constitution, on March 13, 1881, that would have created a national consultative assembly had he not been assassinated the same day by a member of the People’s Will secret society, an extremist offshoot of the narodniki (popular movement).

Alexander III succeeds his father and immediately repudiates the limited constitution signed by his father, then dismisses the more progressive ministers.