December1825:TsarAlexanderI,thehammerofNapoleon,wasdead

Decemberistsseizedthemomenttorevoltagainstthenewczar,NicholasI
Therevolutionarieswantedanendtoserfdom,afreepressessentially,
thefoundationsofdemocracy
Nicholasrefused,openedfireonDecemberists
Sevenroundsemptiedthesquareofallbutthedeadandthewounded
IamEmperorBut,myGod,atwhataprice!Atthepriceofthebloodofmypeople.
IvanTurgenevchangedthepublicsmindaboutserfdom
SketchesFromaHuntersAlbum(1852),ananthologyofstoriespaintinga
pictureofthecrueltyoftheserfsmasters
Turgenevhousearrestedforhisviews
Nicholasdiedofpneumonia
SucceededbyAlexanderII
AlexanderIIthelastgreatczar
Introducedreformsineducation,judiciary,localgovernment,army
Biggestachievement:Alexanderoverturnedserfdomin1861,liberatingmillions
ofpeasantsfromcenturiesofslavery
NicknamedtheTsarLiberator
Slightproblem:Russianelitesdidntwanttogivethenewlyliberatedanyland
Serfswerentallthatbetteroffthantheywerebeforeinthatrespect
Alexanderpreachedg lasnost,oropenness
Easeduponcensorship
Allowedpeopletohaveavoiceinreform
Studentradicalswantedcompleteopennessasin,nomoreczar
Resortedtoviolence
PeoplesWillfirstmodernterroristorganization
SoughttokillAlexanderII(August1879)
Duringanassassinationattempt,theyfilledabombwithvialswithnitroglycerinandtried
tokilltheczarthatway
Whenthesmokecleared,20peoplehadbeenhurt,andthelowerhalfof
Alexander'sbodywasshattered.
Theczardied.
Theson,soontobeAlexanderIII,stopsreforminitstracks.
HetakesthelinethatRussianeedsstronggovernment
AlexanderIIIpresentedhimselfasastrongman
Heldhisautocraticregimetogetheralmostthroughforceofwill
Jailedpeople,closeddownnewspapers
ShlisselburgFortress
TheRussianBastille
Wherepoliticalprisonersweresenttobeforgotten
15executed,15diedofdisease,3committedsuicide,8wentinsane
OneprisonerattheFortresswasexecuted,influencedviewsofhisbrother,Lenin
ChurchoftheSaviouronTheSpilledBlood
 OpenedbyAlexIII
...despitethewholemodernizingRussiathing
Alexdies
SucceededbysonNicholas
Nicholaswasafatalist
HebelievedthatwhateverhappenedwasultimatelyGod'swill
Duringhisreign,morechurcheswerebuiltinRussiathanduringtheprecedingcentury
Aspeasantsbecamefactoryworkers,theybegantodemandbetterconditionsand
respectfromtheiremployers
BloodySunday
9thJanuary,1905
Soldiersfiredonprotestersand"atanybodywhotriedtostandupandgetaway
Especiallya ttheNarvaGate
TheTsar'sprestigehasbeenkilledherethatisthemeaningofthisday
Forayear,revolutionragedacrosstheEmpire
Nicholasfinallycavesandmakesconcessions
Hepromised:
freepress
rightofassembly
aconstitution
anelectiveassembly,theDuma,whoseapprovalwouldbeneededto
passlegislation
Nicholas'sfirstDumadidn'tlasttenweeks
Dissolvedit
UltimatelyfixedtheelectionstogetamorecompliantDuma
Heirtothethronecamein1904withbirthof5thchild,Alexei
However,come1907,Alexeistartshemorrhaging
BringsinGrigoriRasputin,amysticandholymanwho,itwassaid,hadhealingpowers
RasputintoAlexei:"YourpainisleavingyouyoumustthankGodforhealing
you.Now,gotosleep.
Rasputin'swordsappearedtomakeAlexeiinstantlybetter
Thosepresentfeltthattheyhadwitnessedamiracle
1914:NicholasentersWW1
Getsaninnervoicethattellshimtotakepersonalcommandofthearmy
WiththeTsarawayatthefront,apowervacuumwascreated,oneeagerlyfilledby
Rasputin
Russiasgreatestlovemachine
PlothatchedtokillRasputinbyPrinceFelix
Takesawhile
OnInternationalWomensDay,1917:thousandsofwomenfloodstreetstoprotest,
joiningforceswithstrikingworkers
Stopthewar!Feedthechildren! Endautocracy!
 Armiesbegintomutiny,breakintoweaponsfactories,setfiretopolice
stations
Toavoidcivilwar,Nicholasagreestoabdicate
ThemightypowerofthetsarflowedtoRussia'snewprovisionalgovernment
Lenin'sBolsheviksoverthrowtheprovisionalgovernment
Foundedanewmilitia:theRedArmy
1917:SovietbureaucracyagreesthatNicholasandhisfamilyshouldbekilledtoprevent
themfrombecomingarallyingpointfortheirenemies
KilledatYekaterinburgintheUralMountains
Aswellasbeingshotmultipletimes,membersofthefamilywerealso
bayoneted
TheregimethatfollowedNicholaswould,insomeways,resemblethatoftsaristrulewith
itsown"RedTsars"aroundwhomtheStaterevolved