...wished could be, is important to assess Alexander III's significance in his own right.

Alexander and the Romanovs

Alexander III of Russia was born on 26th February 1845. Clumsy and gruff as a child, he grew up to be a man of great physical strength. Everything about him suggested imperial power. He was six feet four inches tall, broad and very strong. Stories circulated about Tsar Alexander bending (and then restraightening) iron fire pokers, crushing silver roubles in his fingers, and tearing packs of cards in half for the entertainment of his children, and about the occasion in 1888 when, after the imperial train was derailed by terrorists at Borki, he held up the wrecked carriage's roof on his shoulders while his family escaped. (It seems that Alexander's kidney disease dated back to this incident.) The first tsar to wear a full beard since the time of Peter the Great, whose Europeanising reforms changed fashions to such an extent that untrimmed facial hair had become a sign of a lack of western sophistication, Alexander suited the imperial Russian stereotype. He could be rude and blunt in conversation, and was terrifying when angry. He used foul language when frustrated and senior officials were intimidated by him, though they felt secure when working for him, partly because they were confident of his personal support and partly because Alexander's physical and personal strength heightened the sense of autocratic might surrounding him.

Alexander was the second son of Tsar Alexander II, and as such was not provided with the education necessary for an emperor. His tutor, Konstantin Pobedonostsev, neglected Alexander in his early years because he considered him unintelligent. Even when Alexander's brother, the Crown Prince Nikolai, died, Pobedonostsev waited until he was sure that the twenty-year-old Alexander was not going to be passed over for the succession before beginning his imperial education. Unsurprisingly, he displayed signs of his limited education long after being crowned Tsar in 1881.

A natural conservative, Alexander had a strong sense of morality and duty. He was never close to his father, and came to disapprove of him. In particular, he had been angry when Alexander II kept his mistress and second family in a suite on the floor above his wife's in the Winter Palace. Alexander III was heavily influenced by Konstantin Pobedonostsev, adviser to Alexander II and Chief Procurator of the Holy Synod from 1880. He turned his back on his father and on the reforms which Russia had begun since 1861. Indeed, in the last few years of Alexander II's reign, the Crown Prince became the centre of a court movement towards conservatism. Alexander also disapproved of Russia's foreign policy under his father, and demanded...

NOTE: All illustrations and photos have been removed from this article.



More articles from History Review
John Calvin the making of the reformer: Michael Mullett introduces the..., March 01, 2008
An approach to genocide: lessons from the Auschwitz Project: Robert Ca..., March 01, 2008
The 1950 and 1951 general elections in Britain: Robert Pearce asks why..., March 01, 2008
History: the long view: Amanda Forshaw advises how to approach 'Themes..., March 01, 2008
Hitler and the law, 1920-1945: Clive Pearson explains the process by w..., March 01, 2008

Looking for additional articles?
Search our database of over 3 million articles.

Looking for more in-depth information on this industry?
Search our complete database of Industry & Market reports by text, subject, publication name or publication date.

About Goliath
Whether you're looking for sales prospects, competitive information, company analysis or best practices in managing your organization, Goliath can help you meet your business needs.

Our extensive business information databases empower business professionals with both the breadth and depth of credible, authoritative information they need to support their business goals. Whether it be strategic planning, sales prospecting, company research or defining management best practices - Goliath is your leading source for accurate information.