Alexander
Romanov,
the second son of Tsar Alexander II,
was born in St. Petersburg on 26th February, 1845. As a young man
he was openly critical of his father's attempts to reform the political
system.
In 1866
Alexander married Princess Marie Dagmar, the daughter of King Kristian
IX of Denmark and sister of Queen Alexandra of Britain.
Alexander
became Tsar of Russia on the assassination of Alexander
II in 1881. He immediately cancelled his father's plans to introduce
a representative assembly and announced he had no intention of limiting
his autocratic power.
During
his reign Alexander followed a repressive policy against those seeking
political reform and persecuted other Jews and others who were not
members of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Alexander also pursued a policy of Russification of national minorities.
This included imposing the Russian language and Russian schools on
the German, Polish and Finnish peoples living in the Russian Empire.
Despite
several assassination attempts Alexander died a natural death on 20th
October, 1894. He was succeeded by his son Nicholas
II. Moscow on 17th April, 1818.
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