Alexander III Diplomacy
by Jon Hetts, Class of 2003
Alexander III became emperor of Russia after his father, Alexander II’s assassination in 1881. In reaction to his father’s assassination, Alexander III would viciously attack liberal and revolutionary activity, in contrast to his father’s approach of isolating one party by gaining the favor of the other. To repress all revolutionary and liberal activity, and to discontinue liberal reforms implemented by his father, Alexander III restored absolutism, a government of divine dictatorship which had not been carried out since the reign of Nicholas I. His fathers assassination left him seething and determined to suppress revolutionaries and liberalism in Russia, and erect a systematic Russification, stressing the principles of Eastern Orthodoxy and autocracy, imposing a unified Russian society, and attacking Western rationalism and liberalism. Alexander III’s totalitarianism and aspiration for a Great Russian Army ignited an Industrial Revolution, causing a massive boom in the economy in the mid 1880’s. The reforms implemented by Alexander III were focused on negating the "too liberal tendencies of the previous reign"1. Alexander II’s death signified the weakness of a constitutional government. Consequently Alexander III, seeing the evil of revolutionaries through the assassination of his father, and the greed of liberalist, would adopt opposite policies of his father, in attempts to crush the Western liberalism which his father had fashioned. In efforts to stamp out revolutionaries, Alexander III exiled revolutionary and terrorist groups, subsequently eliminating the group of intelligentsia (often nihilists) , the Peoples Will, who were responsible for his father’s death. Alexander III felt that the salvation of Russia lied within autocratic Eastern Orthodoxy, and a unified nationality, not within parliamentary institutions.
In efforts to save Russia from Western liberalism, Alexander III initiated a systematic Russification in which an established nationality was presented. To allude to his ideal nationality, he imposed the Russian language and a set religion on all Russian provinces, including Poles, Ukrainians, Lithuanians, Caucasians, German communities, and Muslim groups. Jews were persecuted and subjected to pogroms (an organized massacre of helpless people). Remnants of German, Swedish, and Polish institutions were destroyed in efforts to isolate one supreme nationality. Alexander III’s head layman, Pobiedonostsev was appointed chief official of Russification. Pobiedonostsev aspired to construct a Holy Russia composed of church communities yet his efforts failed as Russia inevitably became more accepted as a part of European civilization; producing great works of literature (Dostoyevsky, and Tolstoy) and art work (Chagall).
Internally, Alexander III’s policies aimed to counteract his fathers "excessive liberalism", and to bolster and concentrate the imperial administration under his control. Consequently the power and influence of the elected Zemstvos were restricted. He later decremented the sovereign institutions of the peasant communes and placed them under the control of governmentally chosen land proprietors.
In foreign affairs Alexander III was diplomatically peaceful, yet he strongly opposed doctrines of peace. He felt that in order to avert war, one nation most be economically and industrially prepared for war. Thus perpetuating a massive industrial revolution in the mid 1880’s in efforts to stabilize the economy, become part of the world market, and produce military artillery. Consequently European capital entered Russia which financed railway productions, coal mining, and factories. Alexander III revived the Three Emperors’ Alliance in order to avoid any conflicts with Germany. With affairs concerning Central Asia, he maintained a policy of gradually extending the power of Russia without inciting a conflict with Britain.
Alexander III died on the 1st of November 1894 and was succeeded by his son Nicholas II. In spite of his autocratic rule, Russia progressed significantly under his reign. His adoption of the Eastern Orthodoxy and autocracy gave uniformity to Russia, and eliminated revolutionary activity. The adoption of European capital further progressed the Industrial Revolution by financing railway production, resulting in better transportation of goods to other Russian and non-Russian areas, and by integrating Russia into the world market. This gave stability to Russian for it’s provinces and states could now easily obtain commercial products produced by Russia and the rest of Europe.
1. www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Tsar_Alexander_III