Alexander II.

Alexander III. Telegram to Grand Duchess Marie, 1 page, folio, in French, St Petersburg, 13 March 1881, 3.10pm, announcing the (fatal) attempt on Alexander II's life: "Nouvel attentat Papa très gravement blessé conseille arriver au plus vite"

a highly personal announcement by alexander iii to his sister of their father's fatal wounding. The first of five assassination attempts was made on the life of Alexander II in 1866 by Dmitry Karakazov, followed by another attempt by an individual, Alexander Soloviev in April 1879. In December of the same year and in February 1880 a radical revolutionary group, Narodnaya Volya, attempted to blow up the Tsar. Following these last attempts Count Loris-Melikov was charged with powers to fight the revolutionaries and drew up proposals to form a parliamentary body. Although Alexander II appeared to agree to these plans, they were never put into operation as on 13 March 1881 Alexander was mortally wounded by hand-made grenades thrown at him as he drove near the Winter Palace. He died a few hours after the attack.