Alexander III of Russia

"I have power [Alexander II] never dreamed of. You can strike at me a thousand times and you will never succeed."

―Alexander III to Nikolai Orelov, 1888.

Alexander III Alexandrovich (Russian: Александр III Александрович; 1845 – 1894), born Alexander Alexandrovich Romanov, was the Tsar of Russia from 13 March 1881 until his death in 1894. He was also known as "Alexander the Peacemaker" due to the peace his rule heralded with his European and Asian neighbors, though this peace was often at the expense of the working class and peasantry.

Biography

Early life

Alexander was born on 10 March 1845 in Saint Petersburg as the second son of Tsar Alexander II and Princess Marie of Hesse. As Alexander's elder brother Nicholas was expected to be the next Tsar, Alexander was instead trained and educated to become an ordinary Grand Duke. As a result, he learned French, English, and German, and gained an amount of military insight.

Rise to power

"Russia has made some very powerful friends. She will be a new Eden on Earth."

―Alexander, regarding his Templar allies.

In 1865, Nicholas suddenly died from an illness, and Alexander was made the new heir. Before his death, Nicholas had asked that Alexander marry his bride, the Danish Princess Dagmar. On 9 November 1866, Alexander wed Dagmar, forming a happy marriage. Alexander was then forced to study the principles of law and administration under Konstantin Pobedonostsev, who soon realized that Alexander had little interest in abstract or intellectual studies, instead believing that Russian Orthodox thought was essential for Russian patriotism and every Tsar.

Likely around this time, Alexander became an ally to the Templar Order, just as his father had been. In time, he was entrusted with a Staff of Eden, using it as the Imperial Sceptre. On 13 March 1881, Alexander's father was killed by the Assassins, who strove to free Russia from local Templar control. Alexander succeeded his father as Tsar, vowed to not have the same fate befall him, and began arresting the Russian Assassins.

On 1 March 1887, another group of Assassins—among which were Aleksandr Ulyanov, Pakhomiy Andreyushkin, Vasili Generalov, Vasili Osipanov, Petr Shevyrev, and Bronisław Piłsudski—planned Alexander's death, though Alexander's secret police learned of the plot and arrested them. Piłsudski and some others were pardoned by Alexander, but the rest were hanged on 20 May.

Borki train disaster

"I pray that you have children, Assassin, for once I have finished with you I will see them thrown into the Neva."

―Alexander to Nikolai Orelov during their fight.

Alexander approaching Nikolai from behind

On 29 October 1888, Alexander and his family travelled from Crimea to Saint Petersburg on a high speed train. As the train would pass through open countryside, the Assassin Order saw this as an opportune time to strike, though they were under the impression that Alexander was travelling alone.

At the Mentor's personal request, the Assassin Nikolai Orelov was sent to strike Alexander aboard the train. After catching up to the train on horseback, he leapt aboard and quietly infiltrated a cabin. After silently dispatching the guards, Nikolai drew his rifle and entered the dining car, where Alexander supposedly was, but found only the Tsar's family. Alexander sneaked up from behind the Assassin and attacked him.

A fight between the two started, with the physically imposing Tsar holding a significant advantage over the younger Nikolai. The Assassin only managed to inflict a minor wound to Alexander's abdomen, though this injury would later result in the kidney failure that caused Alexander's death. As a result of the struggle, the train derailed from the tracks. After the crash tore apart many of the train cars, Alexander struggled to hold the remains on his shoulders, in order for his family to escape.

While doing so, he noticed Nikolai lying a few yards away from him and attacked the Assassin. While Nikolai was recovering from the attacks, Alexander carried a box out of the rubble and opened it, revealing the Staff of Eden. He asked the Assassin whether the artifact was what he was looking for, and tauntingly threw it into Nikolai's hands, daring his opponent to attack him with it.

Alexander throwing the Staff of Eden to Nikolai

Alexander was faster with his attack, but suffered a blow to the head with the Staff nonetheless. He managed to disarm the Assassin and punched him to the ground, who in turn showed his Hidden Blade, ready to attack. Alexander pinned Nikolai's blade arm with his foot, and readied to kill the Assassin with the Staff, when the Imperial guard called out for him, saying that his family awaited him.

Alexander spared Nikolai's life, to avoid having his children witness the death, and so the Assassin could report his failure. Alexander and his family returned to Saint Petersburg by carriage, continuing on to Kazan Cathedral, where their survival was celebrated; so much so that university students wanted to unharness the carriage and pull it by hand.

Later life

Following his altercation with Nikolai Orelov, Alexander developed nephritis, or an inflammation of the kidney. This ultimately led to his death on 1 November 1894, in Livadia Palace. Afterwards, Alexander's remains were interred at the Peter and Paul Fortress in Saint Petersburg, and his eldest son Nicholas II succeeded him.

Personality and traits

"How weak you are, little man! [...] You should be ashamed to call yourself Russian!"

―Alexander to Nikolai Orelov.

Alexander lifting the train car during the Borki train disaster

Personality-wise, Alexander was very different from his soft-hearted, liberal father. He was more straightforward and direct in his expressions, and moved roughly and sluggishly, in accordance with his immense physical strength.

Alexander strongly believed in centralized power, and ambitiously strove to transform the Russian Empire into a "new Eden" under the Romanov's autocratic rule. He constantly repressed the emergence of popularist movements and emphasized the imperial family's authority.

To the Assassins, Alexander's rule would unnecessarily strengthen the Russian autocracy instead of balance it, as they had hoped. He remained a constant threat to them throughout his reign, and many of their attempts at political reform failed during his time on Russia's throne. As a target, however, they acknowledged the Tsar to be a "formidable man."

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: The Fall (first appearance)
• Assassin's Creed: Initiates (mentioned in Database entry only)
• Assassin's Creed: Syndicate (indirect mention only)