Narodnaya Volya - Resort To Terrorism

Resort To Terrorism

As time went by, terrorism (by contemporary definitions) too became increasingly more important. A special place in the history of Narodnaya Volya belongs to its "terrorist faction", whose members — including Aleksandr Ulyanov (Lenin's older brother) — are also known as Pervomartovtsy. Narodnaya Volya prepared seven assassination attempts on the life of Tsar Alexander II (until they finally killed him), and later on that of Alexander III. Its terror frightened the government and persuaded it to make a few concessions. However, the regime soon realized that the people would not rise up in support of the revolutionaries, and this encouraged the Russian government to counterattack. In 1879–83, there were more than 70 trials of NV's members with about 2,000 people brought to trial (see Trial of the Fourteen). Narodnaya Volya's members were imprisoned or exiled. This was the end of the organization. The great irony of the Narodnaya Volya is that their aim was to save Russia from the autocracy, yet their assassination of Alexander II on 13 March 1881 perpetuated autocratic oppression. Alexander III would take no chances with reform or with liberal ideas. In many ways the Narodnaya Volya convinced the tsar that he must use an iron fist, not an unclenched hand, to save the monarchy.