Alexander II (1818-1881) was czar of Russia from 1855 to 1881 and a member of Romanov line of rulers. He succeeded his father, Nicholas I. Alexander is called the “czar liberator” because he freed Russia’s serfs in 1861. He also introduced local self-government and a court system based on French models. He modernized the Russian army and defeated the Ottoman Empire, which was based in what is now Turkey, in 1878 (see Russo-Turkish wars ). He was assassinated on March 13, 1881, by revolutionaries who thought he was too conservative. He was born on April 29, 1818. See also Russia (Alexander II) .
