Глава упражнение II

Crimean war directed the power of Russian society to fight against the external enemy, and therefore distracted people’s attention from the internal turmoil. As the war ended, this internal turmoil resulted in a number of violent acts not only against the highest officials, but against Alexander II as well. Attempts upon his life came one after the other: he was shot in the streets, an arrangement was made to blow up the railway line under his trains, and there even was an explosion in one of the halls of his Winter Palace in St. Petersburg. Nobody thought that all these attempts were coming from a small group of revolutionists who called themselves “National will”. It rather seemed that there was a large mysterious organization behind all of it. One additional fact led to the similar conclusion: there was a large number of dissatisfied people, who were eager to continue the reforms in the country. Relating a small terroristic group to the numerous opposition, the government took some extreme measures which fell down heavily upon the whole society. However this unusual severity didn't help and the revolution was not stopped. The society intimidated by repressions was agitated and irritated.