Alexander II was the eldest son of his father, Emperor Nicholas I. Alexander II was born in Moscow, Russia on April 29, 1818 and died on March 13, 1881. From a young age, Alexander prepared to become emperor. Alexander had a private teacher named Vasily Zhukovsky, a famous Russian poet. Alexander learned to speak four new languages ​​other than Russian. Alexander gained a lot of knowledge through broad and in-depth training; he also underwent rigorous military training which permanently damaged his health. By the time he was nineteen, he was ready to finish his education, but there was one more thing he needed to do before touring Russia and Europe. Alexander traveled to Siberia, which is in northern Russia, a place no member of the royal family has ever been. During his travels, Alexander met his future wife, Princess Marie of Hesse, they married soon after and had eight children. Throughout his youth, Alexander worked in various military and government jobs, unlike his father. During Nicholas' absence, Alexander was entrusted with the duties of Russian emperor, or tsar. Alexander II ascended the throne after the death of his father. Alexander came to the throne in the middle of the Crimean War, where there was military conflict for Russia. Shortly after, Alexander signed the Treaty of Paris which ended the war. This war made Alexander understand that Russia was no longer a great military power. Some said that Russia's serfdom-based economy could no longer compete with industrialized countries like Britain and France. Alexander was debating whether or not to end serfdom in Russia. Alexander said: “It is better to abolish serfdom from above than to do it in the middle of paper by making them pay more than the value of their land. They are still losing valuable land that they could use more productively. The country's feelings towards Alexander II after his reign were said to be a mixture of happiness and sadness. Some would be happy to no longer have to deal with Alexander II, while others would be sad at the death of their emperor. Alexander II could have been a better emperor to his citizens if he had listened to their advice rather than doing what he desired (divine right). Works Cited1. http://russiapedia.rt.com/prominent-russians/the-romanov-dynasty/alexander-ii-liberator/2. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/14059/Alexander-II3. http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/RUSalexander2.htm4. http://www.dromo.info/alexanderiibio.htm5. http://www.notablebiographies.com/A-An/Alexander-II.html6. http://www.alexanderpalace.org/palace/AlexIIbio.html