In the late nineteenth century there were several main threats to Tsarist authority. There were threats from revolutionary groups, the social democratic party, the peasants and urban workers, middle classes the ethnic groups. There were also threats of Foreign Aggression.
Tsarist authority between 1800 and 1900 went through many changes. In 1881 Alexander II was assassinated by "The Peoples Will", this then lead to the introduction of the repressive "temporary laws". The People's Will was the group that assassinated Alexander II. They did this because after October 1979, when the Land and Liberty split into two groups. The Land and Liberty group had been set up in 1876, after two Russian writers had published the book "Catechism of a Revolutionist". This book had a great affect on young Russians and it was then that the people who did support the views of the writers form the group. .
The members who favoured terrorism set up the People's Will the other members who did not join the People's Will set up the Black Repartition, which was a group the did not agree with terrorism and supported a social propaganda campaign among the workers and peasants. .
After the murder of his father, Alexander III tried to implement a policy of "Revolution from above". Alexander III put tighter censorship on Russian press, opposition groups were weakened by exile and arrest and the execution of Lenin's brother also took place as a result of Alexander's plan. Although he tried, Alexander did not succeed in extinguishing all potentially revolutionary activity and in 1833 the original Marxist group "The Emancipation of Labour" was formed by Plekhanov. Populist movements such as the Nardiniks evaded the secret police and functioned as underground groups. Alexander III reign was referred to by Edward Crankshaw as "The peace of the graveyard".
When Tsar Nicholas II came into power, soon after the death of his father Alexander III, he knew just how fragile his power was.