Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 01.djvu/149

ALEXANDER ALEXANDER III., of Russia, son of Alexander II., was born March 10, 1845, and married the daughter of the King of Denmark in 1866. After his father's death, through fear of assassination, he shut himself up in his palace at Gatchina. His coronation was postponed till 1883. Through the fall of Merv, the subjugation of the Turkomans in Central Asia was completed. In European affairs, he broke away from the triple alliance between Russia, Germany, and Austria, and looked rather to France. His home policy was reactionary, though strong efforts were made to prevent malversation by officials, and stern economies were practiced. The liberties of the Baltic provinces and of Finland were curtailed, the Jews were oppressed, and old Russian orthodoxy was favored. Several Nihilist attempts were made on his life, and he kept himself practically a prisoner in his palace. He died at Livadia, Nov. 1, 1894.

ALEXANDER I., King of Scotland, the fourth son of Malcolm Canmore, was born about 1078, and in 1107 succeeded his brother, Edgar, only, however, to that part of the kingdom N. of the Firths of Forth and Clyde. He married Sibylla, a natural daughter of Henry I. of England, and his reign was comparatively untroubled. His determined resistance to the claims of York and Canterbury to supremacy over the see of St. Andrews did much to secure the independence, not only of the Scottish Church, but of Scotland itself. He died at Stirling in 1124.

ALEXANDER II., born at Haddington in 1198, succeeded his father, William the Lion, in 1214. He early displayed wisdom and strength of character. His entering into a league with the English barons against King John drew down upon him and his kingdom the papal excommunication; but two years later the ban was removed. On Henry III.'s accession to the English throne, Alexander brought the feuds of the two nations to a temporary close by a treaty of peace (1217), in accordance with which he married Henry's eldest sister, the Princess Joan (1221). The alliance thus established was broken after her death without issue (1238), and the second marriage of Alexander with the daughter of a noble of France. In 1244 Henry marched against Scotland, to compel Alexander's homage; but a peace was concluded without an appeal to arms. In 1249, while engaged in an expedition to wrest the Hebrides from Norway, Alexander died of fever on Kerrera, near Oban.

ALEXANDER III., King of Scotland, born in 1241, in 1249 succeeded his father, Alexander II., and in 1251 married the Princess Margaret (1240-1275), eldest daughter of Henry III. of England.' Very shortly after he had come of age he was called to defend his kingdom against the invasion of Haco, King of Norway (1263), whose utter rout at Largs secured to Alexander the allegiance both of the Hebrides and of the Isle of Man. The alliance between Scotland and Norway was strengthened in 1282 by King Eric's marriage to Alexander's only daughter, Margaret (1261-1283). His only surviving son died without issue in 1284; and next year Alexander contracted a second marriage with Joleta, daughter of the Count de Dreux. The hopes of the nation were soon after clouded by his untimely death in 1286.