Excerpts from Books and Wikipedia
"For some the tsar was the 'Great Liberator,' who emancipated the serfs in 1861, but for the People's Will he was another Romanov--exploiting the impoverished many for the parasitic few. Alexander II was aware of assassination attempts and was preparing reforms, including an elected Duma, to appease the opposition. . . . The People's Will was a few dozen young man, grouped into secret cells and obeying their leaders without question. Their aim was to destroy the state and return Russia to its people. The assassination of Alexander II was their most successful attack. . . . His successor tore up plans for a parliament. Henceforth, no tsar tried voluntarily to introduce reforms, and the revolutionary initiative passed to better organized and supported groups than the People's Will, with precise socialistic aims. Russia was on the high road to revolution." [Furtado: 1001 Days]