Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Thursday, January 26
    Trending
    • Animated Map of the 2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine (through January 26th, 2023)
    • This Day in History on January 26th
    • History Short: Who is the Octomom?
    • This Day in History on January 25th
    • History Short: The Rise and Fall of Sir Walter Raleigh
    • Headline: The Doomsday Clock Has Moved Closer to Midnight Than Ever Before!
    • Headlines: 2023 Oscar Nominations Released!
    • This Day in History on January 24th
    History and Headlines
    • Arts & Entertainment
      • Cinema & TV
      • Games
      • Literature
      • Music
      • Sports
      • Video Games
    • Bizarre Bulletin
      • Misconceptions
      • The Bizarre
      • The Paranormal
      • The Unexplained
    • Lifestyle
      • Animals/Pets
      • Fashion
      • Food
      • Health/Medicine
      • Home Improvement
      • Horoscopes
      • Travel
    • Science & Tech
      • Inventions
      • Nature
      • Vehicles
    • Society
      • Business and Economics
      • Crime
      • Military
      • Politics
      • Religion
      • Society
    • About
      • Welcome to Our Site!
      • This Day in History
      • Table of Contents: A History of the World
      • Online History Textbooks
      • A Guide to Some of Our Favorite Scholars and Educators
      • Advance Screenings and Movie Reviews Archive
      • Schedule of Video Adaptations of Our Articles
    • Friends
      • Armchair History TV
      • Fact Fiend
      • RealClearHistory
      • Simply Charly
      • TopTenz
      • ​Unique Interpretations
    History and Headlines
    You are at:Home»Society»Crime»May 11, 1891: Assassination Attempt on Future Czar Nicholas II by Sword!
    Crime

    May 11, 1891: Assassination Attempt on Future Czar Nicholas II by Sword!

    Major DanBy Major DanMay 11, 2017Updated:May 10, 20212 Comments4 Mins Read
    Email Facebook LinkedIn Pinterest Reddit Telegram Tumblr Twitter VKontakte WhatsApp
    Nicholas II

    A Brief History

    On May 11, 1891, while paying a State visit to Lake Biwa, Otsu, Japan, heir to the throne of the Russian Empire Tsesarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich (the future Czar Nicholas II, Emperor of Russia) was attacked with a sword by one of the Japanese policemen escorting him, wounding the Tsesarevich.

    Digging Deeper

    Lucky for Nicholas his cousin, Prince George of Greece and Denmark (seriously, Greece and Denmark?  How did that happen?) was on the spot with his cane, with which he blocked the second sword strike, saving the life of Nicholas.  The first strike had landed on Nicholas’s forehead, causing a nasty cut that left a permanent scar, but was not life threatening.

    Tsesarevich Nicholas at Nagasaki.

    The would-be assassin, Tsuda Sanzo, attempted to flee, but was run down by a pair of rickshaw pullers (this stuff cannot be made up!) who tackled and captured Sanzo.  With some tension between Japan and Russia, the incident threatened to precipitate an International Incident that could possibly lead to war between the 2 countries, a war Japan was woefully ill prepared for.  Emperor Meijii and his staff immediately began damage control, catering to the every need of Nicholas and eliciting an outpouring of support by the Japanese public that included 10,000 telegrams wishing Nicholas well.  The Japanese public was so embarrassed by the attack that one town banned the names “Tsuda” and “Sanzo” and a girl slit her own throat in public to protest the dastardly murder attempt!  (Note: Tsuda is the Japanese family or “last” name, while “Sanzo” is the given or “first” name.)

    Tsuda Sanzo was convicted of attempted murder and despite government and public sentiment that he be put to death, he was given a sentence of life in prison by a judge eager to prove the independence of the Japanese judiciary.  (Sanzo died in prison of an illness later that year.)

    Prince Nicholas’s attacker Tsuda Sanzō

    The heroic rickshaw drivers were well rewarded by the Russians, with medals and monetary rewards.  The Japanese Foreign Minister and Japanese Home Minister were forced to resign in disgrace for failing to prevent the incident.

    In spite of all the efforts to minimize the diplomatic damage caused by the assassination attempt, Russia and Japan would indeed go to war in 1904-1905 while Nicholas II sat on the throne of Russia.  This war did not go well for the Russians, with American President Teddy Roosevelt eventually brokering a peace at the Treaty of Portsmouth, the first major victory by an Far East Asian power over a European power.

    Ratification of the Peace Treaty between Japan and Russia, November 25, 1905

    Unfortunately for Czar (can be spelled “Tsar”) Nicholas II, his reign would be cut short by the Russian Revolution when the Czar and his family were murdered by the Communists in 1918.

    Many national leaders and heirs apparent have survived assassination attempts over the years, including US Presidents.  Question for students (and subscribers): Which incidents of this type strike you as most interesting?  Please let us know in the comments section below this article.

    If you liked this article and would like to receive notification of new articles, please feel welcome to subscribe to History and Headlines by liking us on Facebook and becoming one of our patrons!

    Your readership is much appreciated!

    Historical Evidence

    For more information, please see…

    Radzinsky, Edvard.  The Last Tsar: The Life and Death of Nicholas II.  Anchor, 1993.

    The featured image in this article, a photograph of Russian Tsarivich Nicholas (future Tsar Nicholas II) at Nagasaki, 1891, is in the public domain in Japan because its copyright has expired according to Article 23 of the 1899 Copyright Act of Japan (English translation) and Article 2 of Supplemental Provisions of Copyright Act of 1970.  This is when the photograph meets one of the following conditions:

    1. It was published before January 1, 1957.
    2. It was photographed before January 1, 1947.

    It is also in the public domain in the United States because its copyright in Japan expired by 1970 and was not restored by the Uruguay Round Agreements Act.

    Share. Email Facebook LinkedIn Pinterest Reddit Telegram Twitter Tumblr
    Previous ArticleMay 10, 2013: New World Trade Center Rises from the Ashes of 9/11
    Next Article May 12, 2008: Largest Illegal Immigrant Raid in US History (Postville Raid)
    Major Dan

    Major Dan is a retired veteran of the United States Marine Corps. He served during the Cold War and has traveled to many countries around the world. Prior to his military service, he graduated from Cleveland State University, having majored in sociology. Following his military service, he worked as a police officer eventually earning the rank of captain prior to his retirement.

    Related Posts

    History Short: The Rise and Fall of Sir Walter Raleigh

    January 25, 2023

    Headline: The Doomsday Clock Has Moved Closer to Midnight Than Ever Before!

    January 24, 2023

    History Short: Who was the First National Leader Assassinated by Firearm?

    January 23, 2023
    Follow Us!
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Patreon
    Sign Up For Our Newsletter!
    Most Recent

    Animated Map of the 2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine (through January 26th, 2023)

    January 26, 2023

    This Day in History on January 26th

    January 26, 2023

    History Short: Who is the Octomom?

    January 26, 2023

    This Day in History on January 25th

    January 25, 2023

    History Short: The Rise and Fall of Sir Walter Raleigh

    January 25, 2023
    This Day in History Video

    Advertisements




    Amazon Affiliate Disclosure Statement

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases via links in the “Historical Evidence” sections of articles.

    About HistoryAndHeadlines.com

    Thanks for visiting History and Headlines!  This site exists primarily for educational purposes and is intended as a resource for Dr. Zar’s students.  Articles are mostly written by either Dr. Zar or his dad (Major Dan).  To any guest readers, please keep that in mind when commenting on articles.   Thank you!

    We try to present our students with historical topics that are both diverse and a bit out of the ordinary.  Our motto is “We try until we succeed!”

    Contact us at admin@historyandheadlines.com

    Guidelines and Policies for Images used on This Site, as well as for Guest and Sponsored Articles, and Other Terms of Use

    Privacy Statement

    © 2022 History and Headlines

    All-Time Most Commented

    July 28, 1866: 18 Year Old Girl Wins Commission to Sculpt Statue of Lincoln (A Truly Great American Woman)

    July 28, 2014

    December 24, 1865: Birth of the Ku Klux Klan

    December 24, 2015

    December 25, 1868: President Johnson Pardons all Confederate Veterans

    December 25, 2015

    February 5, 1909: First Plastic Invented was called Bakelite!

    February 5, 2014

    November 23, 1876: “Boss” Tweed Turned Over to Authorities

    November 23, 2013
    Recommended Book
    © 2023 ThemeSphere. Designed by ThemeSphere.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.

    You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings.

    History and Headlines
    Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

    Strictly Necessary Cookies

    Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

    If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.