What were the reasons for the decline of revolutionary populism?

The revolutionary popular movement did not find wide understanding among the masses. The radical measures taken by the Narodnaya Volya split their ranks. The assassination of Alexander II intensified their persecution by the authorities. Opponents of terrorist acts left the ranks of the People’s Will, disagreeing with their measures of struggle. The authorities defeated the Narodnaya Volya organizations. A new political force appeared in Russia – Marxism, which became popular among the working class. Many members of Narodnaya Volya joined this new trend.