“A Merely Repressive Ruler”? Nicholas I 1825- 2855 “A Merely Repressive Ruler”?

The Succession 1825- Death of Alexander I Alexander had prepared a secret manifesto where he promoted Nicholas to be Tsar over his brother Constantine (who was next in line) Constantine had married a Polish Catholic which essentially removed him from the ability to rule because his children could not be heirs (and Constantine didn’t want to rule either) Alexander I’s death was rather mysterious (his coffin was empty…)

The Succession Nicholas opened the manifesto and for the first time discovered he was to be Tsar- he wasn’t brought up to be one Constantine was popular with the Guards, Nicholas was not Russian communication was farcical- Nicholas proclaimed Constantine to be Tsar, Constantine sent a letter renouncing it…their letters passed each other…and they kept sending letters In the end Nicholas decided to publish the secret manifesto and would become Tsar

The Day of the Revolt During Alexander’s reign a number of secret societies were created- some liberal in nature Some royal officers were members of the secret societies who wished to gain a constitution (inspiration seemed to come from Spain in the 1820’s) Alexander knew about the societies and there so called aims but action was not taken (it was under control…) The ludicrous succession after Alexander’s death seemed the ideal time to act by the societies

The Decembrist Revolt Dec. 14 1825 Nicholas is proclaimed Tsar and the royal guards swear their oath (St. Petersburg) The rebel guards gathered in the square and demanded that Constantine be maintained as Tsar Nicholas ordered a cavalry charge (in December…in Russia…on cobblestone…) 3 hours of fighting until Nicholas ordered an artillery volley- there ended the Decembrist Revolt.

Assessment of the Revolt Traditional aristocratic coup or a popular movement similar to revolutions across Europe Decembrists did not consider the masses in their aims, however they were obviously inspired by the end of the wars with Napoleon Regicide It was traditional in form but the intent was real change (even if there was no specific type of change in mind)

The Military Tsar Nicholas’s reign begins with the Decembrist Revolt and ends with the Crimean War…yikes Historiography argument- simply a repressive period or a time of progression in the arts, law and economy Unlike Alexander, who gave control of the empire to his advisors, Nicholas insisted on being in control of all affairs “duty to the fatherland”- strict standards to his own conduct and expected no less form anyone below him

Treatment of the Decembrists Shocked that the rebels came from the oldest and most respected noble families (royal guards) 3, 000 people arrested- 5 sentenced to death (which Alexander made illegal), 116 exiled to Siberia, the rest had to run the gauntlet (12 times through a thousand men) The exiled were never to return- not the custom Nicholas appeared to try and stop another revolt from occurring again- remedy abuse and mismanagement and limit the spread of foreign ideas

The Tsar’s Intentions Created the Imperial Chancery- the administrative body for the whole country- full of non- Russian advisors Had a mistrust of both the administration and the Russian nobility The Chancery was organized to deal with the issues Nicholas saw as problems in the country (the autocracy was not considered one of those problems of course) Section Two- codification of the Russian legal system (how Napoleonic)

The Chancery Section Three- monitor and regulate the activities of suspicious and harmful people Section Four- monitor and control education and charitable organizations Section Five- reorganize the administration of state peasants Nicholas dismissed many of Alexander’s more repressive ministers Seems rather ‘liberal’….

“it is not by means of insolent and impractical projects, which are destructive, but it is from above, that national institutions are gradually improved, defects remedied, and abuses reformed” - Nicholas I 1828