1. NICHOLAS I: THE IRON TSAR

2. UNFULFILLED EXPECTATIONS  Russia’s first revolutionary movement: DECEMBRISTS  NORTHERN SOCIETY & SOUTHERN SOCIETY  Wanted liberal reform  Start plotting coup

3. NICHOLAS I: THE IRON TSAR DECEMBRIST REVOLT  Confusion over succession  Next in line = Constantine – but gave up right to throne  Nicholas designated heir  But Alexander died before making decision public Constantine Pavlovich

4. NICHOLAS I: THE IRON TSAR DECEMBRIST REVOLT  Decembrists take advantage of confusion  Want to force tsar to accept constitution  Tell troops Nicholas suppressing order for reduction of service term  3000 rebels gather on Senate Square

5. NICHOLAS I: THE IRON TSAR DECEMBRIST REVOLT  Nicholas faced with open rebellion  Tried to negotiate, but failed  Orders guards to open fire  Crack-down on revolutionaries  600 arrests, 100 exiled, 5 leaders executed  Many wives follow exiled husbands to Siberia  All become martyrs – extremely significant for future revolutionaries

6. NICHOLAS I: THE IRON TSAR NICHOLAS I (r. 1825-1855)  Firm, determined, iron-willed, single-minded  Not educated in enlightenment ideas  Most comfortable in military milieu

7. NICHOLAS I: THE IRON TSAR NICHOLAS I (r. 1825-1855)  Involved in all aspects of rule  Rule centered on militarism & bureaucracy  Created His Majesty’s Own Chancery to carry out orders  2 nd Dept. codified system of law  3 rd Dept. = personal secret police  4 th Dept. = charity & education  5 th Dept. = state peasants

8. NICHOLAS I: THE IRON TSAR NICHOLAS I (r. 1825-1855)  Wanted to strictly control subjects  Censorship, spying, education  Became increasingly conservative  Crack down on all opposition  Led to increased discontent  OFFICIAL NATIONALITY  ORTHODOXY  AUTOCRACY  NATIONALITY Count Sergei Uvarov

9. NICHOLAS I: THE IRON TSAR NICHOLAS I (r. 1825-1855)  CRIMEAN WAR (1854-1855)  Great Powers concerned about Eastern Question  All want piece of crumbling Ottoman Empire  Russia & Turkey go to war  British & French intervene to prevent Russian victory  Russians badly defeated  Nicholas dies 1855