1 internal policy of Nicholas I. Working with the Historian's Judgment

Therefore, he could not count on the throne, which determined the direction of his upbringing and education. From an early age he was interested in military affairs, especially its external side, and was preparing for a military career.

In 1817, Grand Duke Nikolai Pavlovich married the daughter of the Prussian king, who in Orthodoxy received the name Alexandra Fedorovna. They had 7 children, the eldest of whom was the future Emperor Alexander II.

In 1819, Emperor Alexander I informed Nicholas of the intention of their brother Konstantin Pavlovich to renounce his right of succession to the throne, and accordingly, power would have to pass to Nicholas. In 1823, Alexander I issued a Manifesto proclaiming Nikolai Pavlovich heir to the throne. The manifesto was a family secret and was not published. Therefore, after the sudden death of Alexander I in 1825, confusion arose with the accession to the throne of a new monarch.

The oath to the new Emperor Nicholas I Pavlovich was scheduled for December 14, 1825. On the same day, the “Decembrists” planned an uprising with the goal of overthrowing autocracy and demanding the signing of the “Manifesto to the Russian People,” which proclaimed civil liberties. Informed, Nicholas postponed the oath to December 13, and the uprising was suppressed.

Domestic policy of Nicholas I

From the very beginning of his reign, Nicholas I declared the need for reforms and created a “committee on December 6, 1826” to prepare changes. “His Majesty’s Own Office” began to play a major role in the state, which was constantly expanded by creating many branches.

Nicholas I instructed a special commission led by M.M. Speransky to develop a new Code of Laws of the Russian Empire. By 1833, two editions had been printed: “The Complete Collection of Laws of the Russian Empire,” starting from the Council Code of 1649 and until the last decree of Alexander I, and “The Code of Current Laws of the Russian Empire.” The codification of laws carried out under Nicholas I streamlined Russian legislation, facilitated legal practice, but did not bring changes to the political and social structure of Russia.

Emperor Nicholas I was an autocrat in spirit and an ardent opponent of the introduction of a constitution and liberal reforms in the country. In his opinion, society should live and act like a good army, regulated and by laws. The militarization of the state apparatus under the auspices of the monarch is a characteristic feature of the political regime of Nicholas I.

He was extremely suspicious of public opinion; literature, art, and education came under censorship, and measures were taken to limit the periodical press. Official propaganda began to extol unanimity in Russia as a national virtue. The idea “The people and the Tsar are one” was dominant in the education system in Russia under Nicholas I.

According to the “theory of official nationality” developed by S.S. Uvarov, Russia has its own path of development, does not need the influence of the West and should be isolated from the world community. The Russian Empire under Nicholas I received the name “gendarme of Europe” for protecting peace in European countries from revolutionary uprisings.

In social policy, Nicholas I focused on strengthening the class system. In order to protect the nobility from “clogging,” the “December 6 Committee” proposed establishing a procedure according to which nobility was acquired only by right of inheritance. And for service people to create new classes - “officials”, “eminent”, “honorary” citizens. In 1845, the emperor issued a “Decree on Majorates” (indivisibility of noble estates during inheritance).

Serfdom under Nicholas I enjoyed the support of the state, and the tsar signed a manifesto in which he stated that there would be no changes in the situation of serfs. But Nicholas I was not a supporter of serfdom and secretly prepared materials on the peasant issue in order to make matters easier for his followers.

Foreign policy of Nicholas I

The most important aspects of foreign policy during the reign of Nicholas I were the return to the principles of the Holy Alliance (Russia's struggle against revolutionary movements in Europe) and the Eastern Question. Russia under Nicholas I participated in the Caucasian War (1817-1864), the Russian-Persian War (1826-1828), the Russian-Turkish War (1828-1829), as a result of which Russia annexed the eastern part of Armenia , the entire Caucasus, received the eastern shore of the Black Sea.

During the reign of Nicholas I, the most memorable was the Crimean War of 1853-1856. Russia was forced to fight against Turkey, England, and France. During the siege of Sevastopol, Nicholas I was defeated in the war and lost the right to have a naval base on the Black Sea.

The unsuccessful war showed Russia's backwardness from advanced European countries and how unviable the conservative modernization of the empire turned out to be.

Nicholas I died on February 18, 1855. Summing up the reign of Nicholas I, historians call his era the most unfavorable in the history of Russia, starting with the Time of Troubles.

The reign of Nicholas 1 lasted from December 14, 1825 to February 1855. This emperor has an amazing fate, but it is noteworthy that the beginning and end of his reign are characterized by important political events in the country. Thus, Nicholas’s rise to power was marked by the Decembrist uprising, and the death of the emperor occurred during the days of the defense of Sevastopol.

Beginning of reign

Speaking about the personality of Nicholas 1, it is important to understand that initially no one prepared this man for the role of Emperor of Russia. This was the third son of Paul 1 (Alexander - the eldest, Konstantin - the middle and Nikolai - the youngest). Alexander the First died on December 1, 1825, leaving no heir. Therefore, according to the laws of that time, power came to the middle son of Paul 1 - Constantine. And on December 1, the Russian government swore allegiance to him. Nicholas himself also took the oath of allegiance. The problem was that Constantine was married to a woman of no noble family, lived in Poland and did not aspire to the throne. Therefore, he transferred authority to manage to Nicholas the First. Nevertheless, 2 weeks passed between these events, during which Russia was virtually without power.

It is necessary to note the main features of the reign of Nicholas 1, which were characteristic of his character traits:

• Military education. It is known that Nikolai poorly mastered any science except military science. His teachers were military men and almost everyone around him were former military personnel. It is in this that one must look for the origins of the fact that Nicholas 1 said “In Russia everyone must serve,” as well as his love for the uniform, which he forced everyone, without exception, in the country to wear.
• Decembrist revolt. The first day of power of the new emperor was marked by a major uprising. This showed the main threat that liberal ideas posed to Russia. Therefore, the main task of his reign was precisely the fight against the revolution.
• Lack of communication with Western countries. If we consider the history of Russia, starting from the era of Peter the Great, then foreign languages ​​were always spoken at court: Dutch, English, French, German. Nicholas 1 stopped this. Now all conversations were conducted exclusively in Russian, people wore traditional Russian clothes, and traditional Russian values ​​and traditions were promoted.

Many history textbooks say that the Nicholas era was characterized by reactionary rule. Nevertheless, governing the country in those conditions was very difficult, since all of Europe was literally mired in revolutions, the focus of which could shift towards Russia. And this had to be fought. The second important point is the need to resolve the peasant issue, where the emperor himself advocated the abolition of serfdom.

Changes within the country

Nicholas 1 was a military man, so his reign was associated with attempts to transfer army orders and customs to everyday life and government of the country.

There is clear order and subordination in the army. The laws apply here and there are no contradictions. Everything here is clear and understandable: some command, others obey. And all this to achieve a single goal. This is why I feel so comfortable among these people.

Nicholas the First

This phrase best emphasizes what the emperor saw in order. And it was precisely this order that he sought to introduce into all government bodies. First of all, in the Nicholas era there was a strengthening of police and bureaucratic power. According to the emperor, this was necessary to fight the revolution.

On July 3, 1826, the III Department was created, which performed the functions of the highest police. In fact, this body kept order in the country. This fact is interesting because it significantly expands the powers of ordinary police officers, giving them almost unlimited power. The third department consisted of about 6,000 people, which was a huge number at that time. They studied the public mood, observed foreign citizens and organizations in Russia, collected statistics, checked all private letters, and so on. During the second stage of the emperor's reign, Section 3 further expanded its powers, creating a network of agents to work abroad.

Systematization of laws

Even in the era of Alexander, attempts to systematize laws began in Russia. This was extremely necessary, since there were a huge number of laws, many of them contradicted each other, many were only in a handwritten version in the archive, and the laws had been in force since 1649. Therefore, before the Nicholas era, judges were no longer guided by the letter of the law, but rather by general orders and worldview. To solve this problem, Nicholas 1 decided to turn to Speransky, who was given the authority to systematize the laws of the Russian Empire.

Speransky proposed carrying out all the work in three stages:

1. Collect in chronological order all the laws issued from 1649 until the end of the reign of Alexander 1.
2. Publish a set of laws currently in force in the empire. This is not about changes in laws, but about considering which of the old laws can be repealed and which cannot.
3. The creation of a new “Code”, which was supposed to amend the current legislation in accordance with the current needs of the state.

Nicholas 1 was a terrible opponent of innovation (the only exception was the army). Therefore, he allowed the first two stages to take place and categorically prohibited the third.

The work of the commission began in 1828, and in 1832 the 15-volume Code of Laws of the Russian Empire was published. It was the codification of laws during the reign of Nicholas 1st that played a huge role in the formation of Russian absolutism. In fact, the country has not changed radically, but has received real structures for quality management.

Policy regarding education and enlightenment

Nicholas believed that the events of December 14, 1825 were connected with the educational system that was built under Alexander. Therefore, one of the first orders of the emperor in his post happened on August 18, 1827, in which Nicholas demanded that the charters of all educational institutions in the country be revised. As a result of this revision, any peasants were prohibited from entering higher educational institutions, philosophy as a science was abolished, and supervision of private educational institutions was strengthened. This work was supervised by Shishkov, who holds the position of Minister of Public Education. Nicholas 1 absolutely trusted this man, since their basic views converged. At the same time, it is enough to consider just one phrase from Shishkov to understand what the essence was behind the education system of that time.

Sciences are like salt. They are useful and can only be enjoyed if given in moderation. People should be taught only the kind of literacy that corresponds to their position in society. Educating all people without exception will undoubtedly do more harm than good.

A.S. Shishkov

The result of this stage of government is the creation of 3 types of educational institutions:

1. For the lower classes, single-class education was introduced, based on parish schools. People were taught only 4 operations of arithmetic (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division), reading, writing, and the laws of God.
2. For the middle classes (merchants, townspeople, and so on) three-year education. Additional subjects included geometry, geography and history.
3. For the upper classes, seven-year education was introduced, the receipt of which guaranteed the right to enter universities.

The solution to the peasant question

Nicholas 1 often said that the main task of his reign was the abolition of serfdom. However, he was unable to directly solve this problem. It is important to understand here that the emperor was faced with his own elite, who were categorically against this. The issue of the abolition of serfdom was extremely complex and extremely acute. One only has to look at the peasant uprisings of the 19th century to understand that they occurred literally every decade, and their strength increased each time. Here, for example, is what the head of the third department said.

Serfdom is a powder charge under the building of the Russian Empire.

OH. Benckendorff

Nicholas the First himself also understood the significance of this problem.

It is better to start changes on your own, gradually, carefully. We need to start at least with something, because otherwise, we will wait for changes to come from the people themselves.

Nikolay 1

A secret committee was created to solve peasant problems. In total, in the Nicholas era, 9 secret committees met on this issue. The greatest changes affected exclusively the state peasants, and these changes were superficial and insignificant. The main problem of giving peasants their own land and the right to work for themselves has not been resolved. In total, during the reign and work of 9 secret committees, the following problems of the peasants were resolved:

• Peasants were forbidden to sell
• It was forbidden to separate families
• Peasants were allowed to buy real estate
• It was forbidden to send old people to Siberia

In total, during the reign of Nicholas 1, about 100 decrees were adopted that related to the solution of the peasant issue. It is here that one must look for the basis that led to the events of 1861 and the abolition of serfdom.

Relations with other countries

Emperor Nicholas 1 sacredly honored the “Holy Alliance,” an agreement signed by Alexander 1 on Russian assistance to countries where uprisings began. Russia was the European gendarme. In essence, the implementation of the “Holy Alliance” did not give Russia anything. The Russians solved the problems of the Europeans and returned home with nothing.

Reign of Nicholas 1

In July 1830, the Russian army was preparing to march to France, where the revolution took place, but events in Poland disrupted this campaign. A major uprising broke out in Poland, led by Czartoryski. Nicholas 1 appointed Count Paskevich as commander of the army for the campaign against Poland, who defeated the Polish troops in September 1831. The uprising was suppressed, and the autonomy of Poland itself became almost formal.

In the period from 1826 – 1828. During the reign of Nicholas I, Russia was drawn into a war with Iran. Her reasons were that Iran was dissatisfied with the peace of 1813 when they lost part of their territory. Therefore, Iran decided to take advantage of the uprising in Russia to regain what it had lost. The war began suddenly for Russia, however, by the end of 1826, Russian troops completely expelled the Iranians from their territory, and in 1827 the Russian army went on the offensive. Iran was defeated, the existence of the country was under threat. The Russian army cleared its way to Tehran. In 1828, Iran offered peace. Russia received the khanates of Nakhichevan and Yerevan. Iran also pledged to pay Russia 20 million rubles. The war was successful for Russia; access to the Caspian Sea was won.

As soon as the war with Iran ended, the war with Turkey began. The Ottoman Empire, like Iran, wanted to take advantage of the visible weakness of Russia and regain some of the previously lost lands. As a result, the Russian-Turkish War began in 1828. It lasted until September 2, 1829, when the Treaty of Adrianople was signed. The Turks suffered a brutal defeat that cost them their position in the Balkans. In fact, with this war, Emperor Nicholas 1 achieved diplomatic submission to the Ottoman Empire.

In 1849, Europe was in revolutionary flames. Emperor Nicholas 1, fulfilling the allied dog, in 1849 sent an army to Hungary, where within a few weeks the Russian army unconditionally defeated the revolutionary forces of Hungary and Austria.

Emperor Nicholas 1 paid great attention to the fight against revolutionaries, keeping in mind the events of 1825. For this purpose, he created a special office, which was subordinate only to the emperor and conducted only activities against revolutionaries. Despite all the efforts of the emperor, revolutionary circles in Russia were actively developing.

The reign of Nicholas 1 ended in 1855, when Russia was drawn into a new war, the Crimean War, which ended sadly for our state. This war ended after the death of Nicholas, when the country was ruled by his son, Alexander 2.

TOPIC 48.

INTERNAL POLITICS OF RUSSIA IN THE SECOND QUARTER OF THE 19TH CENTURY.

1. Basic political principles of Nicholas's reign

Second quarter of the 19th century. entered the history of Russia as the “Nicholas era” or even “the era of the Nikolaev reaction.” The most important slogan of Nicholas I, who spent 30 years on the Russian throne, was: “The revolution is on the threshold of Russia, but, I swear, it will not penetrate it as long as the breath of life remains in me.” Nicholas I, although distinguished, like his father and older brother, by an exaggerated love of parades and military drills, was a capable and energetic person who understood the need to reform Russia. However, the fear of revolution caused by the Decembrist uprising and the growth of the revolutionary movement in Europe forced him to shy away from deep reforms and pursue a protective policy that ended in collapse during the Crimean War.

2. Codification of laws

In the first years of the reign of Nicholas I, work was organized to codify Russian laws. A single set of laws was last adopted in Russia in 1649. Since then, thousands of legislative acts have accumulated, often contradicting each other. The work of compiling a code of laws was entrusted to a group of lawyers led by M.M. Speransky. All Russian laws issued after 1649 have been collected and arranged in chronological order. They compiled 47 volumes of the Complete Collection of Laws of the Russian Empire. In 1832, the 15-volume Code of Laws of the Russian Empire was published, which included all current laws. The publication of the Code made it possible to streamline the activities of the state apparatus.

3. Political investigation and censorship

In an effort to prevent the spread of revolutionary ideas and organizations in Russia, Nicholas I first of all significantly strengthened the repressive authorities. A special corps of gendarmes was created headed by A.Kh. Benkendorf, and later - A.F. Orlov. The whole country was divided into gendarmerie districts headed by gendarmerie generals, who were supposed to identify and suppress sedition.

The activities of the gendarmes were directed by the special III Department of His Imperial Majesty's own Chancellery. The III Department was first headed by the same Benkendorf, and then by L.V. Dubelt. Section III was not numerous, but had a wide network of agents, with the help of which it was in charge of collecting information about the mood in society, monitoring suspicious people, reading letters, and managing censorship.

Censorship regulations changed several times during the reign of Nicholas I, sometimes becoming stricter, sometimes softening somewhat, but in general the censorship policy was aimed at strangling free thought and any dissent.

Censors were obliged to ban any edition, any publication if they saw even the slightest hint of criticism of the autocratic way of government or the Orthodox religion. Natural science and philosophical books that contradicted Orthodox dogma were prohibited. Even such a loyal writer as Thaddeus Bulgarin complained about the cruelty of censorship, saying that “instead of prohibiting writing against the government, censorship prohibits writing about the government and in favor of it.” Curiosities arose, as in the case when the censor prohibited the exclamation “These seem to be the pillars of the power of Russia!” addressed to the columns of St. Isaac's Cathedral. The censor's remark read: "The pillars of Russia are ministers."

4. The Polish question and domestic politics

The desire of Nicholas I to strictly control the ideological life of society intensified even more after an uprising broke out in Poland in 1830, caused by a violation of the constitution granted by Alexander I. The uprising was brutally suppressed, the Polish constitution was abolished. From that time on, discrimination against Poles began, which did not stop until the very end of the autocracy in Russia. The influence of the Polish uprising on the internal political situation in Russia was associated with Nicholas I's increased fear of revolution.

5. Education system

Concerned about preserving loyal views in society and the people, the authorities constantly tightened school regulations. It was strictly forbidden to admit serfs into higher and secondary educational institutions. People of the “lower ranks” were supposed to receive education primarily in one-class parochial schools, where they taught the basic skills of reading, counting, writing and the law of God. There were three-grade schools for townspeople, and seven-grade gymnasiums only for nobles. Only the gymnasium program, which included literature, ancient languages, history, as well as mathematics and physics, made it possible to enter the university. True, there was a procedure for passing exams externally, which opened the way to universities for people who had not graduated from high school. The rights of universities were curtailed with the introduction of the new university charter of 1835.

In the 30s educational institutions' programs were revised. Teaching of natural sciences and mathematics was reduced in favor of ancient languages ​​(Latin and Church Slavonic). Modern history and literature were not taught at all in order to avoid arousing “harmful thoughts.”

The state sought to unify the system of educational institutions and opposed home education and private schools, since it could not control them in the same way as state-owned gymnasiums and schools.

6. Ideology. The theory of official nationality

In an effort to resist revolutionary and liberal ideas, the autocracy resorted not only to repression. The king understood that views can only be opposed by other views. The official ideology of Nikolaev Russia became the so-called. "the theory of official nationality". Its creator was the Minister of Education, Count S.S. Uvarov. The basis of the theory was the “Uvarov trinity”: Orthodoxy - autocracy - nationality. According to this theory, the Russian people are deeply religious and devoted to the throne, and the Orthodox faith and autocracy constitute the indispensable conditions for the existence of Russia. Nationality was understood as the need to adhere to one’s own traditions and reject foreign influence. Calm, stable, beautifully quiet Russia was contrasted with the restless, decaying West.

The “theory of official nationality” clearly reveals a pattern in Russian history: any turn to conservatism and conservationism is always combined with anti-Westernism and emphasizing the peculiarities of one’s own national path.

The “Theory of Official Nationality” was used as the basis for teaching in schools and universities. Conservative historians S.P. became its guides. Shevyrev and M.P. Pogodin. It was widely promoted in the press through the efforts of such writers as F. Bulgarin, N. Grech, N. Kukolnik and others.

Russia, in accordance with the “theory of official nationality,” was supposed to look happy and peaceful. Benckendorff said: “Russia’s past is amazing, its present is more than magnificent, as for its future, it is above everything that the most ardent imagination can imagine.”

Doubting the splendor of Russian reality in itself turned out to be either a crime or evidence of madness. So, in 1836, by direct order of Nicholas I, P.Ya. was declared crazy. Chaadaev, who published bold and bitter (although far from indisputable) reflections on the history of Russia and its historical fate in the Telescope magazine.

At the end of the 40s, when revolutions began in Europe, it became obvious that Uvarov’s attempt to counter the revolutionary threat by instilling devotion to the throne and the church failed. Sedition penetrated more and more into Russia. A dissatisfied Nicholas fired Uvarov in 1849, relying only on suppressing free thought through repression. This marked a deep ideological crisis in power, which finally alienated society.

7. Financial reform

Kankrina One of the most successful steps of the government of Nicholas I was the monetary reform carried out by Minister of Finance E.F. Kankrin. By the beginning of the reign of Nicholas I, Russia's finances had fallen into complete disarray, especially due to the growing issue of depreciated paper money (assignats). In 1839-1843 E.F. Kankrin carried out a reform that stabilized the Russian currency. Credit notes were issued and freely exchanged for silver money. Kankrin sought to use public funds economically, implemented protectionist measures, and did not allow an increase in taxes on the people in order to ease the budget deficit. However, true financial stabilization was possible only on the basis of sustainable growth of the peasant economy - the basis of the Russian economy. And this required resolving the issue of serfdom.

8. Peasant question

Nicholas I, like many in his circle, understood the need to abolish serfdom - this, in the words of Benckendorff, was the “powder keg” under the empire. However, the essence of his approach to this problem was expressed in the words he once uttered: “Serfdom is evil..., but touching it now would be an even more disastrous evil.”

During the reign of Nicholas I, nine secret committees for peasant affairs were created. The secrecy was explained by the fact that the government was afraid to arouse the discontent of the nobles and cause mass unrest among the serfs. Any hint of a discussion of the issue of serfdom would be perceived unambiguously by the peasants: the tsar wants freedom, but the gentlemen are hindering it. As a result, discussions of the peasant issue were conducted in a narrow circle of officials and each time ended with serious decisions being postponed indefinitely.

In an effort to set an example of how to resolve the peasant issue, the government in 1837-1841. carried out the reform of the state village.

Activities of Nicholas I

It is often called the Kiselev reform after the name of the Minister of State Property P.D. Kiselev, according to whose project and under whose leadership it was carried out.

Kiselev declared his goal to bring the position of state peasants closer to the position of “free rural inhabitants.” The management of the state village was changed. The land holdings of state peasants increased significantly. The capitation tax began to gradually turn into a land tax. Hospitals and schools appeared, peasants received agricultural technical assistance and were able to use credit. Of course, even after the reform, the allotments of state peasants remained insufficient, and peasant self-government was subject to petty police supervision, but still the situation of state peasants improved significantly. It is no coincidence that the idea of ​​equalizing serfs with state-owned people spread widely.

Kiselev’s plan was precisely to carry out reforms, first in the state, and then in the landowner villages. However, due to the resistance of the serf owners, it was necessary to limit ourselves only to the adoption in 1842 of the Decree on “obligated peasants.” The decree somewhat expanded the ability of landowners to free serfs, granted to them under the decree on free cultivators of 1803. Now the landowner could, without asking permission from the authorities, provide the serf with personal rights and a land allotment, for which the peasant was obliged to bear duties. The former serf thus became the hereditary holder of the land, which remained the property of the owner. However, the main condition - the desire of the landowner - remained unshakable. Therefore, the immediate results of the decree were small: only 24 thousand serfs received freedom.

In order for the authorities to decide to abolish serfdom, it took the shame of the lost Crimean War.

What to pay attention to when answering:

A characteristic feature of the reign of Nicholas I is the understanding of the need for reforms with the simultaneous lack of political will to implement them. Nicholas's policy (with the exception of the "dark seven years" after 1848) should be characterized not as reactionary, but mainly as protective, aimed at maintaining the existing situation unchanged until the time when reforms finally become possible.

2The censorship regulations, adopted in 1826 and nicknamed “cast iron”, were relaxed already in 1828, but its name very clearly characterizes the entire censorship policy of the Nicholas era.

Results of the reign of Nicholas I

Work done in 2001

Results of the Reign of Nicholas I - Abstract, History section, - 2001 - Historical experience of the reform activities of the autocracy in the first half of the 19th century. Results of the Reign of Nicholas I. Nicholas Considered the Main Goal of His Reign...

Results of the Reign of Nicholas I. Nicholas considered the main goal of his reign to be the fight against the widespread revolutionary spirit, and he subordinated his entire life to this goal.

Activities of Nicholas I

Sometimes this struggle was expressed in open violent clashes, such as the suppression of the Polish uprising of 1830-1831 or the sending of troops abroad in 1848 - to Hungary to defeat the national liberation movement against Austrian rule.

Russia became an object of fear, hatred and ridicule in the eyes of the liberal part of European public opinion, and Nicholas himself acquired the reputation of the gendarme of Europe.

During his reign, a number of civilian departments received a military organization. The introduction of the military principle into public administration testified to the tsar’s distrust of the administrative apparatus. Nevertheless, the desire to subordinate society as much as possible to state tutelage, characteristic of the ideology of the Nicholas era, actually inevitably led to the bureaucratization of management.

The reign of Nicholas I ended in a major foreign policy collapse. The Crimean War of 1853-1856 demonstrated the organizational and technical backwardness of Russia from the Western powers and led to its political isolation. The severe psychological shock from military failures undermined Nicholas's health, and an accidental cold in the spring of 1855 became fatal for him. The image of Nicholas I in later literature acquired a largely odious character; the emperor appeared as a symbol of stupid reaction and obscurantism, which clearly did not take into account the diversity of his personality.

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Historical experience of the reform activities of the autocracy in the first half of the 19th century.

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Nicholas I Pavlovich (July 6, 1796 - March 2, 1855)

On the evening of December 24, 1825, Speransky drew up a Manifesto on the accession to the throne of Emperor Nicholas I. Nicholas signed it on December 25 in the morning. Attached to the Manifesto was a letter from his brother Constantine to Alexander I, in which he refused the throne.

The manifesto on his accession to the throne was announced by Nicholas at a meeting of the State Council on December 25. A separate point in the Manifesto stipulated that the time of accession to the throne would be considered December 1 (the day of the death of Alexander I) in order to bridge the gap of lack of power.

Decembrist revolt.

The events of the War of 1812 and the subsequent foreign campaigns of the Russian army had a significant impact on all aspects of life in the Russian Empire, giving rise to certain hopes for change and, most importantly, for the abolition of serfdom. People who were on campaigns abroad and reached Europe saw how they live abroad, what living conditions they have, what laws, what kind of power, they wanted the same thing. But everyone understood that in Russia the emperors do not strive for this, everything remains at the same level and only the top of power enjoys life. There was nothing left to do but act. So circles with like-minded people began to appear, after which Secret Societies were formed, and later this led to the Decembrist uprising.

The Decembrist uprising took place on December 26, 1825. The uprising was organized by a group of like-minded people; they tried to use the guards units to prevent Nicholas I from ascending the throne.

Brief description of Nicholas 1

The goal of the rebels was the abolition of serfdom, equality of all before the law, democratic freedoms, the introduction of compulsory military service for all classes, the election of officials, the abolition of the poll tax and a change in the form of government to a constitutional monarchy or republic.

The rebels decided to block the Senate, send there a revolutionary delegation consisting of Ryleev and Pushchin and present to the Senate a demand not to swear allegiance to Nicholas I, declare the tsarist government deposed and publish a revolutionary manifesto to the Russian people. However, the uprising was brutally suppressed on the same day. The surviving participants in the uprising were exiled, and five leaders were executed. Although the uprising was suppressed, it was not useless. The Decembrist uprising laid a powerful foundation in the minds of people about the freedom of their rights, which led to revolutions in the future. (one of them is the February and October revolutions of 1917 and the overthrow of the government).

Domestic policy.

The historian Klyuchevsky gave the following characterization of the internal policy of Nicholas I: “Nicholas set himself the task not to change anything, not to introduce anything new in the foundations, but only to maintain the existing order, fill in the gaps, repair revealed dilapidations with the help of practical legislation and do all this without any participation from society, even with the suppression of social independence, through government means alone; but he did not remove from the queue those burning questions that were raised during the previous reign, and, it seems, he understood their burning importance even more than his predecessor.”

Some contemporaries wrote about his despotism. At the same time, as historians point out, the execution of five Decembrists was the only execution during the entire 30 years of the reign of Nicholas I. They also note that under Nicholas I, torture was not used against political prisoners.

The most important direction of domestic policy was the centralization of power. To carry out the tasks of political investigation, a permanent body was created in July 1826 - the Third Department of the Personal Chancellery - a secret service that had significant powers. The third department was headed by Alexander Benkendorf, and after his death, Alexey Orlov.

On December 18, 1826, the first of the secret committees was created, whose task was to consider the papers sealed in the office of Alexander I after his death, and to consider the issue of possible transformations of the state apparatus.

Under Nicholas I, the Polish uprising of 1830-1831 was suppressed. After the suppression of the uprising, the Kingdom of Poland lost its independence, the Sejm and the army and was divided into provinces.

Some authors call Nicholas I a knight of autocracy: he firmly defended its foundations and suppressed attempts to change the existing system, despite the revolutions in Europe. After the suppression of the Decembrist uprising, he launched large-scale measures in the country to eradicate the “revolutionary infection”. During the reign of Nicholas I, persecution of the Old Believers resumed.

As for the army, to which the emperor paid a lot of attention, Dmitry Milyutin, the future minister of war during the reign of Alexander II, writes in his notes: “Even in military affairs, which the emperor was engaged in with such passionate enthusiasm, the same concern for order and discipline prevailed.” , they were not chasing the significant improvement of the army, not adapting it to combat purposes, but only external harmony, a brilliant appearance at parades, pedantic observance of countless petty formalities that dull human reason and kill the true military spirit.”

One of the greatest achievements of Nicholas I can be considered the creation of the code. Involved by the tsar in this work, Speransky performed a titanic work, thanks to which the Code of Laws of the Russian Empire appeared.

Peasant question.

After the Decembrist uprising, Nicholas I decided to pay attention to the problem of the situation of the peasants. Meetings of commissions were held to ease the affairs of the serfs. A reform of state village management was carried out and a “decree on obligated peasants” was signed, which became the foundation for the abolition of serfdom. The decree of Nicholas I of May 14, 1833 prohibited the sale of serfs at public auction and the taking away of their plots, if they had any, and it was forbidden to separate members of the same family during the sale. However, the complete liberation of the peasants did not take place during the life of the emperor. Historians point to significant changes in this area that occurred during the reign of Nicholas I: for the first time, there was a sharp reduction in the number of serfs. The situation of state peasants improved, whose number reached about 50% of the population by the second half of the 1850s. A number of laws were passed to improve the situation of serfs. Thus, landowners were strictly forbidden to sell peasants (without land) and send them to hard labor (which had previously been common practice). Serfs received the right to own land, conduct business, and received relative freedom of movement.

These changes in the position of the peasants naturally caused discontent on the part of large landowners and nobles, who saw them as a threat to the established order. Some reforms aimed at improving the situation of the peasants did not lead to the desired result due to the stubborn opposition of the landowners.

A program of mass peasant education was also launched. During the same period, many technical schools and universities were opened. As the Soviet historian Zayonchkovsky wrote: “During the reign of Nicholas I, contemporaries had the idea that an era of reform had arrived in Russia.”

Industrial Revolution.

The state of industrial affairs at the beginning of the reign of Nicholas I was the worst in the entire history of the Russian Empire. In the West, by this time the industrial revolution was coming to an end, when it didn’t really exist in Russia. Russia's exports included only raw materials; almost all types of industrial products needed by the country were purchased abroad.

By the middle and end of the reign of Nicholas I, the situation had changed greatly. A technically advanced and competitive industry began to take shape. The textile and sugar industries developed. Machines and tools were produced. Products were made from metal, wood, glass, porcelain, leather, etc. The rapid development of industry led to a sharp increase in the urban population and the growth of cities.

After Nicholas I visited England, production of steam locomotives began in Russia. Railways were built. In 1837, the first railway St. Petersburg-Tsarskoe Selo was opened, and in 1851 St. Petersburg-Moscow.

For the first time in the history of Russia, under Nicholas I, intensive construction of paved roads began: the routes Moscow - St. Petersburg, Moscow - Irkutsk, Moscow - Warsaw were built. The construction of railways was also started and about 1000 miles of railway track was built, which gave impetus to the development of our own mechanical engineering.

To combat corruption, under Nicholas I, regular audits were introduced for the first time at all levels. Trials of officials have become commonplace. Nicholas I himself was critical of successes in this area, saying that the only people around him who did not steal were himself and his heir.

Foreign policy.

At the request of the Austrian Empire, Russia took part in the suppression of the Hungarian revolution, sending a 140,000-strong corps to Hungary, which was trying to free itself from oppression by Austria. As a result, the throne of Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria was saved.

Nicholas I was stupid and not far-sighted. The Russian emperor did not even ask for anything for Austria's help, saying that a word of thank you was enough for him. Although the Russian side spent money on the campaign, taken from the treasury and people who died in this campaign, Nicholas did not care, because the Russian land is rich in people, and the Russian people are rich in money. Moreover, later the Austrian emperor, who feared excessive strengthening of Russia’s position in the Balkans, during the difficult Crimean War of 1853-1856 for Russia, thanked for the help by taking an unfriendly position towards Russia and threatening it with war if the Russian Empire did not make concessions to the coalition from France, England, Turkey.

Crimean War 1853-1856

The Ottoman Empire, which was no longer so strong, was dependent on other developed countries. One of them was England, which collapsed the Turkish economy and drove it into debt. Russia demanded to declare itself the patroness of all Christian people subject to the Sultan. This outraged the Ottoman Empire, because Christians were on its territory, which means they were under the protection of the Sultan. Fearing Russia, the Ottoman Empire was still ready to agree to such conditions, but there were the British who whispered to the Sultan not to follow Russia’s lead, but to declare war on them. The British promised to help with troops, and huge debts to England did not give Turkey a choice.

In 1853, Türkiye declared war on Russia. The beginning of the war with Turkey in 1853 was marked by the brilliant victory of the Russian fleet under the command of the great Admiral Nakhimov, which defeated the enemy in Sinop Bay. Russia's military successes naturally caused a negative reaction in the West, which is exactly what the British wanted. The leading world powers were not interested in strengthening Russia at the expense of the decrepit Ottoman Empire. This created the basis for a military alliance between England and France.

In 1854, England and France entered the war on the side of Turkey. Due to Russia's technical backwardness, it was difficult to resist these European powers. The main military operations took place in Crimea, but military clashes also took place on the Baltic Sea, in Petropavlovsk on the Pacific Ocean, and also on the White Sea. The enemies were unable to achieve military success anywhere except Crimea.

In October 1854, an anti-Russian coalition besieged Sevastopol. Despite the heroic defense of the city, under the leadership of Nakhimov, after an 11-month siege, in August 1855, the defenders of Sevastopol were forced to surrender the city (the hero Nakhimov was killed during shelling). But the enemy troops did not go deeper into Russia, everyone was exhausted, no one had the strength to launch a march, and in the depths of Russia there was a fresh Russian army of many thousands ready to fight back.

At the beginning of 1856, Alexander II ended a stupid, unnecessary, bloody war for his father. He signed the Paris Peace Treaty. Under its terms, Russia was prohibited from having naval forces, arsenals and fortresses in the Black Sea, and Russia was also deprived of the opportunity to conduct an active foreign policy in this region.

Panorama detail of Franz Roubaud's Defense of Sevastopol (1904)

Death of Nicholas I.

Nicholas I died on March 2, 1855. He took part in the parade in severe frost in only a light uniform. Immediately after this, rumors spread widely in the capital that Nicholas had committed suicide. The illness began against the backdrop of disappointing news from besieged Sevastopol and worsened after receiving news of the defeat of General Khrulev near Yevpatoria, which was perceived as a harbinger of an inevitable defeat in the war, which Nicholas, due to his character, could not survive. The Tsar’s appearance at the parade in the cold without an overcoat was perceived as an intention to get a fatal cold; according to stories, the life physician Mandt told the Tsar: “Sire, this is worse than death, this is suicide!”

Nicholas the First is one of the most famous emperors of Russia. He ruled the country for 30 years (from 1825 to 1855), in the period between the two Alexanders. Nicholas I made Russia truly enormous. Before his death, it reached its geographical zenith, stretching over almost twenty million square kilometers. Tsar Nicholas I also bore the title of King of Poland and Grand Duke of Finland. He is known for his conservatism, reluctance to carry out reforms, and his loss in the Crimean War of 1853-1856.

Early years and path to power

Nicholas the First was born in Gatchina into the family of Emperor Paul I and his wife Maria Feodorovna. He was the younger brother of Alexander I and Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich. Initially, he was not raised as a future Russian emperor. Nicholas was the youngest child in a family that included two older sons, so it was not expected that he would ever ascend to the throne. But in 1825, Alexander I died of typhus, and Konstantin Pavlovich abandoned the throne. Nicholas was next in the line of succession. On December 25, he signed a manifesto on his ascension to the throne. The date of death of Alexander I was called the beginning of the reign of Nicholas. The period between it (December 1) and its ascent is called intermediate. At this time, the military tried to seize power several times. This led to the so-called December Uprising, but Nicholas the First managed to quickly and successfully suppress it.

Nicholas the First: years of reign

The new emperor, according to numerous testimonies from contemporaries, lacked the spiritual and intellectual breadth of his brother. He was not raised as a future ruler, and this affected when Nicholas the First ascended the throne. He saw himself as an autocrat who rules people as he sees fit. He was not the spiritual leader of his people, inspiring people to work and develop. They also tried to explain the dislike for the new tsar by the fact that he ascended the throne on Monday, which has long been considered a difficult and unlucky day in Russia. In addition, December 14, 1825 was very cold, the temperature dropped below -8 degrees Celsius.

The common people immediately considered this a bad omen. The bloody suppression of the December uprising for the introduction of representative democracy only strengthened this opinion. This event at the very beginning of his reign had a very bad effect on Nicholas. All subsequent years of his reign, he will begin to impose censorship and other forms of education and other spheres of public life, and His Majesty’s Office will contain a whole network of all kinds of spies and gendarmes.

Strict centralization

Nicholas I was afraid of all kinds of forms of popular independence. He abolished the autonomy of the Bessarabia region in 1828, Poland in 1830, and the Jewish Kahal in 1843. The only exception to this trend was Finland. She managed to maintain her autonomy (largely thanks to the participation of her army in suppressing the November Uprising in Poland).

Character and spiritual qualities

Biographer Nikolai Rizanovsky describes the toughness, determination and iron will of the new emperor. It talks about his sense of duty and hard work on himself. According to Rizanovsky, Nicholas I saw himself as a soldier who devoted his life to serving for the good of his people. But he was only an organizer, and not a spiritual leader at all. He was an attractive man, but extremely nervous and aggressive. Often the emperor became too fixated on details, not seeing the whole picture. The ideology of his rule is “official nationalism.” It was proclaimed in 1833. The policies of Nicholas the First were based on Orthodoxy, autocracy and Russian nationalism. Let's look at this issue in more detail.

Nicholas the First: foreign policy

The emperor was successful in his campaigns against his southern enemies. He took the last territories of the Caucasus from Persia, which included modern Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Russian Empire received Dagestan and Georgia. His success in ending the Russian-Persian War of 1826-1828 allowed him to gain an advantage in the Caucasus. He ended the confrontation with the Turks. He was often called behind his back the “gendarme of Europe.” Indeed, he constantly offered to help put down the uprising. But in 1853 Nicholas the First got involved in the Crimean War, which led to disastrous results. Historians emphasize that not only an unsuccessful strategy is to blame for the dire consequences, but also the flaws of local management and the corruption of his army. Therefore, it is most often said that the reign of Nicholas the First was a mixture of unsuccessful domestic and foreign policies, which brought the common people to the brink of survival.

Military affairs and the army

Nicholas I is known for his large army. It numbered about a million people. This meant that approximately one in fifty men was in the military. Their equipment and tactics were outdated, but the Tsar, dressed as a soldier and surrounded by officers, celebrated his victory over Napoleon every year with a parade. Horses, for example, were not trained for battle, but looked great during processions. Behind all this brilliance there was real degradation. Nicholas placed his generals at the head of many ministries, despite their lack of experience and qualifications. He tried to extend his power even to the church. It was headed by an agnostic, known for his military exploits. The army became a social elevator for noble youth from Poland, the Baltics, Finland and Georgia. Criminals who could not adapt to society also sought to become soldiers.

Nevertheless, throughout the reign of Nicholas, the Russian Empire remained a force to be reckoned with. And only the Crimean War showed the world its backwardness in the technical aspect and corruption within the army.

Achievements and censorship

During the reign of the heir, Alexander the First, the first railway in the Russian Empire was opened. It stretches for 16 miles, connecting St. Petersburg with the southern residence in Tsarskoe Selo. The second line was built in 9 years (from 1842 to 1851). It connected Moscow with St. Petersburg. But progress in this area was still too slow.

In 1833, the Minister of Education Sergei Uvarov developed the program “Orthodoxy, Autocracy and Nationalism” as the main ideology of the new regime. People had to demonstrate loyalty to the Tsar, love for Orthodoxy, traditions and the Russian language. The result of these Slavophile principles was the suppression of class differences, extensive censorship and surveillance of such independent poet-thinkers as Pushkin and Lermontov. Figures who wrote in a language other than Russian or belonged to other faiths were severely persecuted. The great Ukrainian singer and writer Taras Shevchenko was sent into exile, where he was forbidden to draw or compose poems.

Domestic policy

Nicholas the First did not like serfdom. He often toyed with the idea of ​​repealing it, but did not do so for reasons of state. Nicholas was too afraid of increasing free-thinking among the people, believing that this could lead to uprisings similar to the December one. In addition, he was wary of the aristocrats and was afraid that such reforms would make them turn away from him. However, the sovereign still tried to somewhat improve the situation of the serfs. Minister Pavel Kiselev helped him with this.

All the reforms of Nicholas the First were centered around the serfs. Throughout his reign, he tried to tighten his control over the landowners and other powerful groups in Russia. Created a category of state serfs with special rights. Restricted the votes of representatives of the Honorable Assembly. Now only the landowners, who controlled more than a hundred serfs, had this right. In 1841, the emperor banned the sale of serfs separately from land.

Culture

The reign of Nicholas the First is the time of the ideology of Russian nationalism. It was fashionable among the intelligentsia to argue about the place of the empire in the world and its future. Debates were constantly waged between pro-Western figures and Slavophiles. The first believed that the Russian Empire had stopped in its development, and further progress was possible only through Europeanization. Another group, the Slavophiles, argued that it was necessary to focus on the original folk customs and traditions. They saw the possibility of development in Russian culture, and not in Western rationalism and materialism. Some believed in the country's mission to liberate other peoples from brutal capitalism. But Nikolai did not like any free-thinking, so the Ministry of Education often closed philosophy faculties because of their possible negative impact on the younger generation. The benefits of Slavophilism were not considered.

Education system

After the December Uprising, the sovereign decided to devote his entire reign to maintaining the status quo. He started by centralizing the education system. Nicholas I sought to neutralize attractive Western ideas and what he calls “pseudo-knowledge.” However, Education Minister Sergei Uvarov secretly welcomed the freedom and autonomy of educational institutions. He even managed to raise academic standards and improve learning conditions, as well as open universities to the middle class. But in 1848, the tsar canceled these innovations out of fear that pro-Western sentiment would lead to possible uprisings.

The universities were small, and the Ministry of Education constantly monitored their programs. The main mission was not to miss the moment of the emergence of pro-Western sentiments. The main task was to educate young people as true patriots of Russian culture. But, despite the repression, at this time there was a flourishing of culture and the arts. Russian literature has gained worldwide fame. The works of Alexander Pushkin, Nikolai Gogol and Ivan Turgenev secured their status as true masters of their craft.

Death and heirs

Nikolai Romanov died in March 1855 during the Crimean War. He caught a cold and died of pneumonia. An interesting fact is that the emperor refused treatment. There were even rumors that he committed suicide, unable to bear the pressure of the catastrophic consequences of his military failures. The son of Nicholas the First, Alexander the Second, took the throne. He was destined to become the most famous reformer after Peter the Great.

The children of Nicholas the First were born both in marriage and not. The sovereign's wife was Alexandra Feodorovna, and her mistress was Varvara Nelidova. But, as his biographers note, the emperor did not know what real passion was. He was too organized and disciplined for that. He was favorable towards women, but none of them could turn his head.

Heritage

Many biographers call Nicholas's foreign and domestic policies catastrophic. One of the most devoted supporters, A.V. Nikitenko, noted that the entire reign of the emperor was a mistake. However, some scientists are still trying to improve the king's reputation. Historian Barbara Djelavic notes many mistakes, including a bureaucracy that led to irregularities, corruption and inefficiency, but does not consider his entire reign a complete failure.

Under Nicholas, the Kiev National University was founded, as well as about 5,000 other similar institutions. Censorship was omnipresent, but this did not at all hinder the development of free thought. Historians note the kind heart of Nicholas, who simply had to behave the way he behaved. Every ruler has his failures and achievements. But it seems that it was Nicholas who the people could not forgive anything. His reign largely determined the time in which he had to live and govern the country.

The article briefly describes the main points of the domestic and foreign policy of Nicholas I. The reign of this emperor is assessed as extremely conservative, completing the process of transforming Russia into a bureaucratic state, begun by Peter I.

1. Introduction
2. Foreign policy of Nicholas I

Domestic policy of Nicholas I

• The Decembrist uprising (1825) had a great influence on the mood of Russian society. The performance of the nobility, considered the main support of power, showed the significant influence of supporters of regime change. Nicholas I was a very smart politician; he studied all the materials related to the Decembrists and made an assessment of them when developing a domestic political course.
• Nicholas I sought to further centralize and bureaucratize the state system. Autocratic power took shape in its classic form. The III Department of His Majesty's Office, which dealt with political affairs, for a long time became a symbol of the police state, exercising supervision over all areas of Russian life.
• The peasant question was still acute in Russia. Nicholas I recognized this, but argued that the abolition of serfdom was a long process, and that extreme measures in resolving the issue were undesirable and premature.
• During the reign of Nicholas I, a number of committees were created to resolve the peasant issue, the activities of which were headed by Count Kisilev. The result of his activities were the laws of 1837-1842. Reforms began among state peasants, who were supposed to gradually switch to cash rent with equal distribution of land. To improve the peasant situation, schools and hospitals were opened. In relation to privately owned peasants, a modification of the law on “free cultivators” was adopted. The peasants could, at the voluntary request of the landowner, receive freedom and land allotment, but perform certain duties for this. Thus, economic dependence was maintained.
• The main actions of Nicholas I, which made it possible to define his reign as extremely reactionary, were carried out in the field of education and censorship. A ban was imposed on peasants entering secondary and higher educational institutions. In fact, education became a noble privilege. Censorship rules have been significantly tightened. Universities are placed under full state control. The official motto of the reign of Nicholas I was “Orthodoxy, autocracy, nationality” - the basis for the education and development of Russian society.
• Measures were taken to strengthen the position of the nobility. Nicholas I relied on civil servants. The condition for obtaining hereditary nobility was the achievement of the fifth class on the “Table of Ranks” (instead of the eighth).
• In general, all the actions of Nicholas I were designed to complete the formation of a bureaucratic state with the absolute power of the monarch.

Foreign policy of Nicholas I

• In the field of foreign policy there were two questions: European and Eastern. In Europe, the task of Nicholas I was to fight the revolutionary movement. During the reign of Nicholas I, Russia received the unofficial status of the gendarme of Europe.
• The Eastern Question concerned the division of the influence of leading states on the European possessions of the Ottoman Empire. As a result of the war with Turkey in 1828-1829. Russia received a number of territories on the Black Sea coast, Turkish policy was included in the orbit of Russian diplomacy.
• In 1817, Russian military operations began in the Caucasus region. This was the beginning of the Russian-Chechen conflict.
• The Eastern Question escalated by the middle of the century, which led to the Crimean War (1853-1856). The Russian army conducted successful operations against Turkey in the Caucasus, and the fleet in the Black Sea. This led to the entry of England and France into the war. There was a threat of Austria, Prussia and Sweden being included in the war. In essence, Russia found itself alone with the whole of Europe.
• Crimea is becoming the decisive arena of hostilities. The joint Anglo-French fleet blocks the Russian squadron in Sevastopol, and the successful actions of the landing force lead to its encirclement. The defense of Sevastopol begins, lasting almost a year. After a series of bloody attempts to take the fortress by storm and the unsuccessful retaliatory actions of the Russian army to lift the blockade, the allies manage to capture the southern part of the city. The fighting actually stops. The same situation arises in Transcaucasia. In addition, in 1855, Nicholas I suddenly died.
• In 1856, a peace treaty was signed, which dealt a serious blow to Russia's positions. It was forbidden to have a Black Sea fleet; bases and fortresses on the Black Sea coast were to be destroyed. Russia refused the patronage of the Orthodox population of the Ottoman Empire.
• Thus, the domestic and foreign policy of Nicholas I was carried out in a conservative spirit. Russia became an absolutist state. Monarchical power was declared an ideal and was supposed to dominate throughout Europe. The Eastern Question was not associated with autocratic tendencies and was a logical stage in the protection of Russian interests on the world stage.

and his wife - Maria Fedorovna. As soon as Nikolai Pavlovich was born (06/25/1796), his parents enrolled him in military service. He became the chief of the Life Guards cavalry regiment, with the rank of colonel.

Three years later, the prince put on the uniform of his regiment for the first time. In May 1800, Nicholas I became the chief of the Izmailovsky regiment. In 1801, as a result of a palace coup, his father, Paul I, was killed.

Military affairs became Nicholas I's real passion. The passion for military affairs was apparently passed on from his father, and at the genetic level.

Soldiers and cannons were the Grand Duke’s favorite toys, with which he and his brother Mikhail spent a lot of time. Unlike his brother, he did not gravitate toward science.

On July 13, 1817, the marriage of Nicholas I and the Prussian Princess Charlotte took place. In Orthodoxy, Charlotte was named Alexandra Fedorovna. By the way, the marriage took place on the wife’s birthday.

The life together of the royal couple was happy. After the wedding, he became inspector general in charge of engineering affairs.

Nicholas I was never prepared as the heir to the Russian throne. He was only the third child of Paul I. It so happened that Alexander I had no children.

In this case, the throne passed to Alexander’s younger brother, and Nicholas’s older brother, Constantine. But Konstantin was not eager to shoulder the responsibility and became the Russian emperor.

Alexander I wanted to make Nicholas his heir. This has long been a secret for Russian society. In November, Alexander I unexpectedly died, and Nikolai Pavlovich was to ascend the throne.

It so happened that on the day Russian society took the oath to the new emperor, something happened. Fortunately, everything ended well. The uprising was suppressed, and Nicholas I became emperor. After the tragic events on Senate Square, he exclaimed: “I am the Emperor, but at what cost.”

The policy of Nicholas I had distinctly conservative features. Historians often accuse Nicholas I of excessive conservatism and severity. But how could the emperor behave differently after the Decembrist uprising? It was this event that largely set the course of domestic politics during his reign.

Domestic policy

The most important issue in the domestic policy of Nicholas I was the peasant question. He believed that we should try with all our might to alleviate the situation of the peasants. During his reign, many legislative acts were issued to make life easier for the peasantry.

As many as 11 committees worked in conditions of the strictest secrecy, trying to think through solutions to the peasant issue. The Emperor returned Mikhail Speransky to active government activities and instructed him to streamline the legislation of the Russian Empire.

Speransky coped with the task brilliantly, preparing the “Complete Collection of Laws of the Russian Empire for 1648 -1826” and the “Code of Laws of the Russian Empire”. Finance Minister Kankrin carried out a progressive monetary reform, which brought the country's economy back to life.

Most of all, historians criticize Nicholas I for the activities of the 3rd department of the Imperial Chancellery. This body performed a supervisory function. The Russian Empire was divided into gendarmerie districts, which were headed by generals who had a large staff under their command.

The third department investigated political affairs, closely monitored censorship, as well as the activities of officials of various ranks.

Foreign policy

The foreign policy of Nicholas I was a continuation of the policy of Alexander I. He sought to maintain peace in Europe, guided by the interests of Russia, and to develop active activities on the eastern borders of the empire.

During his reign, talented diplomats appeared in Russia who extracted favorable terms of cooperation from “our partners.” There were constant diplomatic battles for influence in the world.

Russian diplomats won many such battles. In July 1826, the Russian army fought in Iran. In February 1828, peace was signed, thanks to the efforts of Griboedov, the Nakhichevan and Erivan khanates went to Russia, and the empire also acquired the exclusive right to have a military fleet in the Caspian Sea.

During the reign of Nicholas I, Russia fought with the mountain peoples. There was also a successful war with Turkey, which showed the world military talent. The next Russian-Turkish war turned out to be a real disaster for Russia. After, in which the Russian ships under the command of Nakhimov won a stunning victory.

England and France, fearing the strengthening of Russia, entered the war on the side of Turkey. The Crimean War began. Participation in the Crimean War showed the problems that existed in Russian society. First of all, this is technological backwardness. became a good and timely lesson, marking the beginning of a new development in Russia.

Results

Nicholas I died on February 18, 1855. The reign of this monarch can be assessed in different ways. Despite increased control and suppression of dissent, Russia greatly expanded its territory and won many diplomatic disputes.

A monetary reform was carried out in the country, ensuring economic development, and the oppression on the peasantry was eased. All these relaxations have largely become the basis for the future.