Biography
Emperor Alexander Pavlovich, who is sometimes mistakenly called the king Alexander I, ascended to the throne in 1801 and rules for almost a quarter of a century. Russia under Alexander I led successful wars against Turkey, Persia and Sweden, and later it turned out to be drawn into the war of 1812, when Napoleon attacked the country. For the period of the reign of Alexander I, the territory expanded through the accession of Eastern Georgia, Finland, Bessarabia and part of Poland. For all the transformations introduced by Alexander I, he was called Alexander Blessed.Childhood and youth
The biography of Alexander I was initially an outstanding. Not only that he was the eldest son of the emperor Paul I and his wife Maria Fedorovna, and the grandmother Catherine II soul did not care in the grandson. It was she who gave the boy a sonorous name in honor of Alexander Nevsky and Alexander Macedonsky, in the hope that Alexander the story will be created following the example of the legendary thesis. It is worth noting that the very name for the Romanovs was unusual, and only after the reign of Alexander I, it was firmly included in family nameders.
The identity of Alexander I was formed under the tireless supervision of Catherine Great. The fact is that the Empress initially considered the son of Paul I unable to take the throne and wanted to crumble the grandson "Through the head" of the Father. Grandma tried to almost do not communicate a boy with his parents, nevertheless, Paul had an influence on his son and he took over his love for military science from him.
The young heir rose gently, smart, easily learned new knowledge, but at the same time was very lazy and proud, why Alexander I failed to learn to focus on painstaking and long-term work. Alexander I contemporaries noted that he had a very lively mind, incredible insight and easily fond of all new.
But since two opposite nature, grandmother and father actively influenced him from ornamental years, the child was forced to learn to like absolutely everyone that was the main characteristic of Alexander I. Even Napoleon called him an "actor" in a good sense, and Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin He wrote about the emperor Alexander "in the face and life of Harlequin".
Drinking by military affairs, the future emperor Alexander I passed the actual service in the Gatchy troops, who personally formed his father. The result of the service was the deafness of the left ear, but this did not prevent Pavlu I to produce a son in Colonels Guard, when it was only 19 years old. A year later, the Son of the ruler became the Military Governor of St. Petersburg and headed the Guards Semenovsky Regiment, then Alexander I briefly chaired the military parliament, after which he began to sit in the Senate.
Governing body
At the throne, Emperor Alexander I asked immediately after the violent death of his father. A number of facts confirms that he was aware of the plans of conspirators to overthrow Paul I, although it may not be suspected of the kingubiism. It was the new chapter of the Russian Empire that announced the "apoplexic strike", which was a fight of his father, and just a few minutes after death. In September 1801, Alexander I was crowned.
The first decrees of Alexander I showed that he intends to eradicate a court arbitrariness in the state and introduce strict legality. Today it seems incredible, but strict fundamental laws in Russia at that time almost did not have. Together with the closest associates, the emperor formed the unlawful committee, with whom he discussed all the plans of the state transformation. This community was called the Committee of Public Rescue, and also known as the Public Movement of Alexander I.
Immediately after coming to power, Alexander I, the transformations were visible to the naked eye. His rule is taken to divide into two parts: First, Alexander I reforms held all his time and thoughts, but after 1815 the emperor is disappointed in them and begins the reactionary movement, that is, on the contrary, presses people in vice.
One of the most important reforms was the creation of a "indispensable council", which was later converted to the State Council with several departments. The next step is the creation of ministries. If earlier decisions on any questions were taken by a majority vote, now a separate minister was responsible for each industry, who regularly reported to the head of state.
The reforms of Alexander I affected the peasant question, at least on paper. The emperor wondered about the abolition of serfdom, but he wanted to do it gradually, and I could not determine the steps of such slow liberation. As a result, the decrees of Alexander I on "free blades" and a ban on the sale of peasants without land, on which they live, turned out to be a drop in the sea.
But more significant were the transformations of Alexander in the field of education. At its disposal, a clear gradation of educational institutions in the level of educational program were created: parish and county schools, provincial schools and gymnasiums, universities. Thanks to the activities of Alexander I in St. Petersburg, the Academy of Sciences was restored, created the famous Tsarskoye Lyceum and founded five new universities.
But the naive claims of the country on the rapid transformation of the country were faced with the confrontation of the nobles. He could not quickly implement his reforms because of the fear of the palace coup, plus they took the attention of Alexander 1 of the war. Therefore, despite the good intentions and desire for reforms, the emperor could not embody all his desires.
In fact, in addition to educational and state reform, only the Constitution of Poland, which the ruler's associates considered as an experienced sample for the future constitution of the entire Russian Empire. But the turn of the internal policy of Alexander I to the reaction buried all the hopes of the liberal nobility.
War
The starting point for the change of opinion about the need for reform was the war with Napoleon. The emperor realized that in those conditions that he wanted to create, the quick mobilization of the army is impossible. Therefore, Emperor Alexander 1 politics shifts from liberal ideas for the interests of state security. A new reform is being developed, which turned out to be the most admitted: military transformations.
With the help of the Military Minister, a project of a completely new type of life is created - a military settlement, which was a new estate. Without much burden of the budget of the country, it was assumed to contain and equip a permanent army number at the level of wartime. The increase in the number of such military districts continued all the years of the reign of Alexander I. Moreover, they have survived under the successor Nicolae I and were abolished only by Emperor Alexander II.
In fact, the foreign policy of Alexander I was reduced to a series of permanent wars, thanks to which the territory of the country increased significantly. After the end of the war with the Persia, Russia, Alexander I received military control in the Caspian Sea, and also expanded possession due to the accession of Georgia.
After the Russian-Turkish War, the ownership of the empire replenished Bessarabia and all the states of the Transcaucasus, and after the conflict with Sweden - Finland. In addition, Alexander I fought with England, Austria and began the Caucasian War, which was not over with his life.
The main military opponent of Russia under the emperor Alexandra I was France. Their first armed conflict occurred in 1805, which, despite periodic peace agreements, was constantly fought again.
Finally, inspired by his fantastic victories, Napoleon Bonaparte introduced troops to the territory of Russia. The Patriotic War of 1812 began. After the victory, Alexander I concluded an alliance with England, Prussia and Austria and committed a number of foreign trips, during which he defeated the army of Napoleon and forced him to renounce him from the throne. After that, the Kingdom of Polish was also departed to Russia.
When the French man was in the territory of the Russian Empire, Alexander I announced the commander-in-chief of himself and forbade the world's negotiations until at least one enemy soldier remained in Russian land. But the numerical advantage of the Napoleon's army was so great that the Russian troops constantly retreated deep into the country.
Soon, the emperor agrees that his presence prevents military commanders, and leaves for St. Petersburg. The commander-in-chief becomes Mikhail Kutuzov, who was very respected by soldiers and officers, but the main thing - this man has already shown himself with an excellent strategist.
And in the Patriotic War of 1812, Kutuzov again showed his sharp mind of the military tactic. He outlined a decisive battle near the village of Borodino and placed the army so well that the natural relief was covered with two flanks, and in the center, the commander-in-chief placed artillery. The battle was desperate and bloody, with huge losses on both sides. Battle of Borodino is considered a historical paradox: both army announced their victory in the battle.
To preserve your troops in combat readiness, Mikhail Kutuzov decides to leave Moscow. The result was the burning of the former capital and the exercise by the French, but Napoleon's victory in this case was Piroba. To feed your army, he was forced to move to Kaluga, where he was already focused on the forces of Kutuzov and did not let the enemy further.
Moreover, effective blows applied to the invaders of partisan detachments. Deficious food and unwitting to Russian winter the French began to retreat. The final battle near the river Berezina put the point in defeating, and Alexander I issued a manifesto about the victorious end of the Patriotic War.
Personal life
In his youth, Alexander was very friendly with his sister Catherine Pavlovna. Some sources even hinted closerly to the relationship than simply fraternal and nursing. But these speculations are very unlikely, since Catherine was under for half of age, and at the age of 16, Alexander I had a personal life with his wife.
He married Nomme Louise Mary Augustus, which after the adoption of Orthodoxy became Elizabeth Alekseevna. They had two daughters, Maria and Elizabeth, but both died in an annual age, so the heir to the throne was not children Alexander I, and his younger brother Nicholas I.
Due to the fact that the wife could not give him a son, the Emperor's relationship with his wife was very cool. He practically did not hide his love relationships on the side. At first, Alexander I was in front of almost 15 years with Maria Naryshkina, the wife of Ober-Yegensuser Dmitry Naryshkin, who in the eyes of all the courtesy called the "exemplary ride".
Maria gave birth to six children, and the paternity of five of them is accepted ascribed to Alexander. However, most of these children died in infancy. Also, Alexander I had a novel with the daughter of the court banker Sophie Velo and with Sofia Vsevolozhskaya, who gave birth from him an illegal son, Nikolai Lukasha, General and Hero of War.
In 1812, Alexander I became interested in reading the Bible, although before that the religion was in principle indifferent. But his, like the best friend Alexander Golitsyn, did not suit the framework of alone Orthodoxy. The emperor was in correspondence with Protestant preachers, studied mysticism and various flows of Christian faith and sought to unite all confessions in the name of the World Truth.
Russia under Alexandra I became more than ever before the tolerant. The official church was outraged by a similar turn and began a secret backstage struggle against like-minded emperor, including Golitsyn. The victory remained for the church who did not want to lose power over the people.
Death
Emperor Alexander I died in early December 1825 in Taganrog, during the next journey that loved very much. The official cause of the death of Alexander I was called hot and inflammation of the brain. The sudden end of the ruler caused a wave of rumors, was delivered by the fact that shortly before that Emperor Alexander was a manifesto, in which the Plovesley's right passed the younger brother Nikolai Pavlovich.
The people began to say that the emperor falsified his death and became the hermit of Fedor Kuzmich. Such a legend was very popular in the life of this truly existing elder, and in the XIX century received additional argumentation. The fact is that I managed to compare the handwriting of Alexander I and Fyodor Kuzmich, who turned out to be almost identical. Moreover, today, scientists have a real project compared to DNA of these people, but so far this expertise was conducted.