ALEXANDER I TSAR OF RUSSIA 1777-1825

Alexander had been educated by his grandmother Catherine II the Great whose untimely death spoilt her plan to pass over her unstable son Paul and make Alexander tsar.

For five years his father Paul I tyrannised Russia before he was murdered in 1801.

Alexander reformed Russia and correct many of his father injustice. He introduced public education but was not able to abolish serfdom because the nobility would have turned against him. His adviser, Mikhail Speransky, pressed for more liberal constitutions, but the nobles brought about Speransky’s fall in 1812.

At first, Alexander I, supported the coalition against Napoleon. The defeat at Austerlitz in 1805 and at Friedland in 1807 resulted in a ”Treaty of Tilsit”. Alexander then allied with Napoleon and supported the Continental System against trade with Britain.

His wars with Persia (1804-14) and Turkey (1806-1812) won him territories including Georgia.

Napoleon invaded Russia in 1812 as revenge for Alexander not joining him against Austria in 1809. Alexander stated: “Napoleon or I. From now on we cannot reign together.”

Alexander did not make peace even after Moscow was destroyed. His army helped to defeat Napoleon’s Grande Armee at Leipzig in 1813.  He pushed him back to Paris and secured Napoleon’s abdication.

RUSSIAN ARMY AT PARIS, FRANCE

Alexander then formed a Holy Alliance of European’s monarchs, which was based on Christian love to bring about peace.

Ideal but there is always an opposition who spread fear for revolt. Alexander became more hostile to reform at home.  The final chapter of his life is not clear. Alexander was reported to have died in the Crimea, but rumours have it that he had disappeared to Siberia and became a hermit; even so he had an official burial in St Peter and Paul Cathedral in St Petersburg.

Their two children died young. after that they lived separate lives and Alexander had a number of affairs. Only when he was ill they became reconciled.  The next tsar was his brother Nicholas I.