The reign of Paul 1 is one of the most mysterious periods in Russian history. He ascended the throne after his mother (the great Catherine 2), but could not become a worthy successor to her policy.
The years of the reign of Paul 1 - 1796-1801. During these five years he managed to do a lot, including the nobility and other statesmen who did not like much. Paul 1 did not like his mother and her politics. This attitude was, in particular, because Catherine 2, fearing for her rights to the throne, did not allow her son to participate in state affairs. Therefore, he lived and dreamed of how to lead his empire.
The reign of Paul 1 began with a change in the succession system. It should be recalled that the traditional order of inheritance was first changed by Tsarist and then imperial power to Peter 1, which served as the beginning of the Palace coups. Paul 1 returned everything to its place: power was again transferred along the male line (by seniority). His order forever removed women from power. By changing the inheritance system of the throne, the new emperor got rid of those people who occupied prominent public places during the reign of his mother. Thus, Paul formed a new nobility and got rid of the old overseers. He also enacted a “three-day corvee decree” and lifted the ban on peasants complaining about their masters. This gives the right to say that the emperor’s social policy was aimed at easing serfdom.
The nobles, landowners, and everyone who owned the peasants were very dissatisfied with these measures. The hostility to Paul and the significant restriction of the Charter of the Nobility adopted by his mother intensified. In his immediate environment, thoughts began to arise about the overthrow of the emperor and the ascension to the throne of his son, the future Alexander 1.
The reign of Paul 1 (a brief description will be supplemented below) was favorable for the peasant population of the country. But what happened in domestic politics?
Paul 1 was a lover of the Prussian order, but this love did not reach fanaticism. Having completely lost confidence and become disillusioned with England, he goes on rapprochement with another great power - France. The result of this rapprochement, Paul saw a successful struggle with the Ottoman Empire and the isolation of England, as well as the struggle for their colonies. Paul decides to send the Cossacks to capture India, but this campaign was economically disadvantageous for the country and also intensified the brewing contradictions between the government and the nobility. It is worth noting that the reign of Paul 1 was too dependent on his mood: orders were taken very thoughtlessly and spontaneously, spontaneous decisions were sometimes too strange.
In March 1801, a coup d'etat took place, after which the emperor was killed (according to many historians, the conspirators did not want to kill him, but after refusing to abdicate, they decided to take this step).
The reign of Paul 1 was, although short, but left a bright mark in the history of our country. He did a lot for the peasantry, but not enough for the nobles and landlords, for which he was killed by the conspirators.