Alexander Pavlovich Romanov was born on December 12, 1777 in St. Petersburg. He was the beloved grandson of Catherine II and the eldest son of the heir to the throne of Paul. The child had a strained relationship with his father, so he was brought up with a crowned grandmother.
Heir to the throne
At that time, the ideas of enlightenment and humanism were popular. According to them, Alexander 1 was also brought up. A brief biography of the future monarch contained lessons based on the work of Rousseau. At the same time, the father taught the child to military affairs.
In 1793, the young man married a German princess who received the name of Elizabeth Alekseevna at baptism . Then he served in the Gatchina troops, which were created by Paul. With the death of Catherine, his father became emperor, and Alexander became his heir. In order for him to accustom himself to state affairs, Alexander was made a sitting in the Senate.
Alexander 1, whose brief biography was full of enlightenment ideas, was infinitely far from his father with his views. Paul often argued with his son and even forced him to swear allegiance several times. The emperor was manic afraid of conspiracies that were common in the 18th century.
On March 12, 1801, a palace coup was organized in St. Petersburg . In the center of it was a group of nobles. Researchers are still arguing whether Alexander knew about the plans of the conspirators. One way or another, but it is known for certain that when Paul was killed, the heir was informed about this. So he became the emperor of Russia.
The reform
The first years of rule, the policy of Alexander 1 was entirely aimed at the internal transformation of the country. The initial step was a broad amnesty. She freed many freethinkers and victims during the reign of Paul. Among them was Alexander Radishchev, who lost his will for publishing the essay "Traveling from St. Petersburg to Moscow."
In the future, Alexander relied on the opinion of high-ranking comrades-in-arms who formed an unwritten committee. Among them were friends of the emperor's youth - Pavel Stroganov, Victor Kochubei, Adam Chartorysky, etc.
Reforms were aimed at weakening serfdom. In 1803, a decree appeared on free cultivators, according to which the landowners could now free their peasants along with the land. The patriarchal orders of Russia did not allow Alexander to take more decisive steps. Nobles could resist change. But the ruler successfully banned serfdom in the Baltic states, where Russian orders were alien.
The reforms of Alexander 1 also contributed to the development of education. Additional funding received Moscow State University. The Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum was also opened (young Alexander Pushkin studied there).
Speransky Projects
The closest assistant to the emperor was Mikhail Speransky. He prepared the ministerial reform, which was approved by Alexander 1. A brief biography of the ruler received another successful initiative. New ministries replaced the ineffective colleges of the Petrine era.
In 1809, a draft was prepared on the separation of powers in the state. However, Alexander did not dare to give life to this idea. He was afraid of the murmur of the aristocracy and the next palace coup. Therefore, Speransky eventually faded into the shadows and was dismissed. Another reason reform was curtailed was the war with Napoleon.
Foreign policy
At the end of the 18th century, France survived the Great Revolution. The monarchical system was destroyed. Instead, the republic first appeared, and then the sole rule of the successful commander Napoleon Bonaparte. France, as a hotbed of revolutionary sentiment, became an opponent of the absolute monarchies of Europe. Both Catherine and Paul fought with Paris.
Emperor Alexander 1 also joined the anti-French coalition. However, the defeat at Austerlitz in 1805 led to the fact that Russia was on the verge of defeat. Then the policy of Alexander 1 changed: he met with Bonaparte and concluded a Tilsit peace with him, according to which neutrality was established, and Russia had the opportunity to annex Finland and Moldova, which was done. It was in the new northern territory that the emperor applied his reforms.
Finland was annexed as a Grand Duchy with its own Sejm and civil rights. And later this province was the freest in the whole state throughout the 19th century.
However, in 1812, Napoleon decided to attack Russia. Thus began the Patriotic War, known to all by Tolstoy's “War and Peace”. After the Battle of Borodino, Moscow was surrendered to the French, but it was Bonaparte's fleeting success. Left without resources, he fled from Russia.
Then Alexander 1, whose brief biography is full of various events, led the army in the Overseas Campaign. He triumphantly entered Paris and became the hero of all of Europe. The triumphant led the Russian delegation at the Vienna Congress. At this event, the fate of the continent was decided. By his decision, Poland was finally annexed to Russia. She was given her own constitution, which Alexander did not dare to introduce throughout the country.
Last years
The last years of the reign of the autocrat were marked by the extinction of reforms. The emperor became fascinated by mysticism and became seriously ill. He died in 1825 in Taganrog. He had no children. The dynastic crisis became the occasion for the Decembrist uprising. As a result, the younger brother of Alexander Nikolai came to power, who became a symbol of reaction and conservatism.