Historical Figure
Nicholas I of Russia
b. 1796
Emperor of Russia from 1825 to 1855
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Biography
Nicholas I was Emperor of Russia, King of Congress Poland, and Grand Duke of Finland from 1825 to 1855. He was the third son of Paul I and younger brother of his predecessor, Alexander I. Nicholas's twenty nine-year reign began with the failed Decembrist revolt. He is mainly remembered as a reactionary whose controversial reign was marked by geographical expansion, centralisation of administrative policies, and repression of dissent both in Russia and among its neighbors. Nicholas had a happy marriage that produced a large family, with all of their seven children surviving childhood.
Timeline
The story of Nicholas I of Russia, told in moments.
Became emperor after his brother Alexander I died and his other brother Constantine declined the throne. On his first day, 3,000 soldiers refused to swear loyalty. Nicholas crushed the Decembrist Revolt with grapeshot in Senate Square.
Established the doctrine of "Orthodoxy, Autocracy, and Nationality" as the ideological foundation of his reign. Created the Third Section, a secret police force that monitored political dissent, censored the press, and opened private mail.
Sent 100,000 Russian troops to crush the Hungarian Revolution, rescuing the Habsburg Empire from collapse. European liberals called him the "Gendarme of Europe." He accepted the title as a compliment.
The Crimean War began. Nicholas expected a quick victory over the Ottomans. Instead, Britain and France entered against Russia. The war exposed catastrophic failures in Russian military logistics, supply, and medicine.
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