Nicholas I of Russia

Lore & Background

He was the third son of Paul I and younger brother of his predecessor, Alexander I. With two older brothers, it initially seemed unlikely Nicholas would ever become Tsar, but after Alexander and Constantine failed to produce legitimate sons, he came to attention as likely to rule. Nicholas saw himself as a soldier—a junior officer consumed by spit and polish. Trained as a military engineer, he was a stickler for minute detail. His biographer Nicholas V. Riasanovsky stated that he displayed determination, singleness of purpose, and an iron will, along with a powerful sense of duty and a dedication to very hard work. In his public persona, he came to represent autocracy personified: infinitely majestic, determined and powerful, hard as stone, and relentless as fate. He had a happy marriage that produced a large family, with all of their seven children surviving childhood. Historians emphasize that his micromanagement of the armies hindered his generals, as did his misguided strategy.

Reader's Guide

Nicholas I's reign is often judged as a catastrophic failure in both domestic and foreign policy. His response to the Decembrist revolt set a tone of repression: he established the Third Section of the Imperial Chancellery, which ran a network of spies and informers, and exercised censorship over education, publishing, and public life. Nicholas disliked serfdom but declined to abolish it for reasons of state, fearing the aristocracy might turn against him. On the eve of his death, the Russian Empire spanned over 20 million square kilometers but had a desperate need for reform. His legacy is that of a reactionary autocrat whose policies stifled dissent and modernisation, contributing to Russia's later crises.

Did You Know?

• Nicholas I was the third son of Paul I and younger brother of his predecessor, Alexander I.
• He was instrumental in helping to create an independent Greek state.