Autocracy ruled in Russia under the command of the Romanov Tsars
for centuries. But in the 19th century was a century of change and Russia was
no immune. Explore how a pursuit of change led to revolt of men called the Decembrist.
The Decembrist Revolt of December 26,
1825 was sparked by noble young men who served in the army during the
Napoleonic War. The Napoleonic War influenced Russian troops with the ideas of
the Enlightenment, which question autocratic rule and its foundation of divine
right. These ideas threatened the very existence of the autocratic power held
by Romanovs. And indeed, it stroke a blow at the heart of the Tsarist regime
itself.
Prologue
to the Revolt
Russia
before the revolt was a major power in Europe. Its army was one of the greatest
in Europe. Russia’s territory stretched from Poland to Alaska and from the
Arctic Sea to the Caucasus. The aristocracy enjoyed enormous benefits and
privileges. It came under Catherine the Great’s rule and her so-called benevolent absolutism or enlightened despotism. But for the peasants and serfs, all remained constant if
not worse. Nevertheless, Catherine’s rule became a beacon and a model for some
of her successor including his grandson Alexander
I.
The ideas
of the Enlightenment founded the reign of Russia’s benevolent despots or so
they claimed. The ideas espoused by the writers Voltaire, Rousseau and others
promoted liberty, equality and humanism. In 1791, these ideas exploded in a
revolution that ended absolute rule in France. Europe trembled and scrambled to
end the revolution and reinstate absolute monarchy. However, the coalition faltered
when Napoleon Bonaparte led the French army in conquering Europe and spreading
the ideas of the Revolution and the Enlightenment.
Russia
under Alexander I joined the allies in crushing Napoleon. After decades of
fighting, in 1815, Napoleon was defeated and exiled. Although Napoleon’s
conquest ended the ideas that he promulgated continued to spread across Europe.
And even the Russian winter failed to prevent the entry of these ideas as it
did to Napoleon. Military officers, mostly young and from the educated nobility,
exposed themselves to the ideas of the Enlightenment during their campaigns in
Europe.
Enlightenment
among Russians
Young
Russian officers and members of the nobility became strongly influenced by the
Enlightenment, liberal, and reformist ideals. Many of them saw the freedom and
liberties that the Enlightenment taught differed greatly from the strict and
constrained Russian society. Most especially, they started to criticize the
most controversial institution in Russia other than autocracy – serfdom. With great
vigor and energy of youth, they actively in shared their views with other
like-minded individuals and formed societies.
Union of
Salvation
The Union
of Salvation was founded by these young veterans of the Napoleonic War.
Established in 1816 and also known as the Faithful and True Sons of the
Fatherland, it included several experienced officers from the lesser nobilities
of Russia. It included men like Nikita Muraviev (Muravyov) and his cousin
Alexander Muraviev, Sergei Trubetsko, Ivan Yakushkin, the brothers Matvei and
Sergei Muraviev-Apostol, Peter Kakhovsky, the poet Kondrati Ryleyev, Mikhail
Bestuzhev Riumin, and finally a strong radical colonel named Pavel Pestel.
Together they planned on how to reform and improve Russia towards a freer
society. In 1818, the organization changed its name to Union of Welfare.
However, as the years passed, differences in their ideas of reform split the
group in 1821 and two societies emerged.
The
Decembrist Societies
Northern Society
The
Northern Society, centered in the Russian capital of St. Petersburg, took a
moderate stand on the type of government that Russia should have. Nikita
Muraviev emerged as its leader and included members from ancient boyar families
like Sergei Trubetskoi, Evgeny Obolensky, and Alexander Odoevsky.
Their
group desired to abolish Russian autocracy and revert back to the situation
that Empress Anna had in 1730. Muraviev himself wrote a constitution
that they planned to promulgate once they had the chance. It called for a
constitutional monarchy and federal type of government.
According
to Muraviev’s Constitution, Russia would have 13 states and two provinces, each
having their own capital and governor exercising greater local autonomy. It
called for the creation of a bicameral legislature composing of the Supreme
Duma and the House of Representatives. It also promised greater personal
liberties such as freedom of worship and expression. Most importantly, it abolished
slavery and ancient old institution of serfdom.
The
Northern Society continued to support social hierarchy with a powerful wealthy
elite ruling at the top. The Muraviev Constitution codified a caste system
based on an individual’s wealth. Suffrage or right to vote was meant only for
the highest echelons of the new social hierarchy. They resisted massive agrarian
reforms such as land redistribution. Although reform-minded, liberal and
constitutionalist, the Northern Society continued to give importance to the
status of the wealthy and privilege in Russia.
Southern
Society
The
Southern Society, meanwhile, differed in belief with the Northern Society.
Centered in Tulchin, a headquarters for a Russian army in Ukraine, it had more
radical and extreme view in reforming Russia. Pavel Pestel took the prominent
role as its figure.
Pastel, a
colonel who received education from Dresden, was heavily influenced by the
works of Montesquieu, Rousseau, and Voltaire. In 1824, he published his famous
work, the Russkaya Pravda or Russian
Truth, a manifesto of Pestel’s view. Here, he attacked the idea of Federalism
that the Northern Society wanted, citing that Federalism made laws from the
central government as advices, loyalty to the state meant loyalty to one’s
region, and that enforcing compliance to the law could bring civil war.
He
wanted, instead, to establish a strong centralized republican government. He
did not want the Romanovs to remain either. He wanted to exterminate all of them
at all cause in order “to destroy any obstacle in the creation of a Russian
Republic,” A radical move that made Pestel an extremist in the eyes of many.
Pestel envisioned the creation of a unicameral legislature with the State Duma
with 5 members elected for 5 year terms. Alongside the State Duma was Supreme
Council of 120 members to serve as judicial and supervisory body.
In
addition to a republican government and regicide, he was against any further social
stratification and called for all men to stand equal in the eyes of law. He
promoted universal suffrage regardless of wealth. Pestel as well called for the
abolition of serfdom and slavery alongside the implementation of free trade and
deregulation.
Nevertheless,
Pestel took a harsh stand when it came to other beliefs and expression. He
showed intolerance and wanted to outlaw and persecute any ideas deviating from
his. He also desired the strengthening of Russian identity, where he wanted
minorities and immigrants to assimilate to Russian culture or leave the
country. Henceforth, he showed great hostilities towards Jews. Pestel wanted
the Jews, who refuse to assimilate, to be deported.
On the
other hand, he took a different view when it came to Poland. He saw Poland as
an ally and made a pact with Polish nationalists that once the Southern Society
succeeded, they would grant Poland its independence under the condition it
follows the society and government they would impose over Russia.
For
years, this groups waited to find the right opportunity to enact their reforms.
In 1825 an event occurred that led to what became known as the Decembrist
Revolt.
Russian
Autocracy and Death of Tsar Alexander I
Autocracy
guided the rule of the Tsars in Russia for centuries. The Romanovs used this to
enact their will with no question. Dissension meant death or exile to Siberia.
The words of the Romanovs were the law of the land. In 1762, Catherine the Great,
an admirer of the liberal ideals of the Enlightenment, started to rule under
the slogan of Benevolent
Despotism or Absolutism. With her absolute power, he
allowed liberal policies such as lesser censorship and greater freedom of
movement and cultural activities. But
she continued to stomp out criticisms on the power of the Tsars especially
during her last years. Although she wanted to be popular, her reforms’ benefited only the privileged and the elite.
Alexander I followed her grandmother's example. Nevertheless, when
riots by the Semenovsky Regiment began in 1820 due to the strict life brought
by his unpopular military settlement. It caused a wave of reactionary policies
that made life more constraining in Russia. Liberal societies were watched
closely by the authorities.
Death of
Alexander I
The death
of Alexander I on November 19, 1825 and the confusion that followed was a
signal for the societies to act. In 1825, while taking a respite in the
southern city of Taganrog, Alexander
I contracted typhus and passed away. The late Tsar left no
heir and the throne naturally went to his younger brother Konstantine
(Constantine). However, years before, Constantine already made clear to Alexander
that he had no desire on becoming a Tsar. Alexander understood him, because he
himself knew the burdens of becoming a Tsar. And so he created a secret will,
known only to some, passing the throne to their younger brother Nicholas – a engineering enthusiast, military man, authoritarian, and unpopular
to soldiers. When news of Alexander death arrived in St. Petersburg, however,
it took days before the secret will went public and recognized. Nicholas himself did not knew about it and pledged his allegiance to
his older brother. After which, some army units took their oath of allegiance to
Constantine as well. But Constantine refused to accept the throne and the
secret will was announced. Nicholas refused to accept its contents and riders
from St. Petersburg rode to Warsaw, where Constantine served as the viceroy of
Poland, to make the situation clear.
Eventually,
on December 10 (Old Calendar), dispatch from Warsaw returned confirming
Constantine’s renunciation of the throne. The half-month duration of Russia’s
leaderless status and the confusion over the succession ignited the Northern Society
to move.
Explore also:
Bibliography:
General
References:
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Ukraine. Edited by Ivan Katchanovski et. al. Lanham, Maryland: The
Scarecrow Press, Inc., 2013.
Gleason, Abbott. "Russian
Decembrist Revolt (1825)." In The
Encyclopedia of Political Revolutions. Edited by Jack Goldstone. New York,
New York: Routledge, 1998.
Books:
Chamberlin, William Henry. The Russian Revolution, Volume I:
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Julicher, Peter. Renegades, Rebels and Rogues Under
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Kort, Michael. A Brief History of Russia. New
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Mohrenschildt, Dimitry Von. Toward a United States of Russia:
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Raleigh, Donald (ed.). The Emperors and Empresses of
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Walicki, Andrzej. A History of Russian Thought: From
the Englightenment to Marxism. Stanford, California: Stanford University
Press, 1979.
Websites:
Encyclopædia Britannica Online,
s. v. "Pavel Ivanovich Pestel", accessed November 21, 2015, http://www.britannica.com/biography/Pavel-Ivanovich-Pestel.
Granville, Johanna. "Muraviev, Nikita." Encyclopedia of Russian
History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (November 21, 2015). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3404100870.html
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