Emperor Alexander I

ALEXANDER I (1777-1825), Russian emperor, the eldest son of Paul I. Born on December 12 (23), 1777 in St. Petersburg. By the will of his grandmother Catherine II, he was educated in the spirit of the 18th century enlighteners. His mentor was Colonel Frederic de Laharpe, a Republican by conviction, the future leader of the Swiss revolution. In 1793 Alexander married the daughter of the Margrave of Baden, Louise Maria Augusta, who took the name of Elizaveta Alekseevna. Alexander succeeded to the throne after the assassination of his father in 1801. The chief executor of Alexander's social reforms in 1808-1812 became his state secretary M.M. Speransky, who reorganized the ministries, created the State Council and carried out financial reform. In foreign policy, Alexander participated in two coalitions against Napoleonic France (with Prussia in 1804-1805, with Austria in 1806-1807). After being defeated at Austerlitz in 1805 and Friedland in 1807, he concluded the Peace of Tilsit (1807) and an alliance with Napoleon. In 1812 Napoleon invaded Russia, but was defeated in the Patriotic War of 1812. The combined forces of the new anti-Napoleonic coalition won the Battle of Leipzig in 1813 and invaded France. Alexander, at the head of the Russian troops, together with the allies, entered Paris in the spring of 1814. He was one of the leaders of the Vienna Congress 1814-1815. In an effort to establish a new European community based on religious and political principles, he participated in the creation of the so-called. Holy Union (1815). According to official data, Alexander died in Taganrog on November 19 (December 1) 1825. There was a legend that Alexander spread a false message about his death, but in fact lived in Siberia as a hermit under the name of Fyodor Kuzmich and died in 1864 ...