Alexander I

by Ryan S. and Jordan H.

Alexander I (Pavlovish) General information:

• Born: December 12, 1777, in St. Petersburg.
• Grew up with his grandmother, Catherine the Great.
• Crowned: on March 12, 1801, in the Dormation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin
• Died: November 19, 1825, at the age of 48
• Buried in the Cathedral of the St. Peter & St. Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg
  
  

  Napoleon's Invasion

  
  
  In June of 1812 Napoleon entered Russia with 600,000 men which was one of the largest armies ever seen. One of his reasons for attacking Russia was to stop trade between Russia and Great Britain. The Russian leader, Marshal Kutuzov did not think he could defeat Napolean and all his men. Marshal's plan was to retreat from the cities and burn them. Over the summer, Napoleon and his army's supply was getting smaller and smaller and their power was also decreasing. By September of 1812, their army had lessened more than two thirds from fatigue, hunger, and ambushes by the Russian army. On September 7, with winter around the corner and the French army 70 miles away from Moscow, the two armies met at Borodino Field. At the end of the day there were 108,000 men killed. The Tsar, Kutuzov came to his senses and withdrew his forces from Moscow and also took out the citizens and their supplies. When the French entered Moscow they found a deserted capital. That night the city was set on fire by the Russians. After waiting for Alexander I to negotiate, Napoleon and his men marched back to France. The route south was blocked by Kutuzov's army and the French were forced to wait since they were in no shape for a battle. The temperatures soon fell below freezing and the French were forced to march back 500 miles to France. Out of 600,000 men, the French army came back with 10,000. Napoleon's defeat, lost him the status as a leading power in France.

  
  

  Reforms

  
  Alexander I made many extreme reforms such as:

  1. Liberating the serfs in the Baltic provinces,
  2. Issuing a decree in 1803 which let Russian landowners liberate serfs and provide them with land,
  3. Abolished torture in Russian courts,
  4. Repealed the prohibition on importation of foreign books,
  5. Allowed private printing presses to be established,
  6. In 1801, issued a decree granting merchants, burgesses, and state peasants a right to own land,
  7. Reconstructing Russia,
  8. Attempted to codify Russian legislation, and
  9. Had ideas of making schools for Russian scholars.