After the victory over Napoleon, many representatives of the Russian intelligentsia and officers were imbued with the conviction that serfdom and autocracy were destructive for Russia. A revolutionary movement has matured in the country, whose representatives wanted to change the existing state of affairs. In December 1825, the most active members of the opposition attempted an armed uprising, after which they began to be called the Decembrists.
The origin of the Decembrist movement
The movement of revolutionaries, who were later called the Decembrists, had its own ideology. It was formed under the influence of the liberation campaigns of the Russian army in the countries of Europe. Fighting with the Napoleonic army, the best representatives of the Russian officer corps got acquainted with the political life of other countries, which was sharply different from the regime that reigned in Russia.
Many members of the nobility and advanced intelligentsia who joined the opposition movement were also familiar with the works of the French enlighteners. The ideas of the great thinkers were consonant with the thoughts of those who expressed dissatisfaction with the policies of the government of Alexander I. Many progressive-minded oppositionists hatched plans to adopt a constitution.
The spearhead of the ideology of the opposition movement was directed against tsarism and serfdom, which became a brake on the progressive development of Russia. Gradually, a network of conspirators formed in the country, waiting for the right moment to start speaking. Such conditions arose in December 1825.
Decembrist revolt
After the death of Alexander I, there were no direct heirs to the throne. Two brothers of the emperor, Nicholas and Constantine, could claim the crown. The latter had more chances to ascend the throne, but Constantine was not going to become an autocrat, because he was afraid of intrigues and palace coups. For a month of days, the brothers could not decide which of them would lead the country. As a result, Nikolai decided to take on the burden of power. The oath ceremony was to take place in the afternoon of December 14, 1825.
It was this day that the conspirators considered the most suitable for an armed uprising. The headquarters of the movement decided in the morning to advance troops sympathizing with the opposition to the Senate Square in St. Petersburg. The main forces of the rebels were supposed to prevent the oath from taking place, while other units at that time were going to seize the Winter Palace and arrest the imperial family. It was assumed that the fate of the king would be decided by the so-called Great Council.
But the participants in the uprising were disappointed: Nikolai was sworn in ahead of schedule. The confused Decembrists did not know what to do. As a result, they lined up subordinate units on Senate Square around the monument to Peter I and repelled several attacks by the troops that supported the tsar. And yet, by the evening of December 14, the uprising was suppressed.
Nicholas I took all measures to punish the Decembrists approximately. Several thousand rebels were arrested. The organizers of the uprising were brought to justice. Someone begged the tsar for forgiveness, but some of the Decembrists showed courage to the end. The court sentenced five instigators of the mutiny to be hanged. Ryleev, Pestel, Bestuzhev-Riumin, Muravyov-Apostol and Kakhovsky were executed in the summer of 1826 in the Peter and Paul Fortress. Many participants in the December speech were exiled to distant Siberia for many years.
