Lectures for students on Russian history (Методика освоения содержания предметного образования (История)). Учебное пособие

of 19 October the first units of the Grand Army began to leave Moscow.

of Moscow there was an engagement with Cossacks and found Kutuzov barring the route he had planned to take, that’s why near Borodino he rejoined the road by which he had marched to Moscow, the road where most villages had been burned and all food removed.

On 29 October snow fell, and it was cold: on 6 of November – 22 °C at night. Napoleon reached Smolensk on 9 November and left it on 14 November. Two fresh armies were waiting for Great Army:

Wittgenstein’s from the north, Admiral Tchitchagov’s from the south; they were like the two jaws of a bear-trap, poised to crush Napoleon before he could get across the next major obstacle, the Beresina river. The crossing of the Beresina is one of the most remarkable feats in the history of warfare. At 10 in the evening of 5 December Napoleon left Russia by sleigh, it was -25°C.

The losses were immense huge and in some ways the losses of the horses were even more important than the losses of the man, because even after losing half a million men in Russia which was simply unprecedented in European history what he couldn't do was make up for the loss of trained cavalry and trained artillery and in that sense the retreat was vastly important because the French cavalry was virtually wiped out. Napoleon had entered Russia with the largest army in European history by the time they reach the Polish border is ground are may have been reduced to barely 25,000.

Once in Paris he said that he had an enemy in the “colossus of Russia”, trying to justify himself he had made two mistakes – the first in July, when he had “though to obtain in 1 year what could only be gained by two campaigns”; second mistake – was that, having gone to Moscow, he remained too long. It’s interesting that Napoleon accused himself only of having failed to act quickly enough.

For Alexander the burning of Moscow had sparked a mystical

of Europe to their rightful monarchs. Armies from Prussia and Austria joined the crusade. In 1814 with the tsar Alexander himself at command allied forces swept across Europe to the gates of Paris. Alexander entered Paris in unopposed triumph. For the entire 18th century, Russia had been drawing itself closer and closer to Europe trying to prove that it was actual an equal partner in the family of Europe and there were the Russians who were leading allied troops from all of Europe to unseat the evil usurper.

There in the land of the Enlightenment and the revolution Russian Guardsmen experienced the reality of liberal politics for the first time, ideas of a constitutional monarchy not absolutist monarchy. The idea about civil and political rights was something that all people should enjoy. The idea of such quality before the law should be and indeed a regime based on rule by law should be the foundation for any modern state. Many young officers who had ridden by Alexander into Paris returned home with passionate ideas of liberty and reform. They met in secret and plotted the unthinkable – a constitution for absolutist Russia. Revolution societies sprang up in military units across the country. They had no confidence that the Tsar would lead liberal reforms and introduce Constitution. Alexander withdrew into prayer and meditation.

On the 19th of November 1825 the emperor died. He died childless, leaving the throne to his younger brother Nicholas.

Tasks

1.Answer the following questions:

1.What kind of sovereign was Paul I?

2.How can you describe the relations of Alexander and his father? Was Alexander a good son?

3.What was the aim of Alexander’s policy?

4.What kind of person was Alexander I? Was he a self-confident person?

5.What was the result of Alexander’s reforms?

6.Why the War of 1812 was called the Great by contemporaries?

2. Watch video “History of Russian Empire” (Matteo Zilli, part

14-15 of 20) and summarize new information: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03hZmJnHosQ.

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3. Topics for writing essay.

1.Russia as Napoleon's golden dream.

2.Alexander I – “Northern sphinx”

3.Alexander I and Napoleon: common and different features.

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Lecture 8. NICOLAS I

Nicolas was not brought up to be an Emperor. He was the third son of Paul I. Nicolas was 19 years younger than his brother Alexander. So, while Alexander I was a child of the Enlightment, Nicolas I was not. Nicolas grew up in an atmosphere of hostility to revolution and breaking revolution. Nicolas was attracted by engineering and military affairs. He had several trips across Russia and visited Britain when he was young. But he was very conservative. Everything changed dramatically in 1819. Alexander I had no children and his brother Constantine renounced the throne because he was next in succession line. Nicolas didn’t want to rule, because he had no necessary skills and knowledge for this.

Formally his life didn’t change.

The sudden death of Alexander I in November 1825 during a trip far away from Saint-Petersburg was a shock for Russian monarchy. The army swore to Constantine because he was the second after brother and he was appointed as an heir in Alexander’s testament, but he lost his right to rule because of his marriage to Polish woman. The succession from Alexander to Nicolas was held in a secret, Nicolas hesitated to ascend the throne. The uncertainty lasted for more than 20 days after that Nicolas was forced to become an Emperor. None of this had been

the absolute monarchy. In the confusion of the power vacuum the radicals realized that they might never have a better chance. A group of young army officers, later known as Decembrists in Russian history, tried

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to change political system. The 14th of December 1825, this was the day when the army was to take the oath of allegiance to new Russian Emperor Nicolas I. Rebel officers, gathered in Senate Square in St. Petersburg. They began demanding a new form of government with a constitution. By the afternoon 700 rebels and troops loyal to Nicolas attacked each other in the square.

On December 14th, 1825 Tsar Nicholas I turned his gun against

a constitution for Russia. Nicholas treated the incident of the rebellion according to a taste of Tsar’s rule. He crushed what was frighten him and to persuade him for the rest of his life that there was a real risk of revolution in Russia. Nicholas sent most of them (about 121) to the exile to Siberia, five leaders of the Decemberists were sent to the gallow.

So, the start of Nicolas’s reign was bloody and dramatic. Under Nicholas the absolute rule became Russian official Creed. He declared democracy or a constitution out of the question. He had never thought that any system could be better than that by which kings was delegated by Providence to govern. The masses in the Russian Empire politics were illegal. There were no legal political parties. One could not write what one believed, one couldn’t discuss ideas, politics legally or one was driven underground into secret small cells. Russian elite still wanted their share of power: aristocrats, intellectuals and entrepreneurs all dreamed of changing society. They were humiliated by Russian backwardness. They didn't have the same political rights that upper class people had in England or France, even to discuss rebellion was a crime. The secret police forced the Emperor's will with exile and execution.

Nicolas was deeply religious person who was hard working and preferred simple life. The Emperor Nicolas hated revolutionary ideas.

That’s why special secret police was established for seeking rebellions and democratic ideas in Russia. Many people were under the control of this police such as A. Pushkin, M. Lermontov and others. New Ustav of censorship was established and it was very strict and called “cast-

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iron”. After this many liberal newspapers and magazines and books were considered as revolutionary and prohibited for publishing.

Only one man dared to publicly to express the universal longing

expression could be a crime”. Alexander Pushkin was a national hero but on January 27, 1837 he had a fatal appointment after that the poet had challenged an officer of the guard to a duel. The guardsmen had flirted with Pushkin’s wife, his honor and reputation were at stake and in Tsarist Russia a man's honor was more precious to life. The great poet’s death was a national tragedy. It was only a drop of blood compared to the tragedies to come while political change was suppressed in Russia.

Outside the Empire revolutions were already shaking the Ancient Order in Western Europe. The Industrial Revolution was booming nationalism, socialism and democracy followed in its wake, in 1848

on the very doorstep of Russia. Russian troops marched to the Habsburg Empire to stifle Hungarian uprising. Royalists regrouped crushing revolts all across the continent. Tsar Nicholas was proclaimed “the arm of Europe, the gendarme” who kept Europe safe for monarchy, the idea of a powerful and overwhelming mighty was to act as a bulwark against

Anarchy. It was very much in the center of Nicholas’ mentality and his conception of his role in Russian faith, in Russian power.

Revolutionary ideas and dissent were suppressed very cruelty inside and outside of Russia. At the beginning of the 1830s Nicolas suppressed a Polish rebellion and Poland lost its independent and Constitution and became an ordinary Russian province after it. The second punishment under Nicolas I was connected with famous Russian writer F. Dostoevskiy but that time the plotters were forgiven by Emperor before hanging and sent to exile.

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Nicolas I tried to strengthen stability in Russia. New Code of Laws was established by M. Speranskiy. Financial reform was undergone. Russian silver rouble became more powerful and stronger and new paper currency was introduced. This reform was very successful and state budget got additional money. Emperor Nicolas even tried to make lives of peasants better and the reform was written for state peasants but it failed miserably. And some rebellions of state peasants took place.

National doctrine was written by Prince S. Uvarov which proclaimed the main ideas such as “autocracy, orthodoxy and nationality”.

The foundation of this theory was Russian traditional values and specific features of Russian culture. After this doctrine Russian society was splitted into 2 parts: “Slavophiles” and “Westernisers”. The first

to follow Europe in their development.

He encouraged the development of technical education and engineering sciences but he cut the rights and privileges of universities. Numbers of students were limited by increasing fee for the education.

Nicolas expanded territory of Russia by getting control of the Far East and pushing the borders to the Pacific Ocean. But at the end of his reign Nicolas faced to great military disaster in Crimean war of 1853-1856.

For saving the rights of kings Nicholas turned his eyes on Turkey and the Balkans. The Tsar dreamed of extending Russian domain over the remnants of the dying Ottoman Empire in 1853, that's why Russian forces attacked the Turkish Balkans and the Black Sea ports. Russian grab for control of the Ottoman Empire set off alarms in London and Paris. So England and France rushed in to prop up the Turks. The Crimean War for Russia was a war with the Western powers. It would be a rude awakening. Crimean War showed that Russia actually was not as

The Russian fight and move with the technology of the preindustrial era with ill equipped, outgunned and outmaneuvered army was very weak. Tsarist military machine as Nicholas had come to believe was invincible, was thrown back, trapped in trenches. Russian troops waged a losing battle. This was the Russian army that had been defeated. They had an inflated sense of the strength of their own army. There were decades of deterioration in the Russian army after that it really became clear during the war itself. Before the Crimean War Russia was considered the greatest military power in the world. During the Crimean War Russian troops were dying on the Russian soil. There's tremendous

reviewed his troops under a cold driving rain. The next day he came down with pneumonia, one week later he was dead. Some people

The crown and the Empire in crisis fell to Nicholas’ son Alexander.

Tasks 1. Answer the following questions:

1.What were the causes of the Decembrists’ uprising?

2.How can you describe Nicolas I as a personality and Emperor?

3.What kind of reforms took place under Nicolas I?

4.What was the situation in Europe?

5.Why Nicolas was called “gendarme”?

6.What was the result of his reign?

2.Watch video “History of Russian Empire” (Matteo Zilli, part 16 of 20) and summarize new information: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlaLQPhe-Qk.

3.Topics for writing essay.

1.Speransky’s role in the life of Russia and his fate in general.

2.Heroic devotion of women who followed their husbands to Siberia.

3.Decembrists’ revolt and its influence in Russian history.

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Lecture 9. INTELLIGENTSIA AND GREAT REFORMS

Alexander II was the eldest son of Nicolas I and was prepared for the throne from his childhood. His tutor was Vasiliy Zhukovskiy. His education programme included languages (French, English, German, Polish), sciences, arts and military training. At the age of 19 Alexander Nikolaevich had extensive tour around Russia and Europe: he visited Siberia, had meetings with several Decembrists, and visited England, Queen Victoria and fell in love with her. In Germany he fell in love again with Princess Maximilliane-Willhelmina Hesse-Darmshtadt in 1841. During this trip Alexander met his future wife, they had eight children.

Alexander became Tsar after his father’s death at the age of 36. From his father Nicolas I Alexander II inherited Crimean War. Russian economy couldn’t support this war, because loses were very great. That’s why Tsar started peace talks in Paris. According Paris peace Russia lost its dominance on the Balkans and the Black Sea was closed for Russian fleet. The Crimean War proved that Russia wasn’t a great military power and couldn’t be an industrial country. Russia hoped to find a new

European ally and good relations with Germany and Bismark were cultivated.

The main problem of Russia was existence of serfdom. Many liberals forced Tsar to abolish serfdom but landowners opposed this. The years from 1856 to 1861 were the age of debate on it. In 1861 Alexander issued Emancipation Manifesto. Personal serfdom was abolished but peasants had to buy or rent land from their ex-masters. The Emancipation of peasants led other reforms in all spheres of life: education, army, local government and judicial sphere.

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In 1863, January Uprising took place in Poland and was suppressed after 18 months of lighting. Thousand of Poles were exiled to Siberia and lands were confiscated. After that strict control Poland was imposed.

In 1864 Alexander II allowed each district to set up a Zemstvo – a local council with powers to build roads, schools and hospitals. Zemstvo could raise money through taxation and had right to elect members. Alexander II introduced judicial reform, a new judicial system in 1864.

Crushing defeat in the Crimean War demonstrated need of military reform. Military reform took place in 1874. After it Russian army was equipped with new weapons and European style uniform. The navy began building the latest class of battle ships. Education was established for officers and soldiers.

Foreign relations were a problem for Russia. Alexander II dreamed to restore the status of Russia in Europe after the Crimean War. Russian army was reformed and met new European standards. In 1876 a Bulgarian revolt against the Turks raised and Russian Emperor declared war next year. Military campaign took place in Bulgaria from 1877 till 1878. Russia had a military triumph.

Alexander II had a romance with Princess Catherine Dolgorukova for 14 years and had four children from her. After a death of his wife Alexander married Princess Dolgorukova but their happiness was not very long.

The reign of Alexander II was a sharp break in Russian public opinion. The new post – 1855 generation of “Positivists” or “Realists” raised the more pragmatic problem, first articulated by N. I. Novikov: what are we to do? In responding, the intelligentsia became polarized into conservative and radical wings, with a small body of liberal opinion uneasily wedged in between. Unlike the preceding era, when ideological opponents continued to meet socially and observe ordinary politeness, in the reign of Alexander conflicts of ideas became personalized and not infrequently led to bitter antagonism.

The occasion which brought about this change was the Great Reforms inaugurated by the new monarch. The was the emancipation of the serfs,

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