During the years of the reign of the new emperor, a fairly large number of reforms were undertaken, which were designed to change the management system, improve education and the life of the people as a whole. They were partially effective and played a significant role in raising the cultural level of the state. The reforms of Alexander 1 are briefly described in this article.
Reign of Alexander 1
In the history of Russia, like many other states, often a new ruler came to the throne through a series of intrigues, conspiracies and even deaths. Emperor Paul 1, the son of Catherine the Great and Peter Fedorovich (who was the grandson of Peter 1), was killed in 1801 by conspirators. There was a palace coup, and the throne was taken by Alexander Pavlovich, who becomes Alexander 1. With the advent of the new monarch, there was hope for the departure of despotic methods that were practiced in full force during the reign of Paul 1. The liberal reforms of Alexander 1, briefly indicated in the table, did not cause everyone support. More on this later.
Reforms of Alexander 1 - summary
The beginning of the 19th century was characterized by an autocratic-feudal system and the search for a new way of political and socio-economic life. Alexander 1 got the state in a difficult both external and internal situation. Upon coming to the throne, he abolished the Secret Office, banned torture and corporal punishment (for nobles and merchants). Many prisoners held in the Petropavlovskaya fortress were also released.
If we talk briefly about the reforms of Alexander 1, then long-awaited hopes were justified from the beginning of the reign - Russia saw liberal undertakings. In the same year, the Unspoken Committee was formed, whose task is to discuss the pressing issues of the life of Russians, in the center of which are serfdom, the spread of education, and state reforms. According to the royal decree, a project is being developed to abolish serfdom, but real actions contradict these intentions.
Reforms of Alexander 1 briefly - table
| Date | Reform |
| 1801 | Political amnesty. Abolition of the Secret Office. |
| 1802 |
Replacement of collegiums (created by Peter 1) by ministries under the strict autocracy of the minister. Creation of the Committee of Ministers. |
| 1803 | Regarding the free cultivators. Landlords can release peasants with land, while the latter must pay a ransom. |
| 1803 |
Introduction of a new provision regarding the organization of educational institutions. Schools at various levels (parochial, district schools, gymnasiums, universities) receive continuity. Foundation of five universities - Vilna, Derpt, Kharkov, St. Petersburg and Kazan. Before that, there was Moscow. |
| 1804 | Universities are given considerable autonomy. Now they can choose professors and rectors, make their own decisions about their affairs. In the same year - the publication of the censorship charter of a liberal nature. |
| 1804-1805 | Reform started in the B altics. The results did not meet expectations, as there was no proper follow-up. |
| 1815 | Giving a constitution to the Kingdom of Poland. |
These are the most important reforms of Alexander 1 briefly. The table contains the main part of them. Speransky became a memorable personality during the reign of Alexander 1. However, his project regarding state reforms, which could radically change the life of the state, namely, the involvement of society in the rule of the country, did not please the emperor and the ruling elite. In 1812, Speransky was expected to be removed from his posts and exiled. Speaking briefly about the reforms of Alexander 1, it is also worth mentioning that they were not ready to allow a radical change in the way of life.
Changes in education
From the 20s of the 19th century, radical actions began in relation to educational institutions. In 1821, the previously created universities - Kazan, Moscow - were destroyed. The professors suffered dismissal and trial. Created in 1817, the Ministry of Spiritual Affairs controlled all institutions of upbringing and education. Permission to import books and the creation of printing houses gave impetus to the development of education.
A significant step was the ministerial reforms of Alexander 1. Their summary: thanks to the creation of central government bodies, a strictly subordinate chain appeared, which was characterized by sole power. Ministers took the place of collegiate meetings, each of which was subordinate and accountable for their activities to the Senate. It was an attempt to rebuild the management system as a whole. This measure proved to be partially effective - central control was strengthened, but the greedy nature of man took over. Embezzlement of public funds, irresponsibility of senior officials, and bribery have reappeared. Ancient human vices have found their way into the new system.
Military settlements
In 1816, Alexander 1 came up with a way by which he was going to reduce spending on the army - military settlements. People in these settlements were obliged to simultaneously carry out military service and engage in land cultivation. The place was chosen quickly - the state lands of the provinces of Mogilev, Novgorod, St. Petersburg and Kharkov. If adescribe the military reforms of Alexander 1 briefly, then we can say that the situation of the army has worsened.
Meaning of reforms
During the reign of Alexander 1, the first steps were taken to restructure the administration of the state, but they were characterized by uncertainty. However, thanks to the transformations in education, the changes that took place in the second half of the 19th century and went down in history under the name of "great reforms" became possible. The cultural level of society has increased, the number of educated people in the state has increased, who understood how necessary changes are.
One can briefly describe the state reforms of Alexander 1 as follows - a large number of formations took place in the country, and the new ruler acted more deliberately than his predecessor. The emperor and his associates pursued two goals - they tried to equalize the estates in the eyes of the law, and also sought to unite them in joint activities. However, the difficult time during which the wars and changes in the political structure fell put pressure on the financial condition of the country, which, in turn, was reflected in the amount of dues asked from the people. In order to improve the welfare of the state, new laws were introduced that lowered the welfare of ordinary people.
End of reign
Alexander 1 was well aware that dissatisfaction with his policy is growing, and it does not lead the state to the desired haste. Meanwhile it startsheat up and the international situation. The emperor moves away from the affairs and concerns of the country, devotes more and more time to traveling. He died at the age of 48 in Taganrog during a trip.
