As the third born son of Pavel (Paul) I, Nikolai ascended the Russian throne quite by happenstance. His eldest brother, Aleksandr I, died childless and his second brother (Konstantin) secretly abdicated his rights after marrying a Polish princess. And so Nikolai Pavlovich became a part of Russian history when he became Emperor of Russia in 1825 amidst the Decembrist Revolution (a military protest against Nikolai’s ascension). Nikolai quickly (and brutally) quashed the revolt; but it obviously left a lasting impression. Nikolai I hated uprising, and feared rebellion. It was for these reasons that he placed a high value on order and discipline through military power and intimidation. During his reign (1825-1855) Nikolai I was the most notorious autocratic leader in all of Europe. His fears of rebellion led to censorship and persecution of liberal intellectuals. However it is when intellectual expression is subjugated that genius emerges, so it’s no accident that the golden age of Russian literature began in such an atmosphere under the influences of Aleksandr Pushkin, Nikolai Gogol and Mikhail Lermontov. Nikolai I’s reign was oppressive and tyrannical and therefore ultimately inadequate. He brutally crushed an uprising in Poland and aided the Austrians to put down a Hungarian revolt. He bullied his way into the collapsing Ottoman Empire to seize a position on the Black Sea and set in motion the devastating Crimean War. To his credit, the man did love Russia and believed he was doing what was best for the Russian people; it’s just that his efforts were misguided. His lasting legacy is that of the archetypal autocrat. And nobody likes an autocrat.
