There are many people in the world who call for something and then tear their hair out when it happens.

As soon as he ascended the throne, Paul 1 changed the order of succession to the throne in Russia, which had been in effect without changes since the time of Peter the Great. Paul 1 changed the position that the future monarch is determined by the will of the incumbent. From now on, only representatives of the ruling dynasty had rights to the throne. male line in order of seniority. Thus began the internal policy of Emperor Paul 1.

The next stage of Paul 1’s actions within the country was the search for associates and winning the love and respect of most of the people. To achieve these goals, Paul 1 almost completely removed from power all the officials who served Empress Catherine. New officials loyal to Emperor Paul were appointed to fill the vacant positions. The domestic policy of Paul 1 continued to soften the living conditions of the peasants. First of all, the emperor repealed the law that prohibited peasants from complaining about the landowners. After this, all types of corporal punishment for peasants were abolished, all arrears from peasants were canceled, the amount of which at the time Pavle 1 came to power exceeded 7 million rubles. In addition, Paul 1 reduced corvee throughout the country. If earlier corvee (free work of peasants on the landowner's fields) was 6 days a week, now it should not exceed 3 days a week. The imperial decree also prohibited the involvement of peasants in corvée work on weekends, as well as on religious holidays.

The main events of the emperor's policy

The internal policy of Paul 1 continued with the solution of the food issue in the country. The country was extremely high prices for all types of food. To solve this problem, Paul 1 issued a decree according to which everyone was obliged to trade at reduced prices for food obtained from state reserves.

New Emperor He tried to instill fear and respect for his person in everyone. As a result, massive repressions began in the country. At the same time, the emperor did not look at the rank or origin of the accused. Paul 1 was not interested in violations either; sometimes nobles who simply violated their dress code were exiled and deprived of all titles and privileges. Paul 1 liked to repeat that there are practically no noble people in his country, and those with whom the emperor deigns to speak are considered noble, and exactly as long as the emperor speaks to him. The domestic policy of Paul 1 was extremely cruel for the country's elite. The secret chancellery, which dealt with such cases, met almost without interruption. In total, during the reign of Emperor Paul 1, 721 cases were processed through the Secret Chancellery, which amounted to almost 180 cases per year. For example, during the reign of Empress Catherine 2, the secret chancellery met on average 25 times a year, investigating 1 case per convocation.

Controversy in domestic politics

The problem of studying the era of Paul 1 is that this emperor brought almost any undertaking to the point of insanity, when ideas were simultaneously implemented that were radically different from each other and which led to contradictions. That is why today they say that Paul’s internal policy was very contradictory and there were a lot of dark spots in it. For example:

• Attitude towards revolutionaries. Pavel 1 tried to show his loyalty to the revolutionaries, as a result of which he returned Radishchev, Kosciuszko, Novikov and others from exile. At the same time, he evilly persecutes everyone who has anything to do with the French Revolution.
• Politics in the army. The Emperor prohibits the admission of minors into the guard. This is an absolute plus, but at the same time the same emperor is reforming the army in the Prussian manner (the Prussian army has never been distinguished for its strength and skill).
• Peasant question. One of the main undertakings domestic policy Emperor - a decree on three-day corvee, which significantly limited the powers of serf owners. On the other hand, the emperor issues a decree and literally showers all landowners with new lands.
• Public administration. A law on succession to the throne is adopted (it had long been outdated and needed reform), but Paul simultaneously eliminated many colleges, which led to chaos within the country.

The domestic policy of Paul 1 also affected reforms in the army. True, they were not widespread and affected, first of all, the relationship between a soldier and an officer. Paul 1 prohibited cruel punishment of soldiers by officers. For violating this prohibition, the punishments for officers were the most severe and were no different from the punishments for soldiers who allowed themselves to insult an officer.

In whose interests did Paul 1 rule?

Paul 1 pursued internal policies to strengthen his power, and also tried to ease the role of common man. The emperor's internal policy was carried out in the interests of ordinary categories of the population. Naturally, this displeased the major nobles, who regularly plotted against their emperor. As a result, the internal policy of Paul 1 became one of the components of the future conspiracy against the emperor. A conspiracy that cost Pavel 1 his life.

Born September 20, 1754. WITH early years he was taught literacy and various sciences. The future Emperor studied history, mathematics, foreign languages and geography.

According to the recollections of his teachers, Pavel was a man of lively mind, beautifully gifted by nature. His childhood was difficult; he lost his father early. Moreover, he lost it, as he himself believed, through the fault of his mother. Pavel loved Pyotr Fedorovich very much, and could not forgive his mother for his death.

At the age of 17, Catherine II married her son to Princess Wilhelmina, who was named Natalya Alekseevna at baptism. Natalya died during childbirth.

In 1776, Paul I married for the second time. The wife of the heir to the Russian throne was Sophia-Dorothe, who at baptism took the name Maria Fedorovna. Maria Feodorovna was related to the Prussian king. Apparently under the influence of his wife, he began to like many German customs.

Meanwhile, relations between Pavel Petrovich and Catherine II became increasingly cool. After the wedding, Catherine II gave the couple Gatchina. In fact, this was a real exile, an attempt to remove the heir from the court.

Here in Gatchina, Paul I has his own army; they send him half a company of sailors, an infantry battalion, and a cuirassier regiment. Pavel Petrovich devotes a lot of time to his soldiers. Organizes various teachings and shows.

In 1777, his son was born, named Alexander. The boy was immediately taken from his parents, and his upbringing was carried out by people appointed by the empress herself.

Pavel and Maria could visit their son only on special days. Pavel tried to participate in political life country, but his mother suppressed any of his undertakings and initiatives.

After the death of Catherine II, Paul I was crowned king. Pavel Petrovich ascended the throne without much skill government controlled. When he became monarch, he was already 42 years old. He was already an accomplished, bright and extraordinary person.

His very first act on the Russian throne was the coronation Peter III. The father's ashes were removed from the grave, the coronation ceremony was held, and the subsequent reburial of Peter III in the Peter and Paul Cathedral, next to Catherine II.

Domestic policy of Paul I

On April 5, 1797, Paul I was anointed king. On the same day, a decree on succession to the throne was issued. Now the direct descendants of the monarch through the male line became the heirs to the Russian throne. Women could take the Russian throne only in the absence of male representatives from the ruling dynasty

Paul I restored State Council, created back when, but for a long time not functioning. Increased the number of council members from 7 to 17 people. In 1796, the Senate was also reformed, which could not cope with its duties due to the increased number of cases.

The size of the Senate has increased, and new rules of office work have appeared aimed at speeding up the work of the Senate. The internal policy of Paul I caused discontent among the nobles, because... The emperor tried to alleviate the situation of the peasantry. Such actions caused certain discontent among the nobility.

He also, by his decrees, abolished Catherine’s “charter of the nobility.” Now nobles were forbidden to ask for resignation if they had served as an officer for less than a year. The noble assemblies were abolished. The army reform carried out by Paul I caused great dissatisfaction. Prussian orders were established in the Russian army, and an inconvenient uniform was introduced. The army lived by drill training, under conditions of the strictest discipline.

Foreign policy of Paul I

In his foreign policy, Paul I first decided to defend only the interests of Russia. But the disposition of forces in Europe obliged him to actively participate in the affairs of European states. In alliance with Turkey, the Russian army and navy took Corfu, under the leadership of. And he crushed the French on the continent by making incredible crossings through the Alps.

Meanwhile, dissatisfaction with the emperor grew more and more among the courtiers. So, on the night of March 11-12, 1801, a group of conspirators broke into his chambers and demanded that he abdicate the throne. Paul I refused and, in the ensuing fight, was killed by the conspirators. His son, Alexander I Pavlovich, was proclaimed the new Russian emperor. The “Era of palace coups” ended with the personality of Paul I.

Results

Pavel Petrovich is of great interest to historians and is the subject of much controversy. Some sincerely consider him a tyrant, others - a wonderful reformer. It is impossible to unequivocally answer the question of who Emperor Paul I was. Many characterize the period of his reign as knightly autocracy. In fact, he was a man of honor.

Unfortunately, the emperor’s psyche really wasn’t all right. But there is an explanation for this. As a child, he lost his father, whom he loved very much, early on. Throughout his life, he was afraid that he would share the fate of Pyotr Fedorovich. During his reign, the distrust and caution of the entire court reached its climax.

The Russian Empire was filled with various spies and informers who praised themselves to the emperor and denounced others. Paul I was a man of changeable character, and often made contradictory decisions. People quickly fell out of favor with him, and just as quickly became his favorites. Paul I ruled Russia for only 5 years.

• There are three versions of the origin of Emperor Paul I. He is the son of Peter III and Catherine II.
• Son of Catherine II and Count Sergei Saltykov.
• Son of unknown Chukhon parents.
  

Paul 1 took the throne after the death of Catherine 2. His personality remained dual and incomprehensible; some considered him a genius of the Enlightenment, others considered him crazy. Internal and foreign policy Paul 1 also causes conflicting assessments.

Childhood of Pavel 1

Paul 1 was born on September 20, 1754, he was also Peter 3. The future emperor studied science from childhood; teachers believed that the boy had a lively mind and was naturally gifted.

Pavel loved his father, Pyotr Fedorovich, very much, and considered his mother to be the culprit in his death. I took the loss of my father very hard.

Marriages of Paul 1 and life in Gatchina

Catherine 2 married her son, when he was 17 years old, to Princess Wilhelmina of Hesse, after baptism - Natalya Alekseevna. She died during childbirth.

And in 1776, Pavel married again. The wife was Dorothea of ​​Württemberg, called Marya Feodorovna after baptism. She was a relative of the Prussian king and it is believed that it was under her influence that Paul began to like German traditions.

The relationship between Catherine 2 and her son did not go well. The Empress gave the couple Gatchina after the wedding, which, in essence, meant the exile of the heir. Here Pavel Petrovich has an army consisting of half a company of sailors, a cuirassier regiment and an infantry battalion. The future king often organizes reviews and exercises.

In 1777, Paul 1’s son Alexander was born, who was immediately excommunicated from the family and given to be raised by those appointed by Catherine 2. Parents were allowed to visit their son only by appointment. special days. All attempts by Paul to participate in the political life of the country were immediately stopped by the empress.

Paul 1 ascended the throne at the age of 42. Having no special skills in government, he was nevertheless an extraordinary, bright personality. Below you can see what the domestic and foreign policies of Paul 1 were. The table briefly shows the main points.

The first thing Paul did after his coronation was to rebury his father’s ashes in the Peter and Paul Cathedral.

Why was Catherine's policy not continued?

The domestic and foreign policies of Paul 1 were strikingly different from Catherine’s. This is largely due to the difficult personal relationship between mother and son.

The emperor was never able to forgive his mother for the conspiracy against his father, which resulted in the death of Peter 3 and Catherine’s ascension to the throne. rumors that Pavel is the child of Saltykov, not Peter, and therefore he is not from the Romanov dynasty.

Therefore, domestic and foreign policy not only differed from the course of his mother, but broke and remade it. Often he acted against Catherine.

Domestic Policy of Paul 1

The domestic and foreign policy of Paul 1 can be briefly described as a systematic change and destruction of all innovations of Catherine 2.

Military and peasant reforms

They are considered the most large-scale changes in the state. Paul 1 changed the regulations of the infantry, sailors and cavalry. According to the new laws, officers were responsible for the health and life of soldiers. They were required to provide annual leave, officers did not have the right to use them to work on their estates. Soldiers' service life was reduced to 25 years, at the end of which a pension was awarded. Pavel 1 formed a new army unit: courier corps, pioneer regiment, etc.

The domestic and foreign policies of Paul 1 greatly affected the Russian people. Thus, the situation of the peasants improved, but some of the emperor’s actions in history are considered strange. For example, Paul distributed many state serfs to landowners, believing that they would be better off there.

The duties of the peasants changed greatly: landowners could demand that they work corvée no more than three times a week, and the grain duty was abolished.

Position of the nobility

Paul 1 deliberately weakened the nobility. Apparently, the emperor was afraid. He allowed the nobles to be punished corporally for robbery, drunkenness, murder and official violations.

Paul abolished noble assemblies, introduced a poll tax, prohibited collective petitions and participation in elections for those dismissed from civil service for misconduct.

This was the direction of the internal and foreign policies of Paul 1. A table that briefly lists the main external changes in the country is presented below.

The results of the domestic policy of Paul 1

The emperor's attempts to document all the rules of life for his subjects, to drill the army and oppress the nobility led to the logical death of Paul 1 at the hands of the conspirators. It is documented that the news of the death of the sovereign was met with jubilation.

Descendants and successors assessed his reign negatively, considering Paul a tyrant and a tyrant. The domestic and foreign policies of Paul 1 were also sharply condemned.

Foreign policy

The domestic and foreign policy of Paul 1, in short, was initially aimed at fighting France. In 1798, the Army Commander A.V. Suvorov was even organized; thanks to his talents, Northern Italy was liberated and troops crossed the Alps. But in 1799 the agreement was terminated, and the army was recalled from Europe.

The alliance with England did not end very well either - Pavel blamed her for the failure of the joint expedition to the Netherlands.

The domestic and foreign policies of Paul 1 were impulsive and emotional. The table illustrates the main events of foreign policy.

Thus, the domestic and foreign policies of Paul 1 are clearly outlined. The diagram helps to concisely outline the most basic, fateful decisions for both the country and the emperor.

Results of foreign policy

The emperor's actions towards England are considered rash. Pavel 1 is assessed negatively. Summary it can be expressed in one word - short-sightedness. This is due to the war that almost broke out with this power due to the interests of the Knights of Malta. Many note the unjustified risk of Asian trips.

Pavel Petrovich - All-Russian Emperor from November 6, 1796, Grand Master of the Order of Malta from December 6, 1798, son of Peter III Fedorovich and Catherine II Alekseevna . He caused discontent among the nobility and was killed during palace coup on the night of March 11-12, 1801 in the Mikhailovsky Palace.

In character, Pavel was very reminiscent of his father. Like PeterІІІ , he sometimes acted completely unpredictably, was a capricious person, easily changing his loyalties, and also morbidly suspicious. Catherine II did not like her son and tried to prevent him from governing the state. The Empress could not forgive him for the fact that he had much more legitimate rights to the throne than she did.

Becoming Emperor after Catherine's deathІІ , Pavel tried to undo everything that had been done by her. So, in defiance of the late empress, he freed N.I. Novikov from the Shlisselburg fortress and returned A.N. from exile. Radishchev, allowed T. Kosciuszko to emigrate to America, giving him 60 thousand rubles

Domestic policy:

Strengthening the centralization of public administration in order to strengthen autocratic power, abolition of elements of self-government in provinces and cities

• Removal of Catherine II's favorites from power
• April 5, 1797 , the days of the coronation celebrations Paul announced "Institution on the Imperial Family" , which installed new order of succession to the throne. From now on, the throne could only be passed on to the eldest of the sons, and in their absence, to the eldest of the brothers, “so that the state would not be without an heir, so that the heir would always be appointed by law itself, so that there would not be the slightest doubt about who should inherit.” And only in the absence of brothers - to the female offspring of the emperor. The main rule was that “a male face is preferred to a female one” (valid until 1917).
• Reforming the army. Being a fan of the Prussian order, Paul began to impose drill in the army and introduced Prussian military uniform, wigs with curls and braids, cane discipline.

1796 – the introduction of new regulations that paid a lot of attention to drill training to the detriment of fire (the main principles of military affairs were declared to be accuracy of formation, accuracy of intervals and “goose step”

1796 – exclusion from the lists of regiments formally registered in the service (including young children)

• Limitation of class privileges of nobles. Paul sought to instill fear and reverence for the state in the nobles

1797 – abolition of the rights of the nobility and merchants granted to them under the Charters of 1785.

Introduction of corporal punishment for criminal offenses

1798 – establishing control of the governor’s administration over the noble society

1799, 1800 - abolition of noble meetings; the introduction of elections of provincial leaders of the nobility by district leaders, and not by all nobles.

Prohibition of the nobility from filing collective complaints to the emperor.

• Legislative formalization of relations between landowners and peasants and the prevention of unrest among serfs

1797 – ban on selling serfs and landless peasants

1798 – ban on selling Ukrainian peasants without land

But it would be completely wrong to characterize the policy of Paul I as anti-noble and anti-serfdom. By forcing the nobles to serve, Paul meant to rally all the forces of the ruling class around the throne and activate them in order to fight the revolutionary danger.

Decree of December 12, 1796 Serfdom was extended to Southern Ukraine (Novorossiysk provinces (Ekaterinoslav, Tauride and Voznesensk), Azov region, Don, Ciscaucasia. The practice of distributing state peasants to the nobles continued. In four years, the nobles received 600 thousand peasants. Almost more than half of all landowner estates arose in the era of Catherine and Paul. In the 60s.XIXc., at the time of the abolition of serfdom and the demarcation of landowners and peasants, some old peasants still remembered the times when they did not have any landowners, and all the land was theirs, peasant land.

At the same time, Paul sought to regulate the situation of state-owned peasants. A number of Senate decrees ordered that they be given land plots - 15 dessiatines per male capita in large-land provinces and 8 dessiatines in the rest. In 1797 rural and volost self-government of state-owned peasants was introduced: elected village elders and volost heads were introduced

• By his decree allowed the Old Believers to worship publicly and have their own churches
• Limiting the influence of revolutionary ideas. Strengthening military-police guardianship over all segments of the population

1797 – introduction of strict censorship

1797 – closure of private printing houses

1800 – ban on the import of books from abroad (in 1797–1799, 639 publications were banned, including Gulliver’s Travels.

Prohibition to use in speech words “citizen”, “fatherland”, “nation”, “patriot”, “club”, “society” and others. The police were given an order to detain all persons wearing the then fashionable round hats, boots with cuffs and long trousers. It was believed that this fashion came from the Jacobins. The crews had to stop when meeting the emperor, and those who were sitting in them had to get out and bow.

• Foreign policy

Under Paul, Russia actively participated in the struggle of European monarchies against the French Revolution:

1797 – 1801 Paul I joined the anti-French coalition (England, Austria, Turkey, the Kingdom of Naples) and sent a fleet under the command of F.F. to the war. Ushakov and the army led by A.V. Suvorov.

1798 – victory of the Russian fleet F.F. Ushakova over the French in the Mediterranean Sea at the fortress of Corfu on the Ionian Islands.

1799 campaigns of A.V. Suvorov: Italian (battles near the rivers Adda, Trebbia, near the city of Novi) and Swiss (capture of Saint Gotthard, Devil's Bridge by the Russian army, crossing the Alps). Defeat of the main French forces in Northern Italy, liberation of Switzerland

Italian and Swiss campaigns by A.V. Suvorov, entered the history of military art, and Suvorov received the title of Generalissimo.

When England occupied Malta, having won it from the French, and Paul took the Order of Malta under his protection, he followed severance of relations with England and Austria. An alliance is formed with France. Preparations began for the Russian army for a campaign in British India

• Exploration of the North American continent

1799 – establishment of the Russian-American Company. Creation of permanent Russian settlements in Alaska

Your inner and foreign policy Pavel turned the nobility against himself and was killed by conspirators on the night of March 11-12, 1801.

Emperor Paul 1 ruled the country for a little over four years. In such a short period of time it is difficult to make fundamental changes in the course of a huge country, but the Russian autocrat tried his best, as if feeling how little time was allotted to him. However, his reforms among his contemporaries did not evoke approval, but mostly horror and indignation. It was rumored that the king was overcome by madness. Two centuries later, some things really seem like cruel tyranny, but some orders were ahead of their time.

Domestic policy

Strictly speaking, at 42 years old, he was not ready to become the emperor of a huge power. , who did not feel love for her son, removed him from all government affairs. At the same time, the heir to the throne received better education. Pavel's impetuous nature was carried away by everything at once. In his aspirations, the emperor knew no limits and often reached the point of absurdity.

The first thing after the coronation for Paul was to restore justice to his father, Peter 3. His ashes were transferred to the imperial tomb and buried next to the deceased Catherine. A decree on succession to the throne was issued, canceling all Peter's amendments. Now the throne had to pass from father to son.

Paul greatly curtailed the privileges of the nobility favored by Catherine. Corporal punishment for this class was returned to legal practice, and new taxes were established. But it became much more difficult to complain and ask the sovereign - something went exclusively through self-government bodies, and something was completely banned.

Paul 1's passion was the army and, having received power, he began with zeal to restore order in it. Was introduced new form, overcoats appeared for the first time. The officer lists were thoroughly cleaned up and the requirements were increased - now each officer was criminally responsible for the lives of his subordinates. Soldiers received the right to complain about their commanders, and for their courage they could receive a silver medal - the first military order for privates in Rus'. Nobles could enter the civil service only with special permission. Disciplinary requirements skyrocketed, and the army spent its days drilling.

Easements were made for national and religious minorities. In particular, Paul's decree allowed the construction of Old Believer churches.

The emperor's nightmare was revolutionary ideas from France, torn by coups. The most severe censorship was introduced, to the point that it was forbidden to import books and study at European universities.

Foreign policy

In foreign policy, Paul 1 was guided by two simple ideas- confrontation French Revolution and the support of the Order of Malta. From his youth, the Russian emperor was fascinated by the aesthetics of chivalry and was extremely flattered by the title of Grand Master he received. However, in reality, this semi-childish hobby served as a reason for the destruction of the old alliance and adventurous military campaigns.

At first, Pavel formally supported the anti-French coalition. The sack of Malta by Napoleon's army forced him to active actions. The allies were glad to help Russian Emperor. They insisted on participating in the campaign of the disgraced Suvorov, but after the rapid liberation of the north of Italy, their opinions about further actions differed.

Meanwhile, England took possession of Malta, which had been recaptured from Napoleon. Pavel considered this a reason to withdraw from the coalition and sever diplomatic relations - the Mediterranean island should belong exclusively to the order and Russia, as its successor. Not long before this, the joint Russian-British rescue of the Netherlands from French occupation ended in failure, and the superiority of the royal merchant fleet simply irritated all northern neighbors. Meanwhile, Napoleon behaved very smartly: he wrote a very warm letter to the Russian emperor, and also sent home Russian prisoners of war who were in France, without any demands for exchange, etc. Moreover, he ordered to dress them at the expense of the French treasury in the uniform of their units. Such courtesy completely captivated Paul 1. He sharply changed the direction of Russian foreign policy, concluded an anti-English alliance with Bonaparte and even almost organized a campaign against the Indian possessions of the English crown, but...