Reforms of Nicholas 1

The reign of Nicholas I began with the suppression of the Decembrist uprising in 1825, on December 14. The reign ended during the Crimean War, during the defense of Sevastopol in 1855, in February.

At all levels of the management system, Nicholas 1 sought to establish maximum efficiency, giving the structure "expediency and harmony."

As a first priority, the tsar saw the strengthening of the police-bureaucratic department. The reforms of Nicholas 1 in this sphere consisted in combating revolutionary movements, in strengthening the autocratic order. The Tsar saw the fulfillment of these ideas in the consistent implementation of militarization, centralization and bureaucratization. The reforms of Nicholas 1, briefly, contributed to the formation of a well-thought-out system of comprehensive state intervention in the cultural, economic, social and political life of the country.

Together with this, the tsar sought to personally control all forms of state administration, as well as to concentrate decisions in his hands and private and common affairs, without involving relevant departments and ministries. In connection with this, numerous secret commissions and committees were created, which were directly under the authority of the ruler and often replaced ministries.

The reforms of Nicholas 1 also affected the office. Growing up, this department became a reflection of the regime of monarchical power.

Of great importance was the publication of the fifteen-volume "Code of Laws" in 1832. Russian legislation has become orderly, absolutism in the country has received a more solid and clear legal and legal basis. However, this was not followed by any changes in the political or social structure of feudal Russia.

The reforms of Nicholas 1 touched upon the activities of the Third Branch of the Own Chancellery. Under his administration, a gendarme corps was established. As a result, the whole country (except for the Transcaucasian region, the Don Army, Finland and Poland) was divided into five, and then into eight districts under the control of gendarme generals.

Thus, the Third Section began to report to the Tsar on the slightest changes in the mood of the people. In addition, the duties of the department included checking the activities of the state system, local and central government bodies, identifying the facts of corruption and arbitrariness, bringing perpetrators to justice and so on.

The main danger of "dissent" and "freethinking" lurked in the field of the press and education. So Nicholas 1 believed. Reforms in educational institutions began with the king's ascension to the throne. The emperor believed that the Decembrist uprising was the result of a "false educational system".

Thus, from 1827, it was forbidden to admit serfs to universities and gymnasiums. In 1828, the "Statute on educational institutions" was issued, and in 1835 - "University Charter".

The reforms of Nicholas 1 affected censorship. In 1828 new rules were introduced. They, of course, softened the earlier adopted, but provided for a large number of restrictions and prohibitions. Nicholas 1 considered the fight against journalism one of the main tasks. Since that moment, the publication of many magazines has been banned.

In the second quarter of the 19th century the peasant question in the country was sharply raised. Nicholas 1 reformed the state village. However, the changes were very controversial. Of course, on the one hand, there was support for entrepreneurship, the prosperous part of the village. However, along with this increased tax burden. As a result, the population responded to the changes in the state village with mass uprisings.

In the period from 1839 to 1843, a monetary reform was carried out , as a result of which a credit ruble was approved, which was equal to one silver ruble. This transformation allowed to strengthen the financial structure in the country.

The last years of the emperor's rule were called contemporaries "gloomy seven years". The government in this period took measures to end the connection between the Russian and Western European people. The entry into Russia for foreigners, as well as the departure of Russians from Russia, was actually banned (the exception was the permission of the central government).