Unnoticed coup d’état

Authors

  • Mikhail S. Belousov St. Petersburg State University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21638/spbu02.2021.105

Abstract

The article is devoted to the history of the emergence and development of the political crisis of the Interregnum. The central question of the article: for what reason, Nikolai, having received news of the death of Alexander, decided to take the oath to Konstantin. An analysis of historiography shows that the most diametrical interpretations of this event are presented in the literature: Nikolai acted under pressure from M. A. Miloradovich and/or Maria Fedorovna, together with the Governor-General and / or Empress Mother. An important aspect of the work is the study of the normative component of the problem of succession. It is shown that by November 1825 a contradictory situation had developed: by law - the heir Konstantin, by family agreement — Nikolai. The article justifiably proves that the Manifesto of Alexander I on the transfer of the throne of Nicholas was a model of separate family law and should never be published. On the basis of a wide list of sources, the course of meetings on November 25 is reconstructed, features of taking the oath on November 27 and the path of development of the dynastic crisis arising from them are revealed. It was noted that Nicholas had a complex plan to seize power, which implied unification with representatives of the generality and the highest bureaucracy, an oath in favor of Konstantin in violation of the established tradition, pressure on his older brother and, ultimately, the proclamation of emperor. The question of rumors presents in St. Petersburg society related to the secession of Poland and the hypothetical murder of Constantine is developing.

Keywords:

Decembrists, Decembrist movement, Nicholas I, Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich, M. A. Miloradovich, conspiracy, oath

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Author Biography

Mikhail S. Belousov, St. Petersburg State University

PhD in History, associate professor

References

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Published

2023-09-05

How to Cite

Belousov, M. S. . (2023). Unnoticed coup d’état. Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. History, 66(1), 79–97. https://doi.org/10.21638/spbu02.2021.105

Issue

Vol. 66 No. 1 (2021)

Section

History of Russia

License

Articles of "Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. History" are open access distributed under the terms of the License Agreement with Saint Petersburg State University, which permits to the authors unrestricted distribution and self-archiving free of charge.