by Yevgeny MEZENTSEV, Cand. Sc. (Hist.), Institute of Russian History, RAS (Moscow) The bright representative of the Romanov Dynasty, which ruled in Russia from 1613 to 1917, was the Emperor Alexander I, who announced as soon as he had mounted the throne: "I want nothing for myself, I only wish to contribute to the order in Europe." The time of his reign (1801 -1825) fell on one of the most crucial periods in the world history: our country together with its allies in anti-French coalition put an end to the bloody aggressive Napoleonic wars, thus becoming the strongest power on the continent. Alexander I in 1802. Engraving. стр. 81 The assessments of the activity and personality of the monarch, who was crowned in 1801, are rather ambiguous in scientific literature. Some researchers pointed out not only his perfect education, exceptional intellect, diplomatic talent, liberal ideas, but also such characteristics as diffidence, inclination to vacillations and doubts, which, indisputably, told on Russian foreign policy, often rather contradictory. Other historians, on the contrary, saw in his line of behavior caution, foresight, resourcefulness, ability in a decisive moment to be firm, to use a situation for his benefit. Napoleon discerned his complex and dual nature perfectly well: "Alexander is clever, pleasant, well educated. But we cannot trust him. He is not sincere. He is a real Byzantine, shrewd hypocrite, cunning person." While Pyotr Vyazemsky, a poet, author of memoirs, literary critic, member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences, even called him "a sphinx, not sized up to his last days". In 1802, the French first consul led his armies to Switzerland and soon actually established control over southern German lands. This somewhat annoyed Alexander I, who did not yet want war with him as such actions did not concern Russia's interests. The situation changed in May 1803, when Bonaparte occupied Hannover, threatened oth ... Читать далее