The uprising of the Decembrists is the first open armed uprising in Russia against autocracy and serfdom. The uprising was organized by a group of like-minded nobles, most of whom were guards officers. An attempted coup d'état took place on December 14 (26), 1825 in St. Petersburg, on Senate Square and was suppressed by troops loyal to the emperor.
Background
For the uprising of the Decembrists, the pretext was the situation that developed with the succession to the throne, after the death of Tsar Alexander I. This is because after the death of the Emperor, his brother, Constantine, was to become the sovereign. But, even when Alexander I was alive, Constantine abdicated the throne in favor of his younger brother Nicholas. The fact that Constantine abdicated was not publicly announced, and the people, the army, the state apparatus, due to lack of information, swore allegiance to Constantine. When it was officially revealed that Constantine had abdicated, a re-oath was appointed for December 14, which the conspirators took advantage of.
Rebellion plan
The plan for the uprising was adopted on December 13 during a meeting of members of the society at Ryleev's apartment in St. Petersburg. The decisive importance was attached to the success of the performances in the capital. At the same time, troops were supposed to act in the south of the state, in the 2nd Army. For the role of the dictator of the uprising, one of the founders of the Salvation Union, S. P. Trubetskoy, Colonel of the Guards, famous and popular among the soldiers.
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On the appointed day, it was decided to withdraw troops to Senate Square, to prevent the oath of the Senate and State Council with Nikolai Pavlovich and on their behalf to promulgate the "Manifesto to the Russian people", which proclaimed the abolition of serfdom, freedom of the press, conscience, occupation and movement, the introduction of universal military service instead of recruiting, the destruction of estates.
The course of the uprising
1825, December 14, morning - the Life Guards Moscow Regiment came out to Senate Square, joined by the Guards Naval Crew and the Life Guards Grenadier Regiment, with a total strength of about 3 thousand people. The chosen dictator Trubetskoy did not appear. The insurgent regiments continued to stand on Senate Square until the conspirators could not agree on the appointment of a new leader.
Nicholas I, who knew about the preparation of the conspiracy, took the oath of the Senate in advance and, pulling together troops loyal to him, surrounded the rebels. After negotiations, in which Metropolitan Seraphim and Governor-General of St. Petersburg M. A. Miloradovich (who was mortally wounded) Nicholas I gave the order to use artillery. The uprising of the Decembrists was suppressed.
On December 29, the uprising of the Chernigov regiment began under the leadership of S. I. Muravyov-Apostol. However, on January 2, it was suppressed with the help of government troops.
Effects
Arrests of participants and ringleaders began throughout Russia. In the case of the Decembrists, 579 people were attracted. Found guilty 287. Five were sentenced to death and carried out (PI Pestel, KF Ryleev, SI Muravyov-Apostol, PG Kakhovsky, MP Bestuzhev-Ryumin). 120 people were sent to hard labor in Siberia or to a settlement.
Reasons for defeat
• Lack of support from all sectors of society, which was not prepared for radical transformations;
• Narrow social base, focused on military revolution and conspiracy;
• Lack of the necessary unity and consistency in actions;
• Bad conspiracy, as a result the government knew about the plans of the rioters;
• The unwillingness of the majority of educated society, the nobility to eliminate autocracy and serfdom;
• Cultural and political backwardness of the peasantry and the rank and file of the army.
Historical meaning
Having lost in the socio-political struggle, the rebels won a spiritual and moral victory, showed an example of true service to their fatherland and people.
The experience of the uprising of the Decembrists became a subject for comprehension of the following fighters against monarchy and serfdom, influenced the entire course of the Russian liberation movement.
The Decembrist movement had a great influence on the development of Russian culture.
But, if we proceed from a concrete historical situation, the defeat of the Decembrists noticeably weakened the intellectual potential of Russian society, provoked an increase in the government's reaction, delayed, according to P. Ya. Chaadaeva, the development of Russia for 50 years.