1826 John Quincy Adams - Emperor Nicholas I and the Decembrist Revolt

After the death of Emperor Alexander I of Russia, there was a "brief" interruption in the diplomatic communications between Russia and the United States due in part because of the tumultuous times in Russia and in part due to the death of Fyodor van Tuyll van Serooskerken, the Russian Ambassador in Europe.  It is not clear if, President John Quincy Adams was aware of the Decembrist Revolt in Russia or not, but he expressed optimism of continued friendly and prosperous relations between the two countries.

Back in 1810, when John Quincy Adams was minister to Russia he mentioned in his memoirs that he was introduced to two of the younger brothers Emperor Alexander I,  Prince Nicholas and Prince Michael.     Nicholas was the youngest and  would have been around 18 at the time.  There was little expectation of Nicholas ever inheriting the throne, since he was the youngest of four brothers. However, since two of his elder brothers failed to produce any sons, Nicholas remained second in line.  When Emperor Alexander I, died suddenly of typhus, Nicholas found himself suddenly at the foot of the throne, when Constantine Pavlovich his elder brother refused the throne.   Three weeks after the death of Alexander, Nicholas officially issued a manifesto proclaiming  his accession to the throne retroactively starting on the day of the death of his eldest brother Alexander.  Emperor Nicholas was a much different man than his brother; Alexander drew on his spiritual and intellectual capacities to rule, while Nicholas ruled by whatever means necessary.   

The accession of Nicholas I to the throne was not without incident.   3000 young Imperial Army Officers and liberal reformers gathered for a demonstration in Peter's Square, St. Petersburg in an attempt to force the government to accept a constitution and a representative form of government. These Imperial Army Officers were members of secret societies in Russia that were offshoots of a society called "Union of Salvation, or of the Faithful and True Sons of the Fatherland" in 1816.  The society suspended activities in 1821, but continued to operate in secret as two separate societies, the Northern Society and the Southern Society.  Initially many of the officers were encouraged by Emperor Alexander I who initiated early liberal reforms, but soon Alexander returned to a government of restriction and conservatism.   At the core of their agenda, was the granting of freedom to the serfs, and the rejection of a military style government.  When Alexander I died, the royal guards swore allegiance to the elder brother Constantine, so when Nicholas I took the throne the Northern Society gathered their forces and convinced the regimental leaders to oppose Nicholas.   On December 26, 3000 officers  assembled in Senate Square proclaiming their loyalty to Constantine and their Decembrist constitution.  Their plans were destroyed when the additional troops they expected from Saint Petersburg failed to sow and other leaders turned away.   Emperor Nicholas then  sent in 9,000 loyal troops and a stand-off began.  After hours of failed attempts to get the rebel force to stand down, Nicholas ordered a cavalry charge and then open fire from artillery.  Eventually, the rebels broke and ran.  As the rebels regrouped on the frozen river Neva, they continued to endure heavy causalities until the cannon fire broke the ice sending the many dead and dying into the river.   Over the remaining months, the remaining leaders of the secret societies faced conviction of treason and exiled to Siberia. 

In President John Quincy Adams' second annual address delivered on December 5th, 1826, he explained that there was a brief interruption in the diplomatic communications with the new Emperor of Russia, but remained optimistic that the relations between the United States and Russia under Emperor Nicholas I would remain harmonious based upon congenial interests.  In the 1800s, there was no 24x7 news about the Decembrist Revolt may have  not yet traveled to the the United States. On top of that the Russian ambassador to the United States, Fyodor van Tuyll van Serooskerken died sometime in 1826, making it even more difficult to obtain information.   So perhaps, Adams was unaware of the details of the Decembrist uprising, or perhaps he decided to ignore them,  For one reason or another, he continued to believe that the harmonious relations between a democratic Republic like the United States and the authoritarian rule of Nicholas I would result "in the advancement of the welfare and prosperity of both."  Perhaps, in Adams' mind,  Nicholas was still that nice young man of 18 he met back in 1810.bur

"The ordinary diplomatic communications between his successor, the Emperor Nicholas, and the United States have suffered some interruption by the illness, departure, and subsequent decease of his minister residing here, who enjoyed, as he merited, the entire confidence of his new sovereign, as he had eminently responded to that of his predecessor. But we have had the most satisfactory assurances that the sentiments of the reigning Emperor toward the United States are altogether conformable to those which had so long and constantly animated his imperial brother, and we have reason to hope that they will serve to cement that harmony and good understanding between the two nations which, founded in congenial interests, can not but result in the advancement of the welfare and prosperity of both."

During the remaining years of Nicholas I reign, he relied heavily on his army to maintain order and regarded as he best and greatest institution in Russia.  He put so much faith in his army, that he wanted to use it as a model for society.  In the 1830's, the Emperor violently put down a revolt in Russian-occupied Poland and int he 1840's he contributed Russian troops to the Austrian effort to quell a rebellion in Hungary.

References

Presidency.ucsb.edu. (2018). John Quincy Adams: Second Annual Message. [online] Available at: http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=29468 [Accessed 2 Mar. 2018].

Adams, J. (n.d.). Memoirs of John Quincy Adams, comprising portions of his diary from 1795 to 1848. Vol 2. p.96.

En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Decembrist revolt. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decembrist_revolt [Accessed 2 Mar. 2018].

En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Nicholas I of Russia. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_I_of_Russia [Accessed 2 Mar. 2018].

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