Alexander I: The Tsar Who Defeated Napoleon

by Marie-Pierre Rey

Alexander I was a ruler with high aspirations for the people of Russia. Cosseted as a young grand duke by Catherine the Great, he ascended to the throne in 1801 after the brutal assassination of his father. In this magisterial biography, Marie-Pierre Rey illuminates the complex forces that shaped Alexander's tumultuous reign and sheds brilliant new light on the handsome ruler known to his people as "the Sphinx." Despite an early and ambitious commitment to sweeping political reforms, Alexander saw his liberal aspirations overwhelmed by civil unrest in his own country and by costly confrontations with Napoleon, which culminated in the French invasion of Russia and the burning of Moscow in 1812. Eventually, Alexander turned back Napoleon's forces and entered Paris a victor two years later, but by then he had already grown weary of military glory. As the years passed, the tsar who defeated Napoleon would become increasingly preoccupied with his own spiritual salvation, an obsession that led him to pursue a rapprochement between the Orthodox and Roman churches. When in exile, Napoleon once remarked of his Russian "He could go far. If I die here, he will be my true heir in Europe." It was not to be. Napoleon died on Saint Helena and Alexander succumbed to typhus four years later at the age of forty-eight. But in this richly nuanced portrait, Rey breathes new life into the tsar who stood at the center of the political chessboard of early nineteenth-century Europe, a key figure at the heart of diplomacy, war, and international intrigue during that region's most tumultuous years.

Genres: Biography, Russia, History, Russian History, Nonfiction, Royalty, European History

504 pages, Hardcover

First published January 28, 2009

Reviews

[Inna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very nice biography of a Tsar who started wishing to drastically cut expenses for the army and invest the money in reforming the state and ended up defeating Napoleon. According to Rey his wish to liberalize Russia was real, but he had no way dealing with the lack of support from among the elites and thus in the end did very little and largely not in Russia itself, but in the Baltic area, in Poland and in Finland. Point of interest - the propaganda point that Napoleon was an Antichrist and will be coming to Russia in order to conquer it on behalf of the Jews was made before Austerlitz and it was the first time the Jewish threat issue was raised in Russia in this way. Well, I suppose it was not easy to find ways to convince the serfs to fight. Amazing that it worked though. Because it definitely did.

[Jerome Otte · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-researched, well-written biography of Alexander.

The narrative is readable if a bit wooden, and Rey does a great job putting Alexander into his historical and European context. She describes his dislike of the nobility, his self-loathing and guilt over the death of his children, and his ambivalence toward faith.

Unfortunately, the book is a bit weak when it comes to his interaction with Napoleon. Even Rey’s coverage of 1812 seems barely adequate. Rey’s coverage of the diplomatic and strategic dimensions of the war are ultimately disappointing, as is the section on the Congress of Vienna. The sections on Alexander’s later life and his struggles with Russia’s problems are covered better.

There are a couple typos; the Elbe is sometimes called “The Elba,” Nystad is called “Nystedt,” and Yaroslavl is called “Yaroslav,” for example. Also, the “University of Turku” is mentioned, even though it didn’t exist at the time. Pobedonostsev is called the”procurer” of the Holy Synod. Some Latin is mistranslated. Some wording doesn’t make sense, maybe due to the translation; Alexander being “received with luster,” or being confident in the “immensity” of the Russian climate. A blank check is called a “blank signature.” There’s a “French Abbot,” somebody called “Viscount Lord Castlereagh,” and Catherine the Great calls Alexander “this kid.”

An in-depth, insightful biography.

[Eli Giltrow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better then expected, far too many quotes, liked the Napoleon stuff.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an excellent biography/historical telling of the Tsar that tried to change Russia and be a model of a European member. The author, Marie-Pierre Rey, is a stickler for the details and nuances that surrounded Alexander I and his ascension to power, and his desire to give it all up in the end. Although there isn't much of a romantic twist during his reign, there were loves lost that must have been devastating to him. He doesn't come across as a military leader, even though Napoleon eventually lost his bid to conquer Russia (Napoleon over extended himself). Even though victory came to Russia, Alexander I didn't want to punish the French nation and didn't against the wishes of the allies. A very complicated person indeed.

[Maddie Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating read about Alexander I. I tend to judge Russian biographical works on the scale of Robert Massie who is clearly the highest attainable level, but I think Rey is a good contender. The original work was written in French and no translation is ever as good as the original but still this work does a phenomenal job at detailing the life of the Tsar. My singular issue with the work, is the negative bias the author took towards Catherine the Great. For some reason she chose to portray her as an overbearing and inconsequential monarch. When in reality she was one of the foremost figures in Imperial history. The parts in the beginning of the book regarding Alexander's childhood were especially illuminating when it came to the author's bias towards Catherine. Aside from that the book was well researched and drew upon several primary sources which added to the legitimacy of it. A clear and definitive work that I would recommend to everyone interested in imperial history, with the caveat that you need to know more about Catherine the Great because the information gleaned from this book about her paints her in a rather negative light.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best political biographies I have read. The author tells the life story of Alexander I of Russia with copious extracts from the letters and diaries of key players in Alexander’s life story, including: his mother Empress Marie Feodorovna, his brothers Constantine and Nicholas, numerous ministers and friends, his wife Elizabeth and many others. These primary sources enriched and enlivened what was quite a remarkable story.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this author made me a better writer. Her clarity in conveying dense and complex ideas stands out. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I read biographies like this as a hobby and found her up there with Robert Caro. Can’t recommend this book enough. Fascinating historical figure that is relatively obscure in the West compared to the man he vanquished.

[Calzean · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author makes use of original transcripts to provide the life of Alexander I. The guy had one strange childhood, plenty of good ideas on how to modernise Russia, a sensible strategy to defeat Napoleon and massive faith in his belief. His mental deterioration in his later life prevented him from achieving many of his dreams.
It is quite a dry read but maintained my interest for the most.

[Terri Dixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being a Russian History buff is not always easy. Finding interesting material can be a challenge. I have to say that I learned a lot and gained a new and huge appreciation for Tsar Alexander I while reading this book. The writing was objective, well researched and a very interesting read.

[Pj Mensel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid biography of a lesser known Tsar

Well written and interesting bio of one of the earlier tsars who beat Napoleon and was responsible for bringing Russia into the Eurocentric world of that time. Great balance between popular and scholarly history.

[Lana · Rating 4 out of 5]

great biography, the epilogue is particularly moving

[Jerry Landry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent biography - very insightful and engaging. Highly recommend!

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The life of Alexander unfolds before you, with multiple twists and turns, not to mention a few surprises, in this well written literary work. I found it fascinating to see how Alexander united his Empire in the battle against Bonaparte, and how his youthful aspirations to pursue enlightenment appear to have turned full circle later in his life. Evidently his life work elevated Russia in the Europe of the 1800’s, while domestic issues remained largely untouched.
The epilogue makes an intriguing read, as does the claim he wanted to unite Catholicism and Orthodox Christianity.
An interesting and rewarding read.
Русская история богата событиями и полна интриг

[Bettie]

spotted on rebecca Houston's update
watch ratings

[Stephen Boiko · Rating 4 out of 5]

Different perspective to Napoleonic Period.

[Sydney]

I am so glad that I read this biography before opening War & Peace--it gave me so much of the historical context I needed. Plus, it really allowed me to appreciate Tolstoy's history rants!