Rites of Peace: The Fall of Napoleon and the Congress of Vienna

by Adam Zamoyski

Russia’s economy had been in a parlous condition since the start of the century. This was made worse by heavy military expenditure since 1807; the ruinous effects of the Continental System from 1807 to 1812; the French invasion, which led to the devastation of the west of the country and the destruction of Moscow; and finally the vast expense of carrying the war into Europe and all the way to Paris. The very structure of the Russian state was in poor shape, as Alexander had first brought in reforms aimed at creating and empowering ministries to deal with various areas of governance, and then undermined these by taking back control himself. The huge army, which stood at well over 400,000 men, was a drain on the economy of gigantic proportions, but instead of reducing it, Alexander actually began recruiting more qualified officers from various European countries. In an effort to make the army pay for itself, he implemented a plan devised by General Arakcheyev whereby military units were assigned land