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As I close this mini series of articles on Tsar Alexander I, I want to share with you a piece of music that was named after one of the most significant years of the tsar’s life –  the 1812 Overture.

The 1812 Overture was composed in 1880 by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, the famous composer of the ballet scores for Swan Lake, The Nutcracker and The Sleeping Beauty. He was commissioned to write the overture in honour of Tsar Alexander’s momentous victory in 1812 over the seemingly unconquerable Napoleon Bonaparte. Complete with booming cannons and peeling bells, it is a thrilling piece of classical music that fully captures the significance and glory of Russia’s victory.

This magnificent piece also reminds one of the other victory that Tsar Alexander won in 1812 when he turned to Christ as his Saviour. Of course, it is unlikely that Tchaikovsky had Tsar Alexander’s personal life in mind when he composed the overture and yet the overture’s triumphant, joyous themes fit very well with the story of how the tsar’s unhappy, unfulfilling life was transformed, through God’s miraculous power and immense love, into a life of purpose and joy.

If you have never heard this piece before or even if you have, I highly recommend that you take some time to listen to it, bearing in mind the wonderful story of 1812!

There are many versions of it available on YouTube. Here is one recording that I thought was done very well:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BbT0E990IQ

Did you enjoy the 1812 Overture? Leave a comment – I’d love to know what you thought!

The son of cruel, ruthless Tsar Paul I, Alexander Pavlovich was determined to be a better ruler than his father had been. Ascending the throne at the age of twenty-four, he enthusiastically began to make plans to reform Russia. Unfortunately the Tsar was a poor leader and found that he could not realize his dreams. Seeking to fill the gap in his soul, he began to spend a lot of time with a mistress, ignoring his beautiful wife. He also determined to conquer Napoleon Bonaparte, who was marching through Europe winning battle after battle. The tsar’s plans also failed in this and he only succeeded in making a deadly enemy. A friend encouraged the depressed tsar to read the Bible and the tsar began to do so. But soon he was distracted by the consequences of picking a fight with the most powerful man in Europe.

After defeating Tsar Alexander, Napoleon had continued on to conquer Berlin and Prussia. Anxiously the tsar watched the progress of the ‘Lion of Europe’ and realized that he had do something before the ambitious emperor reached Russia. In 1807 the two deadly enemies met in person. As they talked together Napoleon and Alexander were all smiles and friendliness and to the onlooking world it seemed that the two rulers had become the best of friends. They made peace and Russia was safe – for now.

Meanwhile, back home, tragedy hit Alexander’s household.  His daughter, the only surviving child of his wife Princess Elizabeth, became ill and died. Through this heartbreaking time, Tsar Alexander and Princess Elizabeth, who had both been unfaithful to each other, were drawn closer together. The death of his child also moved the tsar to think again of the One who controls life and death.

A few years went by and once again the tsar began to feel threatened by Napoleon and secretly he began to build up his army. It was too late. Napoleon anticipated Alexander’s strategy and in 1812 he marched into Russia. Once again the French and Russian armies met and again the Russians were defeated. But this time Tsar Alexander had a surprise prepared for Napoleon. When the victorious but exhausted French army reached Moscow, the capital city of Russia, they found it deserted and mostly in flames. The city had not surrendered and there was no need to capture it. It was just there, abandoned and empty and promising very little food and shelter to the French army. Puzzled, Napoleon set up camp at Moscow and waited for five weeks until his supplies ran out. He sent letters to Alexander but received no response. Then the bitter Russian winter set in. As powerful as he was, Napoleon could not fight the elements. Retreating from Russia, he lost most of his men to cold and starvation. This defeat by the Russians was the beginning of Napoleon’s downfall.

But in the palace of Alexander an even greater victory took place that year. Just as Moscow had been given up to save Russia, Tsar Alexander finally understood that he needed to give up his own sin and pride so that he could be saved. Nearly six years after Tsar Alexander had begun to read the Bible he finally understood the truth, repented of his sin and trusted Christ as his Saviour. The weak, lost king became a joyful subject in the kingdom of God.

Two years later the Russians, led by Alexander, helped to overthrow Napoleon Bonaparte and free the French people.  No longer seeking revenge,  the tsar did not try to humiliate his beaten enemy but simply had Napoleon exiled to the island of Elba to keep him from doing any more harm.

After this victory Tsar Alexander reigned for ten more years. He left Princess Marie Naryshkin and was reunited with his wife. In the last years of his reign he began to do what he had wanted to do for so long but had been unable to do – reform Russia. In fact, considering the very sad condition in which Tsar Paul had left Russia, the extent of Tsar Alexander’s reforms was absolutely incredible. He and his wife began by exchanging their luxurious lifestyle and their magnificent palace for a simpler life and plainer home. Cutting government expenditure, the tsar was able to reduce the heavy tax that had been laid on the poorer people. He also established a national corn storage plan to relieve starving peasants, founded around two thousand schools, supported the Russian Bible Society and much, much more. Tsar Alexander had such an interest in his people that he even got to know every Christian congregation that gathered in the main cities.

Tsar Alexander had not always been a strong leader or a brilliant thinker. Even during the last ten years of his reign some of the tsar’s attempts to help his country were not successful and at court he had many enemies. However, weak as Alexander Pavlovich was, God used him in unforseen ways to bring light and peace to dark, suffering Russia. Tsar Alexander I died in 1825. His life was short but it was a life that gave testimony to the amazing mercy and saving power of God. As the Lord says in Jeremiah 9 : “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches,  but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth.” (Jer 9:23-24 ESV)

Bibliography:

Masters, Peter, Men of Destiny, The Wakeman Trust, London, 1995

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alexander-I-emperor-of-Russia#ref228

https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/history/russian-soviet-and-cis-history-biographies/alexander-i

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Alexeievna_(Louise_of_Baden) 

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Throughout history there have been people who have dreamed of being royal. However, in late eighteenth century Russia, few could have envied Prince Alexander Pavlovich. It was believed that his father, Tsar Paul I, was mad. What but madness could explain the level of ruthlessness that even led the tsar to have countesses flogged? Young Alexander seldom saw his father but on one of the rare occasions when he did, Tsar Paul savagely kicked his son in the face. It was a dark period in the history of Russia. Suddenly, but not surprisingly, in 1801, Tsar Paul was assassinated. His death was what the people of Russia had been longing for. Now they would be free! Or would they be? Would the new tsar be like his father? All of Russia must have held its breath as twenty-four-year-old Alexander Pavlovich took his father’s place as ruler of Russia.

When Tsar Alexander I ascended the throne he was determined to be a better ruler than his father had been. He would reform Russia and become his people’s hero. One of the first things to do was to set up a committee. Full of enthusiasm, Alexander chose some friends to join him and established The Committee of Public Safety. For two years the committee met regularly and discussed how to help Russia. However, neither the tsar nor any of the members of the committee could actually put their theories into practice. Eventually the meetings came to an end but Russia’s situation had hardly improved.

As the committee dissolved, so did Tsar Alexander’s dream. Discouraged, and disappointed with his own lack of ability as a leader, Alexander began to look for other ways to fill the gap in his soul. He was married to the lovely Princess Elizabeth Baden who had been chosen for him by his parents and who was one of the most beautiful women in Europe at that time. Now ignoring his gentle wife he began to spend most of his time at the palace of his mistress, the striking Princess Marie Naryshkin.

Soon the tsar had also found a new dream to follow. In France, Napoleon Bonaparte had risen in popularity and power and had crowned himself emperor.  Someone needed to stop the ambitious man before he conquered all of Europe, and Alexander I decided that he would be the one to do it. In 1806 Napoleon’s army and the Russian army met for the first time. It was a disaster. With his poor leadership skills and lack of experience, Tsar Alexander was no match for Napoleon whose genius, passion and charisma had rendered him almost unconquerable. The Russians suffered a humiliating defeat and the tsar himself very narrowly escaped being captured.  He returned home in disgrace.  Once again Alexander had failed to attain his dreams of glory and fame.

Humiliated and ashamed, Tsar Alexander  began to ponder the wretchedness and sinfulness of his own life. Ironically, although he was an atheist and led an immoral lifestyle, as tsar, Alexander was head of the Russian Church. Several years earlier, Alexander had given one of his boyhood friends, Prince Galitsin, a high position as a church leader. Galitsin was a man known for his loose, immoral lifestyle but he had begun to read the New Testament, and his life was completely transformed as he encountered the saving grace of God. Now, in the midst of Alexander’s misery, Galitsin challenged the tsar to start reading the Gospels. Alexander listened to his old friend and started to read the first four books of the New Testament. As he wrote to his friend, ‘This book which you have put into my hands has opened up to me a new world.’

But Alexander had made an enemy of the most powerful man in Europe and soon he had other things to think about… To be continued.

The air was thick with the smoke from cannon fire and rang with the cries of wounded men and the screams of warhorses.  With a mighty roar yet another cannon fired, shaking the ground with its thunder.

In spite of the onslaught of cannon, the enemy was not giving way and the French cavalry, at the forefront of the battle, were losing ground. The captain had been slain and, with no one to lead them, all that the soldiers of the cavalry could do was try to defend themselves.

Among these desperate men was a young officer who sat astride his horse, struggling to keep the animal calm while trying to suppress his own rising fear. Jean’s left arm throbbed with pain where it had been stabbed by an enemy bayonet. He knew he could not keep fighting much longer. His throat was dry and his vision was blurred with smoke and exhaustion. “Steady!” he murmured to his horse but the animal tossed its head and strained on the bit. Gritting his teeth the soldier gripped the reigns as tightly as he could with his wounded arm.

Suddenly, like a whirlwind, a horse and rider galloped past Jean and pushed their way to the head of the cavalry. “Forward men!” the rider called above the clamour of the battle. “For the Revolution!” It was the voice of Napoleon Bonaparte. The Brigadier General’s magnificent white warhorse pranced and reared under the firm touch of his master’s gloved hand. Napoleon’s red cloak billowed in the rising wind and his sword flashed as he brandished it above his head. For an instant he caught and held Jean’s gaze.

New energy surged through Jean’s exhausted body and he straightened up in his saddle. Napoleon’s deep-set eyes turned to meet those of the other soldiers. All this happened in an instant and with a shout, “For liberty!” Napoleon wheeled his horse around, and dashed forward into the enemy ranks. With an answering shout, his men, full of new courage, followed him. Jean spurred his horse on, hardly noticing the enemy swords and bayonets. “Liberty! Equality!” he cried and drawing his musket, shot an enemy soldier from his horse.

A sudden, terrible pain tore through Jean’s chest. At the same moment his horse shuddered and with a blood-chilling scream collapsed underneath his master. Lying across his fallen horse and gasping for breath Jean looked up. Another soldier of the French cavalry had fallen and through the gap that was left the dying man caught one last glimpse of his leader. Perspiration glowed on Napoleon’s brow but he was fighting as though the battle had only just begun. His jaw was set, and fire, unquenchable fire, burned in his eyes. Jean closed his eyes. Of all the men in Europe no man was more worth dying for than Napoleon Bonaparte.

***

Napoleon was born in 1769 on the little island of Corsica. A genius in calculating and strategizing, he used his skills, coupled with manipulation and propaganda, to realize his dreams of being a powerful ruler like Julius Caesar. Beginning his conquests in the name of the French Revolution, Napoleon won the love and loyalty of the French people and rose in power until, in 1804, contrary to the fundamental values of the Revolution which had aimed to do away with monarchy, he crowned himself emperor. He was a man who was never at home for long, preferring to be at war. In warfare he used spies and trickery and developed new methods of fighting that have changed the way warfare is conducted even up to the present day.

Although he was such a good strategist, Napoleon is known for being irresponsible with the lives of his men and horses. In fact, so many horses were killed in the Napoleonic wars that for a time there was a shortage of them in France! On one occasion Napoleon actually abandoned his defeated and diseased army and went home to France leaving the men to survive as best they could. However, the few surviving soldiers still loved him and he continued to gain and hold the love and admiration of his men through his powerful charisma and his knowledge of how best to satisfy their expectations.

In spite of some defeats, including his defeat by Tsar Alexander of Russia, the brilliant, ambitious conqueror seemed unstoppable until the famous  battle of Waterloo in 1815. There he was finally defeated by the English and the Prussians. The noble leader of the English, the Duke of Wellington, respected Napoleon too highly to have him killed and so had Napoleon exiled to the island of Saint Helena where he died in 1821.

Sources:

Some information in this post is from Dave Raymond’s Modernity course. ( https://www.compassclassroom.com/modhist)

http://www.documentarytube.com/articles/the-one-mistake-that-cost-napoleon-bonaparte-the-battle-of-waterloo-and-the-war

https://www.biography.com/people/napoleon-9420291

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