How many palace coups have there been? Open Library - open library of educational information

(January 28, 1725) began a long and brutal struggle between noble groups for power and the enthronement of their protege. Menshikov had the greatest influence at that time. It was he who in 1725 elevated Catherine 1 (the widow of Peter 1) to the throne. To strengthen power and her position, she established the Supreme Privy Council. It included many of Peter’s faithful associates (Apraksin, Tolstoy, Glitsin, and, of course, Menshikov). Until 1730, all important state affairs were decided by the Privy Council.

The Empress named Peter 2, the grandson of Peter the Great, who was 12 years old at that time, as her heir in her will. The Golitsins managed to win the sympathy of the young emperor. And, as a result, Menshikov and his entire family were exiled. The Supreme Privy Council included representatives of two more noble families - the Golitsins and Dolgorukys. The power of the Privy Council was further strengthened. In fact, it was he who ruled the country.

Peter 2 died early - from smallpox. And in 1730 Anna Ioannovna ascended the throne. Initially, she agreed with the demand of the Supreme Privy Council to limit her power and signed the corresponding papers. But, after accession to the throne, the “conditions” were torn, and the Supreme Privy Council was dissolved. Its members were subjected to repression. The country was ruled at this time by the German Biron, the favorite of the empress. The next decade was marked by the plunder of the country's treasury and the dominance of foreigners. Anna Ioannovna declared her sister's three-month-old grandson heir to the throne. Biron became his regent. Soon the regency passed to the baby's mother, Anna Leopoldovna. But she failed to stay in power for long. On the night of November 24-25, 1741, Elizaveta Petrovna (1741 - 1761), with the support of the guards, carried out a coup d'etat. The legitimate emperor was exiled to Siberia, as were influential foreigners (Minich, Osterman). At the age of 23, John was killed while trying to free himself. For some time, the country returned to the orders of Peter I. Customs duties were abolished, and the rights of the nobility were increased. Landowners received the right to sell their peasants as recruits.

In 1756, the Seven Years' War began. Russia, in alliance with Austria, Sweden and France, opposed Prussia. The 100,000-strong Russian army entered the war and was able to inflict a crushing defeat on the enemy. In 1758, Königsberg was taken, and in the main battle of Zorndorf, the army of Frederick 2 was virtually destroyed. But Prussia was saved by the death of Elizabeth Petrovna on December 25, 1761.

Peter 3 (her nephew) sincerely admired Frederick and, having returned all the conquered lands to Prussia, he concluded peace and a military alliance with him. This, coupled with neglect Orthodox traditions and customs, led to dissatisfaction with his rule from all sectors of society. On the contrary, his wife Ekaterina Alekseevna (Sofia Frederika Augusta) became increasingly popular. Supported by the guards of the Semenovsky and Izmailovsky regiments, she seized power and forced her husband to sign a renunciation. Soon after this, Peter 3 was killed. Thus ended the era of palace coups, briefly described in this article. The country entered the golden age of Catherine's reign.

Thirty-seven years and six completely different rulers. The turbulent era of palace coups had a huge influence on subsequent events in the history of Russia.

Prerequisites and main reason

Alexey Mikhailovich Romanov married twice. From his first marriage he had thirteen children, including sons. From the second there are two daughters and an only son. This son was Peter the Great.

At first he had a co-ruler - his half-brother Ivan. However, their elder sister Sophia was in charge of everything as regent. Peter did not like this state of affairs at all, and after marrying Evdokia Lopukhina, he actually began independent rule. Soon Ivan also got married. True, unlike Peter, who already had a son, Ivan had only daughters, who, it would seem, did not pose a particular threat to the reign of the descendants of Peter the Great.

The era of Peter the Great was full of turmoil, both for the common people and for the nobility. Contrary to popular belief, the son from his first marriage, Tsarevich Alexei, did not deny his father’s reforms, but only resisted their forced introduction. Disagreeing with his father, the prince fled to Austria in 1719. This is how the “Case of Tsarevich Alexei” began, which cost him his life.

In 1722, the emperor adopted a decree allowing the ruler to appoint his own successor. However, death in 1725 did not allow Peter to fulfill his plans. And so began the leapfrog of rulers on the Russian throne.

Rulers

Catherine the First (1725-1727) First, Peter’s second wife, Catherine (Marta Skavronskaya), sat on the throne. The former mistress after the official marriage became the Russian empress. Nevertheless, her daughters Anna and Elizaveta Petrovna were considered by many to be illegitimate because they were born before marriage.

She was a protege of Menshikov, who, together with the Supreme Privy Council, began to actually rule the Russian Empire. The nobles wanted to get a puppet ruler and their dream came true to the fullest.

There were no significant achievements during her reign. According to the will, signed under pressure from Menshikov, the next sovereign was Pyotr Alekseevich, the son of that same Tsarevich Alexei, executed by his own father, whose sons from his second marriage died without surviving childhood.

Peter the Second (1727-1730) For the ex great empire these are difficult times. All that was left of it were ruins. Everything happened by inertia, since the teenage emperor was not interested in anything other than entertainment. Representatives of the old aristocracy (the rulers) pushed aside the supporters of reforms and moved to the fore. Their activities led to one thing: the abolition of Peter’s reforms and a return to the old order.

The death of the young sovereign put an end to their plans. Catherine Dolgorukaya, who was to become his wife, was proposed as the new empress. This meant a change in the ruling dynasty - instead of the Romanovs, the Dolgoruks. Few agreed with this and it was decided to turn to female line House of the Romanovs.

Anna Ioanovna (1730-1740) As already mentioned, Peter had a co-ruler - his half-brother Ivan. Three of his daughters got married. One of them was the widowed and childless Anna Ioanovna. She seemed to the leaders the best candidate for the throne. They thought that she could be easily controlled and presented her with a condition. This document deprived her of power and turned her into a puppet ruler.

Anna did not agree to this and, having solemnly broken her condition, she ascended the throne as a full-fledged empress. Alas, this did not improve the situation. The Empress was more interested in entertainment and all state affairs were decided by her favorites. It was “Bironovism”.

The Supreme Privy Council was abolished and replaced by the Cabinet of Ministers. Anna Ioanovna's domestic policy was a real disaster for the peasants, and the apogee of the power of the Secret Chancellery, whose powers expanded unimaginably, also began.

Ivan Antonovich (1740-1741) The ten-year reign of Anna Ioanovna ended. Shortly before her death, she appoints herself a successor - her great-nephew Ivan Antonovich. Her favorite, Ernst Biron, becomes regent for the young ruler.

His bossiness and arrogance repelled many. The brewing general discontent turned into a conspiracy, as a result of which Biron was overthrown, and Ivan Antonovich’s mother, Anna Leopoldovna, was installed in his place. Alas, I wasn’t interested at all state affairs the regent was soon overthrown by the daughter of Peter the Great, Elizaveta Petrovna.

Elizaveta Petrovna (1741-1761) Neither she nor her sister were taken into account as the heir to the throne, but later the situation changed.

The dominance of foreign favorites and the very dubious “Brunswick dynasty” was not liked by many. The views of the courtiers again turned to the direct descendants of Peter. The eldest Anna was the wife of the Duke of Holstein, had a son, but upon marriage she renounced her rights to the Russian throne. Elizabeth remained.

By 1741, the patience of both the nobility and the people was overflowing. Entering the barracks of the Preobrazhensky Regiment, Elizabeth addressed the guards, reminding whose daughter she was. They happily obeyed her and after the overthrow of Anna Leopoldovna she became the Russian Empress.

Elizaveta Petrovna sincerely considered herself a continuator of her father’s course and favored the nobility. After the abolition of the Cabinet of Ministers, she returned the Senate to its former role. However, many of the decrees issued by Peter were canceled. Particularly severe in the future will be the consequences of the repeal of the Decree on Single Inheritance, which prohibited the fragmentation of noble estates. However, the conditions of noble service were softened, and physical punishment for nobles and the death penalty for all.

Peter the Third (1761-1762) Elizaveta Petrovna prepared her sister Anna’s son, Peter, as her heir. Alas, Peter, brought up in the traditions of a foreign court, turned out to be an incompetent ruler. In 1762, a Manifesto on the freedom of the nobility was published, which gave the right not to enter public service. However foreign policy, which led to the nullification of the results of the Northern War, as well as plans to reform Orthodox Church according to the Protestant model, they gave him many opponents. The main one was his wife, Catherine the Second.

In the end, this led to the last palace coup, in fact, the end of the Era of palace coups. The long reign of Catherine the Great began.

Results

There were no significant changes in the political or social system. Perhaps the only positive moment was the reign of Elizabeth Petrovna, which prepared the ground for internal and external transformations carried out during the era of Catherine the Second.

The death of Peter the Great marked the end of one era - the period of revival, transformations and reforms, and the beginning of another, which went down in history under the name "the era of palace coups", which is studied in History of Russia in the 7th grade. What happened during this period of time - 1725-1762 - is what we are talking about today.

Factors

Before speaking briefly about the era of palace coups in Russia, it is necessary to understand what the term “palace coup” means. This stable combination is understood as a forceful change of power in the state, which is carried out through a conspiracy by a group of courtiers and relies on the help of a privileged military force- guards. As a result, the current monarch is overthrown and a new heir from the ruling dynasty, a protégé of a group of conspirators, is installed on the throne. With the change of sovereign, the composition of the ruling elite also changes. During the period of coups d'etat in Russia - 37 years, six sovereigns were replaced on the Russian throne. The reasons for this were the following events:

• After Peter I there were no direct heirs left in the male line: his son Alexei Petrovich died in prison, convicted of treason, and younger son Pyotr Petrovich died at an early age;
• Adopted by Peter I in 1722, the “Charter on the Succession to the Throne”: according to this document, the decision on the heir to the throne is made by the ruling monarch himself. Thus, various groups of supporters gathered around possible contenders for the throne - noble factions that were in confrontation;
• Peter the Great did not have time to draw up a will and indicate the name of the heir.

Thus, according to the definition Russian historian IN. Klyuchevsky, the beginning of the era of palace coups in Russia is considered to be the date of death of Peter I - February 8 (January 28), 1725, and the end - 1762 - the year Catherine the Great came to power.

Rice. 1. Death of Peter the Great

Distinctive features

The palace coups of 1725-1762 had several characteristic common features:

• Favoritism : a group of favorites was formed around a possible contender for succession to the throne, whose goal was to be closer to power and have influence on the balance of power. In fact, the nobles close to the sovereign concentrated all power in their hands and completely controlled the sovereign (Menshikov, Biron, princes Dolgoruky);
• Reliance on the Guards Regiment : Guards regiments appeared under Peter I. Northern War they became the main striking force of the Russian army, and then were used as the personal guard of the sovereign. In other words, their privileged position and proximity to the king played a decisive role in their “fate”: their support was used as the main striking force in palace coups;
• Frequent change of monarchs ;
• Appeal to the legacy of Peter the Great : each new heir claiming the throne demonstrated his intention to strictly follow the course of Peter I in foreign and domestic policy. However, what was promised often ran counter to current affairs and deviations from his program were observed.

Rice. 2. Portrait of Anna Ioannovna

Chronological table

The following chronological table presents all six Russian rulers, whose reign in history is associated with the era of palace coups. The first line answers the question which of the rulers opened the gap in question in political life Russia in the 18th century - Catherine I. Followed by other monarchs in chronological order. In addition, it is indicated with the help of what forces and court groups each of them came to power.

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Some historians believe that the era of palace coups does not end with the arrival of Catherine II. They name other dates - 1725-1801, related to the administration of the state of Alexander I.

Rice. 3. Catherine the Great

The era of palace coups led to the fact that noble privileges expanded significantly.

What have we learned?

According to the new decree of Peter I on changes in the order of succession to the throne, the person entitled to inherit the royal throne in Russia was indicated as the current monarch. This document did not contribute to the establishment of order and stability in the state, but on the contrary, it led to an era of palace coups that lasted 37 years. The activities of six monarchs date back to this period.

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Every openly expressed thought, no matter how false, every clearly conveyed fantasy, no matter how absurd, cannot fail to find sympathy in some soul.

L.N. Tolstoy

The era of palace coups is a period in Russian history from 1725 to 1762. This name came into use at the suggestion of Professor V. Klyuchevsky, who with this term designated an entire era, which accounted for 5 coups d'etat. Today we will look at palace coups in Russia from the point of view of domestic historiography, and also study this issue from various points of view, which is important for understanding the essence of the events.

Reasons and background

Let's start with the main thing. Why did the era of palace coups become possible in principle? After all, before it there were more than 25 years of stability under the rule of Peter 1: the country developed, grew stronger, and gained authority. Why did everything collapse and chaos begin with his death? There are several reasons for this, but main reason palace coups were organized by Peter himself. We are talking about the decree on succession to the throne of 1722 (the monarch has the right to appoint any successor) and the murder of Tsarevich Alexei. As a result, there is no male heir, the order of succession to the throne has been changed, and no will has been left. Chaos began. This was the prerequisite for subsequent events.

These are the main reasons for the era of palace coups. To perceive them you need to understand that long years stability in Russia rested on the firm hand and will of Peter 1. He was the main one in the country. He stood above everyone. Simply put, the state was stronger than the elite. After the death of Peter, it turned out that there was no successor, and the elite was already becoming stronger than the state. This always leads to coups and problems within the country. Moreover, subsequent events showed that the elite fought for their position and expanded their privileges with each new ruler. The nobility was finally approved by the elite with the Manifesto on the Freedom of the Nobility and the Charter of Grant. Largely because of this, problems arose in the future for people like, say, Paul 1, who tried to return the leading role of the state over the nobles.

The political forces that became the main ones in organizing coups were the nobles and the guard. They were competently manipulated by various lobbying groups that promoted their ruler, because because of new system succession to the throne, anyone could sit on the throne. It is clear that Peter’s closest relatives were selected for this role, but in general, any of these relatives had the right to the throne. And behind each of them there were their own groups.

The Guard and its role

Palace coups The 18th century was actually a revolution, when armed people removed one ruler and replaced him with another. Accordingly, a political force capable of doing this was needed. This became the guard, which was mainly recruited from nobles. The role of the guard in the change of supreme power in Russia in 1725-1762 cannot be overestimated. It was these people with weapons in their hands who “made destinies.”

The strengthening of the role of the guard is associated with the strengthening of the positions of the nobility. The Guard was mainly formed from nobles, therefore it was the guards who took the most direct part in the coups, pursuing exclusively noble interests.

Domestic politics of the era

Russia's domestic policy in the second quarter of the 18th century is characterized in two directions:

1. Strengthening the role of the nobility.
2. Strengthening serfdom.

Main direction domestic policy in the era of palace coups, this is the strengthening of the nobility and its positions. The strengthening of serfdom for the elite was also important point, but strengthening your rights is much more important. It was by the 60s - 70s of the 18th century that the dominance of the elite over the state was finally formed. And this had far-reaching consequences. As a result, the murder of Paul 1 occurred, who tried to return the dominant role to the state, and in many ways the Patriotic War of 1812 began. After all, Russia’s violation of the continental blockade took place precisely under the slogans that the elite and the state were losing money.

The domestic politics of Russia during this period is very interesting, especially when compared with the events of the 90s, after the collapse of the USSR. Below I will give the main events of the era of palace coups, as a result of which the nobility received more and more privileges. You can compare them with how our current elite was formed. The expansion of the rights of the nobility in the second quarter of the 18th century took place following events:

• They began to distribute land and peasants to the nobles (Peter 1 forbade this). Subsequently, the monopoly right of the nobility over the peasants was recognized.
• After 1731, all the estates of the nobles became their full personal property.
• Special guards regiments were created for nobles.
• Nobles could be enrolled in the guards regiments from birth. Conventionally, a young man joins the guard at the age of 15, and he already has 15 years of service experience.
• Limiting the service life of nobles in the army to 25 years. The term was limited to only nobles from all classes.
• Most state-owned factories were transferred to the hands of the nobles.
• Distillation became a monopoly of the nobility.
• Creation of a noble bank.

The list can be continued, but I think the essence is clear. For 37 years, an elite was formed in Russia, whose interests were higher than the interests of the state. Therefore, this time is also often called turmoil.

Governance of the country

Palace coups are an era when the person sitting on the throne was only nominally the head of state. In reality, the country was ruled by favorites and the groups led by them. The favorites created governing bodies of the country, which most often obeyed only them (on paper, the emperor). Therefore, below is a detailed table that presents the governing bodies of Russia in the second quarter of the 18th century.

A separate question on this topic is why the daughters of Peter 1 did not have preferential rights in comparison with other heirs? Again, everything depends on the decree of succession to the throne, where each monarch himself appoints a successor: this could be a son, daughter, wife, a stranger, even a simple peasant. Anyone can lay claim to the throne, so the daughters of the first Russian emperor were in the same position as everyone else.

Brief essence of government

Let us briefly consider the essence of the reign of the emperors who were in power in Russia during the period of palace coups:

• Catherine 1 (wife of Peter 1). In 1725, Peter 2 was to become ruler. The palace where the decision was made was besieged by the guards of the Semenovsky and Preobrazhensky regiments by order of Menshikov. The first coup happened. Ekaterina to business state relations Did not have.
• Peter 2 (grandson of Peter 1). Already in 1727, he sent Menshikov into exile. The rise of the old nobility began. The Dolgorukys' positions were strengthened to the maximum. Many parties began to form that actively advocated limiting the monarchy.
• Anna Ioannovna (daughter of Ivan 5, brother of Peter 1). She came to the throne after the story with the “conditions”. The time of her reign was remembered for constant fun, carnivals, balls and the like. Suffice it to recall the ice palace.
• Ivan Antonovich (grandson of Ivan 5). Real power was in the hands of Biron (a continuation of the Bironism). Very soon matured new conspiracy, and the guards advocated for a change of ruler.
• Elizaveta Petrovna (daughter of Peter 1). She had little interest in ruling the country. They really ruled through their favorites.
• Peter 3 (grandson of Peter 1 on the female side). A frankly weak ruler who should not be in power. He ended up there only thanks to another elite conspiracy. Peter 3 groveled before Prussia. Therefore, Elizabeth did not appoint him as successor.

Consequences of the era

Palace coups had important for the 18th and 19th centuries of our history. In many ways, it was in those times that the social dynamite that exploded in 1917 was laid. If we talk in general about the consequences of the era of palace coups, they generally boil down to the following:

1. Damaged swipe on Russian identity.
2. Separation of church and state. In fact, the ideas of Orthodoxy were completely abandoned at the state level.
3. The all-class nature of the state was destroyed as a result of the formation of the elite - the nobility.
4. Economic disruption of the country. For the carnival era of coups in 37 years, the country paid for more than a century!

This time led to the massive dominance of Russia by foreigners, primarily Germans. The peak of this process occurred during the reign of Anna Ioannovna. Many leading positions were occupied by Germans and they acted not in the interests of Russia, but in their own personal interests. As a result, these 37 years have been a terrible rampant of corruption, embezzlement, bribery, anarchy and the power model of the state.

On February 8, 1725, the era of palace coups began in Russia. On this day Peter the Great passed away. The death of the 52-year-old emperor was difficult and painful. The king was tormented not only by terrible physical pain, but by thoughts about the future of the power he had created. Pyotr Alekseevich did not know who to hand over the throne to, who would continue his great work.

Eight of the eleven children of Peter Alekseevich and Catherine died at an early age, leaving only three daughters: Anna, Elizaveta and Natalya. Peter's last hope of passing the throne to his son was destroyed with the death of his favorite Peter Petrovich. The child was healthy, and Catherine already called her son “the master of St. Petersburg.” But the 4-year-old boy fell ill and died in April 1719. That's why last years Peter was sad and lonely.

Peter did not dare to write a will in favor of one of his daughters. He feared for their fate and believed that the young princesses Anna or Elizabeth would not be able to hold Russia in their weak hands. In addition, after the tragic death of the eldest son of Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich, his son, the grandson of Peter the Great, remained Grand Duke Petr Alekseevich. Peter did not want to give the throne to Peter Alekseevich, who was backed by traditionalists, who, although they had lost the opportunity to determine the course of the country, were a strong elite group. The son of Tsarevich Alexei enjoyed special love from all who hated the modernization of Russia in a European way, new Russia, which Peter created with great difficulty and blood. Although, according to the old Russian tradition, the throne rightfully belonged to Pyotr Alekseevich. The accession to the throne of Peter II, who due to his age could not be an independent ruler, could have brought to power in the country an opposition capable of destroying significant part the building of the new Russia built by Peter.

Previously, the emperor seemed to have solved the problem of succession to the throne. In 1722 he signed the Decree on Succession to the Throne, which abolished ancient tradition transfer the royal throne to direct descendants in the male line. As a result, the king was able to appoint an heir himself. According to Peter's will of 1724, his wife, the former servant Marta Skavronskaya, became the heir; from the spring of 1724, the Russian Empress Catherine I Alekseevna. However, in the fall of 1724, Peter unexpectedly learned that his beloved wife, as he wrote in letters - “Katerinushka, dear friend,” was cheating on him with the chamber cadet Vilim (Willim) Mons. As fate would have it, Vilim Mons was the brother of Anna Mons, the Tsar’s former mistress, who, due to her frivolity, missed the chance to become Empress of Russia - she also cheated on Peter, which led to her disgrace. Peter I was furious. Mons was executed. True, under the pretext of “economic crimes.” Taking into account the then fashion for embezzlement (a long-standing disease of the Russian bureaucracy), it was easy to find a reason. Those close to Catherine were beaten with a whip and sent to hard labor. There was estrangement between the spouses. Peter reversed his decision - he destroyed the will written in favor of his wife.

In the last years of his life, Peter I was sick a lot. The body, shaken by severe trials, life to wear, drunkenness and excessive entertainment, let Peter down. At the same time, he was tormented by severe doubts. To whom to transfer the throne so that his business is not destroyed by any nimble favorite who ends up in Catherine’s bed. At the same time, Peter himself believed that he still had time and the disease was not fatal. As soon as he learned about his wife’s betrayal and destroyed the will in favor of Catherine, Peter agreed to the marriage of the Holstein Duke Karl-Friedrich and the eldest daughter Anna Petrovna. It was included in the marriage contract important condition- at the birth of a boy, he was immediately supposed to be handed over to his grandfather to be raised. This boy was supposed to become the Emperor of Russia. However, man proposes, but God disposes. Fate decided otherwise. According to one version, they helped her by poisoning the emperor. There is an opinion that there were certain foreign forces that were not satisfied with Peter’s course in the last period of his reign, when the sovereign began to solve strategic, national problems that were turning Russia into a “superpower.”

Be that as it may, the death of the emperor was beneficial to the enemies of Russia. It plunged Russia into yet another turmoil associated with Peter's reluctance to give the throne to the rightful heir - Peter Alekseevich, who was supported by conservative circles of Russian society, the absence of a successor to Peter's work, and the presence of a group of secular nobles who wanted to take advantage of the current situation to strengthen their position and redistribute power and income for your own benefit. At the same time, these dignitaries, who during Peter’s life were bound by his iron will, which forced these people not only to “live beautifully”, but also to work tirelessly, for the most part wanted to enjoy life without bearing responsibility for the development of the state.

The country's uncertain situation did not last long. Seeing that Peter the Great was dying, his closest associates, those who during his reign demonstrated the greatest activity and ability, quickly took their bearings and decided to seize the initiative and elevate Catherine to the throne. Among the most prominent conspirators were the powerful Alexander Menshikov, who rose from the very bottom, Pyotr Tolstoy, Fyodor Apraksin, Feofan Prokopovich and others.

All of them were, in one way or another, interested in Catherine’s accession to the throne. Menshikov had great influence on his former mistress (the future Catherine had previously gone to Peter and was Menshikov’s concubine) and, taking into account the weak mental abilities of the cook on the throne, expected to become the real ruler of Russia. Without Catherine on the throne, Menshikov could have found himself in a very difficult situation, since the aristocratic families would undoubtedly have deprived him of power and wealth, and possibly even his life. In addition, already at the end of Peter’s reign, Menshikov’s career began to decline. In 1724, Peter the Great’s patience ran out; the exorbitant abuses of Menshikov, who, like many other people “from rags to riches,” had an insatiable craving for power and wealth, infuriated the tsar. Menshikov lost his main positions - the posts of head of the Military Collegium and governor-general of the St. Petersburg province. Therefore, the change of power was beneficial to the prince.

Outstanding diplomat and one of the leaders secret service(Preobrazhensky Order) P. Tolstoy played a key role in the case of Tsarevich Alexei. The case of Tsarevich Alexei brought him closer to Empress Catherine, and the success of another candidate, the young Grand Duke Peter Alekseevich, would have put an end to his brilliant career.

Relying on the guard, the “artists” prevented the grandson of Peter I, Grand Duke Peter Alekseevich, from coming to the throne. To attract the Semyonovsk and Preobrazhensk residents they spared no money, no promises, no wine. Immediately after the death of Peter the Great, the highest nobles, dignitaries and commanders gathered in the hall of the Winter Palace. They argued fiercely about who should give the throne to. However, when the roar of drums was heard outside the palace walls and everyone saw the green uniforms of the guard in the windows, everything fell into place. Strength was on the side of Menshikov and other conspirators. Soldiers and officers, inflamed with wine and rumors of “treason,” poured into the hall. All objections from supporters of Tsarevich Peter Alekseevich were drowned in the greetings of the guards in honor of the “Mother Empress.” The most disobedient dignitaries were promised to “split their heads.”

Seizing an opportune moment, Alexander Menshikov shouted: “Vivat, our august Empress Catherine!” The guardsmen picked up: “Vivat! Vivat! The entire assembly was forced to repeat after them, or blood might be shed. In the morning, the manifesto on Catherine’s accession to the throne was announced.

Thus, the first palace coup took place quickly and bloodlessly. ex girl in the kitchen, the laundress and “war trophy” became a huge empress Russian Empire. However, all real power during the reign of Catherine I Alekseevna now belonged to the all-powerful Alexander Danilovich Menshikov. Former servant in 1727-1729. became the real ruler of Russia.

The instigators of the first palace coup were dignitaries who wanted to preserve and strengthen their position, as well as those who had the political will and determination to become the initiators of the conspiracy. Driving force The coup was the elite part of the army - the guard. The Russian Guard in the 18th century was contradictory. Well-equipped, trained and possessing high morale, the guards were the support of the throne. Their courage, perseverance and dedication have more than once entered heroic pages in the Russian military chronicle. However, there was another side to the guard. The Guard became a tool in the political game. It turned out that promises, flattery, women, money and wine easily direct the power of the guard in the direction desired by the intriguers.

Organizer of the first palace coup Alexander Danilovich Menshikov