Background:

• Alexander I came to the throne in March 1801, national debt was about two hundred million rubles. He began with the intention of modernising Russia. He took such measures as urging the abolition of the selling of peasants, which was rejected by the state council. Steps such as creating a Ministry appeared significant, but as it was responsible directly to the crown, little had actually changed. Although Alexander had commissioned a number of reports on the economic and social situation of Russia, including the Speransky Project in 1803, these were all shelved due to external problems with France. During this time first protectionist then free trade tariffs were introduced, damaging the economy severely.
• The government began to act more severely towards the end of Alexander's reign, for example prohibiting the University of Dorpat from enrolling students who had formerly attended foreign universities because those students "brought with them and propagated customs of disobedience from the universities abroad".

• The Decembrist Society was basically a group of liberal military noblemen who sought to set up a constitutional monarchy after the death of Alexander I. They came from the war in the west, leaving them with the impression of western democratic countries which reflected badly on their own monarchical state.
• The origins of the Decembrist Society lies in the Union of Salvation, established in St Petersburgh in 1816. It began with only a few members of the high nobility, but gradually more members joined, including Pavel Pestel, who was to be vital to the movement. The aims of the Union of Salvation were pretty vague, described by some as the emancipation of the peasants, and the introduction of a constitutional monarchy, but by others such as Yakushkin as ridding the country of foreigners, and it was said to limit its activities to propaganda. However, Pestel stated that the society "was a revolutionary organisation from the very foundation, and during its entire existence did not cease to be such".
• The Decembrists saw serfdom as an economic handicap, and an unjustifiably backwards institution.
• Pestel, leading figure of the Decembrist movement stated: "The desirability of granting freedom to the serfs was considered from the very beginning; for that purpose a majority of the nobility was to be invited in order to petition the Emperor about it. This was later thought of on many occasions, but we soon came to realise that the nobility could not be persuaded."
• The Decembrists made a pact with their Polish counterparts, a similar secret society and attempted to rally the people with their various bases across the country, not basing themselves just in St Petersburg and Moscow. However, this attempt was doomed because of their class-beliefs, they were interested in the support of the intelligencia and not of the masses.

• Divisions of opinion quickly began to show within the society; some members wanted minor political reform, while others preferred a revolutionary tactic. This resulted in the society almost collapsing in 1817; however, a constitution was then drawn up, which included the need for a constitutional monarchy, peasant emancipation, and liberal reforms. Yakushkin opposed this, preferring a more moderate policy.
• A meeting of members resulted in the decision to dissolve the society, and to set up a temporary replacement, the Military Society, which was later, renamed the Union of Welfare, and a new constitution drafted, known as The Green Book. (p73).
• Pestel moved to southern Russia in 1818, and set up another branch of the society, this left the Moscow branch without a leader, and it quickly fell into difficulties.
• The society held a conference in Moscow in 1821, at which it was suggested that they become more active, and begin counterfeiting money to finance their initiatives.
• Alexander I died on 19 November 1825, and was succeeded by Nicholas I, this was taken by the Decembrists as the time for action. However, Nicholas was aware of the conspiracy and forthcoming revolt. The society attempted to get the guards onto their side by deception, and while this worked, they could not be guaranteed as loyal revolutionaries.
• Northern revolt: led by 'Dictator' Trubetskoi, the revolutionaries took over the Senate Square. As things began to go wrong, their leader and several other central figures deserted the soldiers. Three thousand men stood in the square, unable to take action without a leader. They were eventually shot down by Nicholas I's men.
• Southern revolt: led by Muraviev-Apostol. The southern society was very out of touch with its northern counterpart, they were not aware of the revolt in the north until it was too late. The southern society, led initially by Pestel, was significantly more radical than the north, leading to problems over policy. Religious overtones, spent too much time producing leaflets to supposedly convert the opposition soldiers, and not enough time fighting his cause.
• The execution of the Decembrists in 1826 provided the first real martyrs for the revolutionary cause.