188 DISGRACE AND EXILEAlexander's return from an inspection of Russian border fortresses. By
themselves, of course, such remarks could not mean much. But they
offended the touchy pride and dignity of the Tsar. Alexander's
sensitivity to what others thought of him, his vanity, his inability toforget an insult boded ill for the uncautious State Secretary. But the
element of hurt pride, although a significant factor, would have hardly
led to more than a cooling of personal feeling, the replacement of the
informal and almost daily contacts by a more formal and distant
relationship, such as usually prevail between sovereign and minister.^1It might perhaps have even resulted in Speransky's dismissal from some
of his important functions, but it scarcely would have warranted the
ignominy of a harsh exile. Explanation for the latter must be sought
primarily in the political concerns which became uppermost in
Alexander's mind on the eve of the war against Napoleon.
From the time of Tilsit on, and more particularly after Erfurt, the
Tsar's dominant preoccupation became to prepare himself for the
ultimate conflict with France. At home, he improved the administrative
and military machinery of the state with the assistance of men like
Speransky, Arakcheev, Barclay de Tolly. Abroad, he lay the diplomatic
groundwork for an all-European coalition that was to crush Napoleon:
secret understandings with Austria, peace treaties with Turkey and
Sweden, negotiations with England, asylum given to vom Stein and
Hardenberg, secret correspondence with Talleyrand, Nesselrode's
mission to Paris. He knew well, though, that despite his preparations,
the struggle with Napoleon would not be short or easy. He realized
that he would need the whole-hearted support of the country. Not
only did he have to be sure of the personal loyalty of his advisors, but
he also wanted them to be respected and accepted by Russian society.
We have seen why the Emperor felt betrayed and hurt by his Sec-
retary. He, therefore, had Speransky's movements and his every word
watched by secret agents and reported to him. The Minister of the
Police, Balashov, was ordered to keep an eye on Speransky, an assign-
ment that must have pleased the minister immensely. Not satisfied with
this precaution, the Emperor also assigned de Sanglin, the chief of the
Secret Department of the Police, to spy both on Speransky and his own
superior, Balashov. A curious procedure indeed, which surprised even
the professional police agent de Sanglin. It alone would justify
Napoleon's bitter characterization of the Tsar as "un grec du Bas-
Empire." The reports from his agents showed Alexander to what
1 The entries in the Kamerfurerskii Zhurnal are expressive of this change in
1811-1812.