VI
modem, European framework. But it took almost a century for this
skeleton to grow a body and to become conscious of its functions and
problems. At the death of Catherine II in 1796 the task set' by
Peter I had been accomplished. But in the meantime Russia had
become a great European power, a multinational empire extending
from Scandinavia to Central Asia, its economy had developed, its upper
classes had become Westernized and had received something of a
corporate organization. New problems had to be faced now, and for
this many parts in the administrative machinery had to be changed
and the principles and methods of government had to be redefined.
This is what the generation of the first quarter of the 19th century set
out to do.
Coming after the capricious tyranny of Paul I, under the influence
of the ideas of both the enlightenment and romanticism, the reign of
Alexander I (1801-1825) was a critical period during which the
principles and practice of the imperial government were subjected to
examination, evaluation, and discussion. As a result of the critique,
new ideas and approaches were advanced and plans of reform suggested.
Emperor Alexander I himself seemed to lead the way as he searched
for new principles on which to found his absolute rule, and to this
end he sought out young, energetic, and talented advisors and
assistants. Among these, the most outstanding proved to be the son of
a village priest, Michael M. Speransky. Rising to positions of great
trust and influence, Speransky left a profound mark on the attitudes
and practices of the imperial administration and helped to create the
framework within which the social, economic, and administrative
changes of the 1860s were to take place.
The present volume aims at giving as comprehensive an account as
possible of the administrative and political activities, ideas, and plans
of Speransky, and also hopes to interpret and assess their significance
for the political evolution of Imperial Russia. As there is but scant
knowledge of the workings of the Russian imperial administration,
the account of Speransky's career and work will be accompanied by a
description of the institutional and social setting. At one time or
another Speransky was involved in almost every aspect of Russian
administration and to each he brought fresh ideas, rational organization,
and new goals. The legacy he left w,as great and important, less perhaps
in terms of practical accomplishments as in terms of mental attitudes
and methods. He helped to identify and analyse the most essential
social, economic, and political problems that beset Russia and in so
doing he prepared the way for their solution by "bureaucratic" means,