Catherine the Great’s son, Paul, was assassinated in 1801 after a troubled reign.
Paul I of Russia, the son of Catherine the Great, ascended to the throne after his mother’s death in 1796. His reign was marked by a stark departure from the policies and reforms of his mother, as he sought to reverse many of her initiatives and centralize power. Paul’s rule was characterized by paranoia and a fear of assassination, which ultimately became a reality.
Paul’s relationship with the nobility was strained, and his erratic behavior and policies led to discontent among the aristocracy and military officers. He created many enemies through his actions, such as imposing strict military discipline, altering the line of succession, and involving Russia in the Second Coalition against France.
The tension culminated in a conspiracy led by a group of disgruntled officers and some of his own courtiers. On the night of March 23, 1801, conspirators, including General Bennigsen and Count Pahlen, stormed the Mikhailovsky Castle in St. Petersburg, where Paul was residing. They forced their way into his bedroom and, after a brief struggle, Paul was strangled and trampled to death.
Paul’s death was officially recorded as an apoplectic stroke, but it was widely known that he was assassinated. His son, Alexander I, succeeded him, and it was rumored that Alexander knew of the conspiracy but was not directly involved in the assassination. The death of Paul I marked the end of his troubled reign and the beginning of a new era under Alexander, who would go on to lead Russia through the Napoleonic Wars.