Under these conditions secret societies changed their character. The measures of Alexander convinced them that monarchs' promises are not to be relied upon. They were also strongly impressed by military pronunciamentos in Spain and Naples (182o). Quiroga, Riego and Pepe now became their heroes. Nicholas Turgenev recorded in his diary in 182o: "we formerly asked, every time we met the readers of newspapers in the club, whether there was a new constitution. Now we ask whether there is a new revolution." One may judge of the impression produced on the officers of the guard when they learnt that they had to stifle the Neapolitan uprising, by orders of the Laibach Congress.
The former secret "society of welfare," imitating the Tugend bund, was officially closed in 1821, as being too moderate. Two societies appeared instead: the "northern" and the "southern" constitutionalists and republicans. The constitutionalists were losing ground; radical elements even among them (like the poet Ryleev) began to prevail. Proposals of regicide were heard from Kakhovsky and Yakubovich, but they were rejected or indefinitely postponed. In any case, revolutionary tactics were considered in evitable. But no definite scheme was in preparation. Suggestions
were made for forcing the tsar, at some favourable opportunity, to nominate a liberal ministry of Speransky and Mordvinov, who would convoke a "Great Council" (later on Russian revolution aries called it a Constituent Assembly) which should decide on the form of the Government.
A favourable occasion presented itself quite unexpectedly. Alexander died in Taganrog on Nov. 20 (Dec. I) 1825. The order of succession happened to be undecided. Constantine, the elder of two surviving brothers, had renounced the throne in 1823; but Nicholas did not wish to acknowledge this, and he swore allegiance to his brother. Constantine would not accept the throne. Nicholas threatened to leave Russia. The correspondence be tween Warsaw and Petersburg was thus protracted for about two weeks. The "Decembrists," as they were called later, de cided finally to raise the Guard regiments for Constantine against Nicholas and to force Nicholas—in case he survived that day— to appoint a liberal ministry which would do the rest. The rising was a failure (see NICHOLAS). The last of Russian palace revo lutions was spoilt by too much idealism ; but it served as an ominous prognostication of the coming democratic revolutionary movement.