The foreign policy of Alexander was marked, like his internal policy, by plans outrunning. per formance. Ile at first stood as an advocate of peace. He endeavored to obtain from Napoleon just compensation for the German States; but. becoming convinced of Napoleon's had faith, he joined the coalition of 1805. Ile was the ally of Prussia against Napoleon in the campaign of 1806, carrying on wars at the same time with Persia and Turkey. His forces fought an hide cisive battle at Eylau in February, 1807. and were totally defeated at Friedland in the following June. In July, 1807, Alexander signed the Treaty of Tilsit, in which he left Prussia to her fate. Dazzled by the genius of Napoleon and by his scheme for the division of the world into an Eastern and a Western Empire, Alexander joined the Continental System (q.v.), declared war on England (1808), and wrested Finland from Swe den. At Erfurt in the autumn of 180S the two emperors met with great pomp, but the ill-assort ed alliance soon lost force, The pressure of the Continental System on the material resources of Russia, the growth of the Napoleonic despotism, the existence and aggrandizement of the Duchy of Warsaw, were utterly opposed to Alexander's theories and to his sense of sound Russian policy. At length in 1812 a rupture ensued, and Napo leon's Grand Army entered Russia, only to be de stroyed in the retreat from Moscow. Alexander threw himself into the struggle of Europe against the French Emperor, and raised an army of nearly 900,000 men. lie took part personally in the campaigns, and was prominent in the nego tiations at Vienna.
At Paris, in 1814, Alexander, who by nature had always been inclined toward religious mysti cism, fell under the inductive of Madanie 'Kra dener (q.v.). It was under this influence that he instituted the lIoly Alliance (q.v.). the declared object of which was to make the principles of Christianity recognized in the political arrange ments of the world, lint which through Metternich a mere means for the reestablishment of political absolutism. The latter part of Alex
ander's reign presents a strong contrast to the earlier. The ardent young reformer was drawn into a reactionary course. He concurred in the Austrian policy of Metternich. and by repressing insurrection in Europe assisted in crushing the political progress of the nations. The spread of education and liberal ideas, and the disorder of the finances, due to Russia's active part in the Napoleonic wars aroused popular discontent, which was put down by the censorship and police espionage. Alexander been me morbid and embit tered, and sought relief alternately in dissipation and in religious mysticism. Personal exposure during the inundation of St. Petersburg in 1824 undermined Ids health; the death of a favorite daughter and the discovery of a Russo-Polish conspiracy against the House of llomanoff aggra vated his illness. With the Empress he sought rest in the Crimea, but was seized by an illness on the journey, and died at Taganrog, December 1 (_November 19, Old Style), 1825.
BIBLIOGRAPHY. Sehnitzler, Ilistoire intime de Bibliography. Sehnitzler, Ilistoire intime de la Russie sous Its empereurs Alexandre I. et Nic olas I. (Paris, 1847); Bogdanovitch, History of the Brian of Alexander I., in Russian (St. Peters burg, 1869-71), the first four volumes of which are translated into French; Rabbe, 11 istoire d'ilexandre I. (Paris, 1826) : Countess Choiseul, Gouflier, 1Rm0ires historiques stn' rempereur Alexandre et la caul- de llussie (Paris, 1829), English translation by Patterson, Historical Me moirs of the Emperor Alexander I. and the Court of Russia (Chicago. 1900) ; C. Joyneville .1/exam der I.: His Life and Times (London, 1875) Mazade, Memoires du prince Adam CnrtoryRki et Su correspmula»ee (tree l'empereur Alexandre I. (Paris. 1887) : Vandal, Napoh'o» et Alexandre l'allianee ruse sous le premier empire (Paris, 1890-96) and Bernhardi, Gesehichte leusslandu der europiiisehen Politilo 181!-1S31 (Leipzig, 1863-77).