The late 18th century saw the defeat of a world power – Great Britain – at the hands of a distant colony whose population, for the most part, had its origins in the "mother country." Indigenous movements opposing colonial rule in the French colony of Saint-Domingue (Haiti), and, in the early 19th century, against Spanish and Portuguese colonial rule in Latin America were all inspired and guided to some degree by Enlightenment principles, put into practice.

However, for European monarchies – Russia included – the prospect of rebellious territories seeking independence from the "mother" country paled in comparison with the violently anti-monarchical revolution in France. Questioning the right of a distant land to rule a territory was one thing; to articulate ideas that threatened the very existence of monarchical rule was something far more immediate, and threatening.