Burdens of Engagement NYPL, Slavic and Baltic Division

During the reign of Alexander I, Russia reached the zenith of its engagement with the other European states. In 1807, Emperor Alexander and Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte (Emperor, 1804–14/15) reached an agreement that effectively acknowledged Russia and France as the two greatest powers on the continent and, given the geopolitics of the day, in the world. Napoleon conquered most of Europe, redrawing its map, and then, in 1812, attempted to absorb Russia into his empire. That quest ended in disastrous defeat, and Alexander led the allied army into Paris, unseating his rival. This left Russia as the largest and most powerful nation on the globe. At the same time, during the sojourn of Russian soldiers in west European countries, they absorbed the liberal ideas and aspirations that would set off a century-long revolutionary movement that would end in the fall of the Romanovs.