num_pages: 424
description: This is the first full modern biography of Paul I, son of Catherine the Great and Tsar of Russia, 1796-1801. Considered by some to have been a cruel despot verging on the insane, Paul has been seen by others as a progressive if flawed ruler, who was overthrown because he challenged the privileged nobility. McGrew explores the influences which shaped Paul's values and behavior, assessing the role played by Paul's upbringing on the fringes of his mother's court and of the French Revolution. He examines Paul's insecure, unpredictable, and often violent character, and traces his gradual evolution into a committed autocrat who combined enlightened humanitarianism with a firm belief in military discipline and hierarchy. As Tsar, he aroused fear, hatred, and contempt among his nobles, which resulted in a coup d'etat ending his brief reign and his life. McGrew's intensively researched study not only offers a portrait of a complex ruler and his times, but also assesses the part played by Paul in establishing the deeply conservative political outlook which characterized Russia in the nineteenth century.
language: English
title: Paul I of Russia, 1754-1801
titlecomplete: Paul I of Russia, 1754-1801
ratings_count: 2
publisher: Clarendon Press