Russia's Roots, Part 3

When last we left Russia, Catherine the Great had made her nation one of Europe's great powers. When she died in 1796, her son Paul took the throne--until he was murdered during a coup in 1801. Paul's son, Alexander I (who may have been involved in dear old dad's murder), took over.

Catherine had groomed Alexander--rather than Paul--for the throne, and many hoped his rise would bring enlightened reforms to Russia's heartland, where serfdom was still the hard reality for most folk. As it turned out, Alexander didn't end serfdom, but he did defeat Napoleon.

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