A Mighty Power Awakens - 1789 Russian Revolution

Dorozhand

Banned
What if there was a Russian Revolution in late 18th century? Perhaps a small regional rebellion could ignite the powder keg, spread throughout the country and, before anyone could do anything about it, Catherine II had faced the guillotine and the Romanovs had fled the country.

Could this have happened in late 18th century Russia? Could a small, regional (probably ethnic) rebellion result in a "spring of peoples", and eventually spread to the ethnic Russian serfs as well?

If so, what would the consequences in eastern european politics be?

Could the revolution and the government it created have lasted? Would (or could) Prussia and Austria have come to the Romanov's aid? maybe such an intervention would be a debacle for them in the Russian winter, just as Napoleons OTL invasion was. That would provide the rebels with an important victory.

Where would the rump Poland be in all this?

Would the course of the Napoleonic wars have changed drastically?

Might a fledgling America have allied to a possible Franco-Russian coalition? With the odds doubled for Britain, perhaps the US could gain Canada in the 1812 war, provided that it still happens.
 
I think you would have a lot of monarchies around Europe becoming alarmed. In a span of 10-12 years you have the United States gaining their independence and becoming a republic. You have the French Revolution which overthrew the monarchy there. Now you have a Russian Revolution overthrowing the monarchy there! There will be a lot of Kings wondering if they are going to be next.

That might make for a good timeline, have people take their cue from the US and France and watch the European monarchies fall like dominos!?!
 
I don't know the problem that I see with Russia ... which is the same with why they weren't affected (as much) with the spring of nations is the lack of coordination that rebel groups/political dissidents have with each other. That is why the best I could see Russia doing in terms of rebellions is a serf rebellion. And instead of creating republic I think they would try to at most curtail the power of the nobility... maybe this would spur a wise Tzar to reinstate the Zemsky sober but other than that I am not sure.
 
What if there was a Russian Revolution in late 18th century? Perhaps a small regional rebellion could ignite the powder keg, spread throughout the country and, before anyone could do anything about it, Catherine II had faced the guillotine and the Romanovs had fled the country.

Could this have happened in late 18th century Russia?

I guess it could. But the consequences would have been devastating. For Russia mostly.

May be there appeared some sort of peasants' tsar ATL. Some sort of 'emperor for serfs'. But that would definitely weaken the strength of the state. And there would have been some partition of Russian empire. Some non-russian parts would break away.
IMHO Romanovs Russian Empire was very efficient in 'coquering and holding'.
That was the main point, the essance of its existance. No revolution (especially that of serfs) could improve that 'expanding' aspect.

By the way, during serfs riots not only the foreigners, but the russian learned class, intelligentsia suffered mostly from the wrath of the peasants.
That was not good for the economy and the finance. And definitely bad for the army.
 
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