The Decembrist Revolt was an uprising in Russia on December 26, 1825. A group of young, liberal nobles and army officers led by Pavel Pestel and Sergey Trubetskoy wanted to prevent the ascension of conservative Tsar Nicholas I and instead establish a constitutional monarchy.
Think of the Decembrist Revolt like a school protest where students are unhappy with the new strict principal (Tsar Nicholas I) and want to change the school rules (establish a constitutional monarchy). Despite their efforts, they fail because most students either don't support them or are too afraid to join.
Pavel Pestel: One of the leaders of the Decembrists, he was a Russian revolutionary who wrote "Russian Justice," which called for the abolition of serfdom and establishment of a republic.
Sergey Trubetskoy: Another leader of the Decembrists, he was supposed to become dictator after their planned coup but fled before he could be arrested.
Serfdom: A system in medieval Europe where peasants were tied to land owned by lords. In Russia, it wasn't abolished until 1861.
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