Konstantin Pavlovich was born at Tsarskoye Selo on the 27th of April 1779. Of the sons born to the unfortunate tsar Paul, Petrovich and his wife Maria Feodorovna, nie princess of Wiirt- temberg, none more closely resembled his father in bodily and mental characteristics than did the second, Constantine Pavlovich. The direction of the boy's upbringing was entirely in the hands of his grandmother, the empress Catherine II.
Count Nicolai Ivanovich Soltikov was supposed to be the actual tutor, but he too in his turn transferred the burden to another, only interfering personally on quite exceptional occasions, and exercised neither a positive nor a negative influence upon the character of the exceedingly passionate, restless and headstrong boy.
After a first separation in the year 1799, she went back permanently to her German home in 1801, the victim of a frivolous intrigue, in the guilt of which she was herself involved.
An attempt made by Constantine in 1814 to win her back to his hearth and home broke down on her firm opposition.
However that may be, it is certain that Constantine never tried to secure the throne.
However, after the peace of Tilsit he became an ardent admirer of the great Corsican and an upholder of the Russo- French alliance.
During the campaign he was a boon companion of every commanding-officer.
Barclay de Tolly was twice obliged to send him away from the army.
His share in the battles in Germany and France was insignificant.
At Dresden, on the 26th of August, his military knowledge failed him at the decisive moment, but at La Fere-Champenoise he distinguished himself by personal bravery.
On the whole he cut no great figure.
His first visit was to the stables, and it was said that he had marching and drilling even in his private rooms. In the great political decisions of those days. Constantine took not the smallest part.
With this begins the part played by the grand-duke in history.
In the Congress-Poland created by Alexander he received the post of commander-in-chief of the forces of the kingdom; to which was added later (1819) the command of the Lithuanian troops and of those of the Russian provinces that had formerly belonged to the kingdom of Poland.
