Nikolai I Pavlovich, July 6, 1796 - March 2, 1855, also Nicholas, was the Emperor of Russia from 1825 until 1855 and king of Poland from 1825 until 1831. Nicholas completely lacked his brother's spiritual and intellectual breadth; he saw his role simply as one paternal autocrat ruling his people by whatever means were necessary. Having experienced the trauma of the Decembrist Revolt, Nicholas I was determined to restrain Russian society. A secret police, the Third Section of Imperial Chancellery, ran a huge network of spies and informers with the help of Gendarmes. The government exercised censorship and other controls over education, publishing, and all manifestations of public life.