The reign of Nicholas 1 did not begin peacefully. Some Russian officers were influenced by the ideas of the French Revolution and formed a secret society. In December 1825 the 'Decembrists' attempted a coup. They gathered in Senate Square in the capital but troops loyal to the Tsar opened fire and dispersed them. Five rebels were hanged. The uprising was a forecast of things to come in Russia. Following the events of December 1825, the new Tsar Nicholas 1 was determined to stamp out any revolutionary movements. He formed a police force to detect revolutionaries. All writings were rigorously censored. For Nicholas 1 true glory meant expansion of Russian territory and people angrily thought he saw himself as omnipotent. His aggressive interest in Turkey results in the Crimean War, the loss of which was very detrimental to Russia's position as a frontrunner of power.