Unit 9

Absolute MonarchsSection 2 – Russia

Russia• Separated from Europe

• Culture and Geographically• Influenced by Mongols/Asian• Landlocked - No warm water ports

Had not experienced •The Renaissance•The Reformation•The Scientific Revolution•Still stuck in the Middle Ages

• Religion• Eastern Orthodox not Roman

Catholic• Services in Greek or Russian• Czar claims authority over

church• Divorce is can be allowed

• Different Alphabet – CyrillicEveryone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.

Ivan the Terrible

• Ivan IV • came to power in 1533• 3 years old• Struggled for power over

boyars• Landowning nobility• Tried to control him

• At 16, seized control and declared himself Czar

• The ‘Good Period’• 1547 – 1560• Good leader, code of

laws, added lands (50 miles a day)

Ivan the Terrible

• “Bad Period” – after 1560• 1st Wife Anastasia died

• Accused boyars of poisoning, turned against them

• Created his own secret police force• To hunt traitors• Dressed all in black• Executed many boyars and

peasants• Forced nobles to loyal to him or

lose land

Ivan the Terrible

• 1581 – Killed oldest son & heir• Left only weaker son to rule• He also dies

• After Ivan’s death, 1584, • Period of unrest =‘Time of Troubles’

• Boyars fought for power• Neighboring countries invaded• For 30 years, over 50 claim throne

• 1613 Representatives from Russian National Assembly met• Chose new Czar, Michael Romanov

• Ivan’s Grandnephew• Romanov’s rule Russia for next 300 years, till

1917

Romanov’s• Powerful wealthy family• Tried to build the power of the

Czar• Suppressed religious protests• Absolute Rulers – restored order

• 1682• Peter I, age 10, shared power• With half brother and half sister

• 1689• Peter became sole leader of

Russia

Peter The Great

• Peter I = Peter the Great• Russia’s greatest reformer• Increased power of the czar,

could be ruthless• Wants to make Russia great

and more like Europe• Knew Russia needed a warm

water port.• One port, Archangel,

frozen much of the year

Peter the Great• Reorganized Russia

• Improved Army Training & Weaponry

• Peter increased his powers• To be able to ‘force’ change• Brought the church under his

control• Reduced power of the landowners• Recruited able men from lower

classes• Gave them lands, got their loyalty• Service Nobility – Rank tied to Service

Peter the Great• 1697 – Embarks on ‘Grand Embassy’

• Long visit to Europe• To learn about customs and industrial

techniques• First time Russian leader had traveled to

west.• Kept his identity a secret.

• Dressed as locals, worked and learned skills• Visited Netherlands, England, Austria• Cont’d to inspired Peter to make Russia

more like Europe• Militarily and commercially• Brought back scientists and Artisans

Peter the Great• 1700-1721 War with Sweden for warm

water port• Won area on Baltic Sea• Creates city of St. Petersburg• Moves capital from Moscow• Orders Nobles to move there

• Like Louis XIV

Peter the Great - Westernization

• Russia had a lot to learn• Military

• Hired European officers• Trained soldiers• Military became a lifetime job.• Peter had to impose heavy taxes to

pay for this.

• Commercially• Hired 700 engineers,

shipbuilders, mathematicians to teach

• Government• Modeled govt. after Louis XIV

Peter the Great

• Westernizing continued• Introduced potatoes, became staple crop• Russia’s first newspaper• Raised Status of Women• Ordered nobles to dress in Western

European clothes• Ordered to cut off beards

• 1725 - Peter Dies• Succeeded in making Russia an European

power.• Did not complete westernization

• Series of weak rulers• starting with his 2nd wife Catherine I

till……..

Catherine the Great

• Married to Peter III, PTGs Grandson• Ruled from 1762 -1796• Supported ..

• The Arts, Sciences, Literature and Theatre

• Most Russians poor – No changes

• Continued Peter’s plan of Westernization

• Most Important contribution• Foreign Policy

Catherine the Great• Continued Expansion

• Successful war against the Turks• Control of northern shore of

Black Sea• Now two warm water ports

• Partitioning of Poland• Poland weak – internal struggles• 1772 – Russia, Austria and Prussia• 1793 – Prussia and Russia• 1795 – Russia, Prussia and Austria

• Split rest of Poland• No longer on the Map – till 1919

End Russia