The Expansion of Russia Peter the Great & Age of Absolutism

The First Tsar  Ivan IV “the terrible” (b / r – 1584)  Advised and abused by boyars (3 to 16 yrs)  Took individual power in 1546 – crowned himself Tzar (Caesar) in 1547  In 1549 he called together a zemskii sobor, assembly of the land,  In 1550 established a new law code.  Updated the army and defended Russia's eastern borders from the Mongols and added new lands in the 1550  1560, wife Anastasia Romanov dies (No, not that Anastasia)  Ivan increasingly unstable

Ivan the Terrible  After Paranoid and delusional  Kills eldest son, Ivan  Helped to depopulate areas of central Russia  Massacre of boyars  Peasants flee east -- south – “Cossacks”  “all the people consider themselves to be kholops, that is, slaves of their Prince”

Time of Troubles  1584 Ivan IV dies  1598 – 1613 Time of Troubles – no clear heir  Relatives murder one another  Swedish and Polish armies invade  Cossack bands attack nobles and officials  Zemskii Sobor (feudal estates) elect Michael Romanov, (Ivan IV’s grandson)  Completes “enserfment” of the peasants  1625 law states killing a peasant = destruction of property  Alexis :  1646 serfs legally bound to estate  Serf / Cossack uprising led by Stephen Razin 1667  Old Believers rise up against the reform ideas of Russian patriarch Nikon; threaten to break away from the church  Church became dependent upon the state in order to gain protection from enraged peasantry Early conflict btw. tradition and moderniza -tion

Peter Romanov “THE GREAT”  Born in 1672  6 ft “giant”, “barbarian genius”  Joint ruler with half-brother Ivan V (mentally handicapped) – but half-sister Sofia acts as regent – exiles Peter!!! ( )  Returns but Sofia tries to have him murdered – Peter escapes - gains the throne; ruled alone 1689 – 1725

Peter Romanov “THE GREAT” Peter Romanov “THE GREAT”  Brilliant – Creative – Skilled  Great Embassy: toured Europe 1696 – 1697 with 250 officials and nobles!!!  fascinated by Dutch and English  Recognizes “backwardness” of Russia; recruits 1000 foreign experts for service positions  1698 returned to revolt of streltsi (tsar guards of noble classes, very politically active – opposed to reform and any threat to their own power) –instigated by Sofia; streltsi massacred; Sofia recedes to convent  1698 rebuilt army from ground up; several foreign officers  recognizes need to have a “European” fighting force  Almost continuously at war w/ Ottomans and Swedes

Peter the Great: Expansion  War with Ottomans: Russia vs. Turks and Tartars - Black Sea  not successful, Russian army to weak.  War with Swedes: “The Great Northern War”  Allied with Denmark/Poland  Sweden powerful in N. Europe – scattered lands Germany, Finland, Estonia  21 year conflict vs. Charles XII of Sweden (r )  1709 – decisive Russian victory at Poltava (Ukraine)  1721, Teraty of Nystadt – Russia annexes Estonia and Livonia and Karelia  Russia has access to the Baltic! “Window to the West”  Wars lead to modernization of Russia – militarily first - professional  200,000 regular troops – drafted for life!!!!  100,000 special forces of Cossacks and foreigners!  Schools to train new military personnel

Growth of Russia

Peter the Great  Improving the cities:  St. Petersburg: new capital on Baltic  Baroque example of links btw. politics / architecture / urban development  wide open avenues – uniform buildings  government offices; nobles must build here  Built from an outpost – to replace Moscow  Separate areas for nobles, merchants, artisans… (favorable terms for settling)  Marvel of modern engineering  Showplace for the tsar  Nobility paid for it  Built on the backs of the serfs

The Winter Palace – St. Petersburg

Peterhof

Peter the Great  Created the “Empire of Russia”  1711 abolishes the duma (parliament) – replaces with Senate of 10 members  10 territorial gubernii (governments)  Abolishes hereditary succession (doesn’t trust son, Alexei)  Russia referred to as: state w/o a people  1717 – Creation of 8 administrative colleges: tax collection, foreign relations, war & economic affairs  Table of Ranks: ability in “state service” / military determines one’s social position& privileges

Peter the Great & Religion  Secular control of the Russian Orthodox Church – radical reorganization  Patriarch replace with Holy Synod (several bishops under the leadership of lay procurator general)  Church now responsible for carrying out the secular demands of the tsar

Peter the Great  Westerners and Western ideas flow into Russia – paving the way for Enlightenment and rule of his wife, Catherine (not the Great!!)  resistance to foreigners from nobility and serfs  Alexei (son) vows to reinstall old Russian traditions  1718 imprisoned and executed  1725 Peter dies – leaves no successor!!  Peter left behind an uneasy Russia – poor and weak, angry  Great divide between poor and nobility  It will be another 30 years of noble and military factions deciding who will reign in Russia