Absolute Monarchy in Russia

What is an Absolute Monarch? A monarch that is not limited or restrained by laws or a constitution. A ruler who governs alone.

Absolute Monarchy in Russia In the early 1600s, Russia was still in a medieval state, untouched by the Renaissance or Reformation. They were largely isolated from Western Europe. The “Time of Troubles” had plunged the country into a period of disorder and foreign invasion.

The Ivans of Russia Ivan III of Moscow He ruled Russia from 1462-1505. He conquered most of the territory around Moscow. He liberated Russia from the Mongols. He began to centralize the Russian government. His son and grandson continued with his work.

The First Czar: Ivan IV aka Ivan the Terrible Ivan IV, aka Ivan the Terrible, came to power in 1533 when he was 3 years old. He struggled with Russian nobles and boyars for power. At 16, he crowned himself czar. He married Anastasia of the Romanov family. Ivan’s Good Period: 1547-1560 He added lands to Russia, and gave Russia a code of laws and ruled justly.

Ivan the Terrible Ivan’s bad period began in 1560 after Anastasia died. He thought boyars had poisoned his wife and turned against them. He formed his own secret police who killed thousands of people. In 1581, Ivan killed his eldest son during a violent quarrel. He was the heir to the throne. Ivan the Terrible died 3 years late, leaving his second son to rule.

“Time of Troubles” Ivan the Terrible’s son was mentally handicapped and incapable of ruling. He died without an heir. This period of time was known as the “Time of Troubles”. Boyars struggled for power and heirs of czars died mysteriously. Imposters tried to claim the throne. The reign of the first Romanov tsar in 1613 restored a measure of order.

The Romanov Dynasty In 1613, representatives from Russian cities met to choose a czar. They choose Michael Romanov, the grandnephew of Ivan the Terrible’s wife, Anastasia. This marked the beginning of the Romanov Dynasty, which controlled Russia for 300 years.

Peter the Great The Romanovs restored order to Russia by strengthening the government by passing a law code and putting down a revolt. This paved the way for Peter I, or Peter the Great. Peter the Great took the throne at 10 years old in 1682, but did not take control of the government until 1689. He became the sole ruler in 1696.

Peter the Great Modernized Russia Boyars knew very little about Western Europe. In the Middle Ages, Russia looked to Constantinople, not Rome, for leadership. The Mongol Rule had cut Russia off from the Renaissance and the Age of Exploration. Peter spent hours in the “German Quarter”, the Mosco neighborhood where many Dutch, Scottish, English, and other foreign artisans and soldiers lived. There, he heard of the new technology that helped Western European monarchs forge powerful empires.

Peter the Great visits the West Peter was fascinated by all things western. He had a passion for ships and the sea, and felt that Russia needed a warm water port. This was necessary for Russia to compete with the more modern states of Western Europe.

Peter the Great visits the West, contd. Peter the Great also wanted to strengthen the military, expand Russian borders, and centralize royal power. He also wanted to learn about European customs and manufacturing techniques. To achieve all of this, he brought all Russian institutions under his control, including the Russia Orthodox Church.

Serfdom Serfdom: a person in a condition of servitude; a feudal laborer. Serfs were treated like property. They could be given as presents or as a payment for debt. Peter the Great knew that nobles would serve the state only if their own interests were protected. So, he passed laws ensuring that nobles retained control over their lands, including the serfs on those land. This strengthened serfdom. It ended lasting in Russia until the mid 1800s, which was much longer than western Europe.

Modernizing with Force Using autocratic methods, Peter pushed through social and economic reform. Peter believed that education was the key to Russia’s progress. He introduced potatoes, started and edited the first Russian newspaper, raised women’s status, ordered nobles to wear Western fashions, simplified the Russian alphabet, and opened a school of navigation and a school for the arts and sciences. To pay for this, he encouraged exports. He also improved waterways and canals, developed mining and textile manufacturing, and backed new trading companies. Autocratic?

Establishing St. Petersburg Peter fought Sweden to gain a port on the Baltic coast. He wanted this seaport to help advance education, as well as having a warm water port to trade better with the West. Peter sought a “Window on the West”, and located a city on the Baltic coast along the Neva River. The city was named St. Petersburg. Whats the window on europe

Peter the Great’s Legacy When Peter died in 1725, he left a mixed legacy. He expanded Russian Territory. He gained ports on the Baltic Sea. He created a mighty army. He also ended Russia’s long period of isolationism. From the 1700s on , Russia would be increasingly involved in the affairs of Western Europe. Many of Peter’s reforms died with him Nobles soon ignored his policy of service to the state. Boyars and nobles were forced to serve the state in civilian or military positions.