Absolute Monarchy In Russia By: Luca Khouri

Introduction  In the early 1600s, Russia was still a medieval state that was largely isolated from Western Europe and the Renaissance/ Reformation.  ‘Peter the Great’ came along however, and changed this. He was on his way to changing Russia to a great modern power.

Peter the Great Modernizes Russia  Peter took the throne in 1682 and took control of the government in  He did his own research in He set out to learn the Western ways by walking the streets and taking note of the European cities and the way many lived (including the condition of their homes).  Peter brought back a group of technical experts, teachers and soldiers that he recruited from Europe to help with his policy of westernization.  He became known as the most autocratic of Europe’s leaders (unlimited ruling authorities).

Controlling the Church & the Nobles  He wanted to strengthen the military, expand Russian borders, and centralize royal power.  He brought all Russian institutions under his control and forced boyars and nobles to serve the state in military or civilian positions.  He even forced these people to change their style to a more Western look.  Additionally, he forced people to work on fixing roads, canals and other governing projects.

Modernizing with Force  Peter imported Western technology, improved education, simplified the Russian alphabet, and set up academies of the study of math, science and engineering.  He began to encourage mercantilist policies, such as supporting exports.  He improved waterways, canals, and developed mining.  Having no mercy for the people who refused to follow, he had those executed and tortured.

Expanding Russian Borders  Peter worked to build Russia’s military power – creating the largest standing army in Europe, consisting of a word-class navy built from scratch.  Russian borders were later expanded to the west and south.  It was necessary for Peter to have a warm-water port so that he could trade with the West without having to worry about frozen water during the winter seasons.  He fought the Ottoman Empire for the Black Sea so he could get the Black Sea (ideal temperature waters).

The Great Northern War  In 1700, a long war was started by Peter against the kingdom of Sweden. Russia however failed to defeat them.  Sadly, the Russian army had about five times the amount of people that the Swedish Army had.  Thus, Peter recreated the army yet again, modeling it after European armies.  In 1709 he defeated the Swedes and won the Baltic Sea.

Building St. Petersburg  Since winning the land from Sweden, Peter proceeded to build a city – St. Petersburg  He located the city along the swamps of the Neva River and forced thousands of serfs to drain the swamps (many died).  Italian architects and artisans were invited to design great palaces that were based on Western style.  St. Petersburg became a great symbol of Peter’s effort to create a modern Russia.

Blazing Trails to the Pacific  Russian traders and raiders crossed over to the East to the rivers and plains of Siberia in efforts to expand Russia.  With Peter’s consent, Russia then signed a treaty that stated Russia now ruled North China.  In 1700s, Peter hired a Danish navigator to explore what became known as the Bering Strait between Siberia and Alaska.  After Peter’s death, Russian traders built outposts in Alaska and northern California.  This expansion then allowed Russia to be the largest country in the world and still is!

Peter the Great’s Legacy  A mixed legacy was left behind after Peter’s death.  Sadly, not only did Peter die, but so did many of his rulings and policies.  Nobles began to ignore the service to the state.  Because Peter used terror to enforce his absolute power, a growth of serfdom occurred.  This means that it did the opposite of what Peter wanted, and only widened the rift between Russia and the West.

Catherine the Great  After Peter’s death, a new monarch came into parliament – Catherine the Great.  She was a German princess at birth and she came to Russia at 15 to wed the throne.  She practiced the Orthodox faith, learnt to speak Russian, and won the loyalty of many.  In 1762, a group of Russians killed her husband Tsar Peter III  Many wondered if Catherine was involved in the murder.

An Enlightened Ruler  Catherine proved to be an efficient and energetic empress. She reorganized the provincial government, codified laws, and began state-sponsored education for boys & girls.  Catherine, like Peter the Great, tried to bring Western ideas into play and worked to bring Russia closer to Europe politically and culturally.  At court, she encouraged French language and customs, wrote histories and plays and organized performances.  She was apart of the intellectual movement, the Enlightenment.

A Ruthless Absolute Monarch  Catherine was also an absolute monarch like many other European rulers at the time. She was among the most ruthless.  She granted the boyars exemptions from taxes and she also put burdens on the peasants. This caused serfdom to grow for the peasants.  Catherine, like Peter, fought for warm-water ports. In 1774 she won a port on the Black Sea.

The Partitions of Poland  In the 1770s, Catherine, King Frederick II of Prussia, and Emperor Joseph II of Austria all had their eyes on Poland.  After the failure of the Polish-Lithanum Commonwealth, Poland’s government was no match to defeat those three countries.  To avoid fighting, the three monarchs agreed to sign a partition in In other words, they decided to split up Poland.  Catherine took the eastern side of Poland.

The Future  By the mid 1700s, absolute monarchs ruled four of the five leading countries in Europe.  Britain was the only exception.  These nations always ended up butting heads seeing as though everyone wanted a country for their own.  Radical changes however would soon shatter French monarchs, upset the balance of power, and revolutionize European societies.

SOURCE  Pearson Success Net – The Age of Absolutism: Pg