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Chapter 17 Part 3

Chapter 17 Part 3. Russia. Russia: Background to Absolutism. During the Middle Ages the Greek Orthodox Church aided in the assimilation of the Scandinavian ancestors of the Vikings with the Slavic peoples of Eastern Europe. 13 th Century: the Mongols.

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Chapter 17 Part 3

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  1. Chapter 17Part 3 Russia

  2. Russia: Background to Absolutism During the Middle Ages the Greek OrthodoxChurch aided in the assimilation of the Scandinavian ancestors of the Vikings with the Slavic peoples of Eastern Europe

  3. 13th Century: the Mongols • Mongols from Asia invaded eastern Europe and ruled over the eastern Slavs for over two centuries • Mongols were led by a Khan • Was authoritarian and ruthless • The Mongols were served by the Princes of Moscow

  4. The Princes of Moscow • Who served the Khan began to consolidate their power • Replaced the Mongols • Muscovy became the most important principality and became the basis of what later became Russia

  5. Muscovy Rulers • Had a difficult time strengthening the state • Russian nobles (Boyers) proved difficult to subjugate • Free Peasants also posed difficulty

  6. Ivan III (The Great) 1442-1505 • 1480 Ivan III ended Mongol domination • Established himself as hereditary ruler of Muscovy: • 1453 Byzantine Empire fell to the Turks • Ivan III wanted to make Moscow the new center of the Orthodox Church: The Third Rome • The Second Rome had been Constantinople • Ivan III made himself head of the Orthodox Church • Married the niece of the last Emperor of Constantinople

  7. After the fall of Constantinople • Greek scholars, craftsmen, architects, and artists were brought to Moscow • The tsar claimed divine right • Struggled with Boyars but were brought under control in exchange for control over peasants

  8. Ivan IV (The Terrible) 1533-1584 • Grandson of Ivan III • First to take the title of “tsar” (Caesar) • Married a Romanov • Expanded territory: • Controlled the Black Sea Region • Gained much territory in the Far East • Gained territory in the Baltic Region

  9. Ivan IV (The Terrible) • Fought unsuccessfully for 25 years against Poland-Lithuania as well as Sweden • Left much of central Europe depopulated • Both Boyars and Peasants hit hard by military obligations (25 years of service for peasants) • Peasant women had to wait 3 years after husbands went to war before they could remarry (widows)

  10. As serfdom increased… • Free Peasants fled to the newly conquered territories in the east and lived as outlaws… • Cossacks formed outlaw armies and attacked sporadically • The Government responded by increasing serfdom

  11. Absolutism Increased • The Boyars had to serve the tsar in order to keep their lands • Peasants were kept tied to the Nobles’ lands as serfdom increased • Merchants and artisans were bound to towns so the tsar could more efficiently tax them

  12. Ivan IV • When Ivan IV’s wife died, he blamed the nobles and went berserk! • Many nobles were executed • Ivan became increasingly cruel and demented

  13. Ivan IV died without an heir • He had strangled his son • Time of Troubles: 1584-1613: period of war, power struggles and famine • Sweden and Poland conquered Moscow • Cossack armies went North and massacred Nobles and government officials

  14. The Response of the Nobles • The Semski Sobor (aka Estates General: Clergy, Boyars, token peasants) elected Ivan’s (his wife’s) grand-nephew as the new hereditary tsar and helped him to drive out the invaders

  15. The Romanov Dynasty1613-1917 • Michael Romanov in 1613 • Favored the Nobles to gain their support • Significant reduction of their military obligations • Expanded Russia to the Pacific in the East • Fought unsuccessfully against: Sweden, Poland, the Ottomans

  16. Russian Society • Nobles gained even more exemptions from military service • Peasants rights declined • Continued Cossack revolts resulted in more restrictions on serfs

  17. Religion • New ideas filtered in from the West (Lutheranism and Calvinism) • The “Old Believers (aka Raskolnikovs) resisted all efforts to westernize religion • They were persecuted by the government • The Old Believers protested by burning themselves to death (20,000 in 20 years!) • Still some “Old Believers” as late as 1917

  18. Western Ideas Gained Ground • Western books were translated into Russian: skills, technology, clothing, customs (beards) • 1649: The Bible translated into Russian • By 1700 20,000 Europeans lived in Russia • By 1689 Russia was the world’s largest country (was 3 times the size of Europe)

  19. 1654 Russia annexed the Ukraine • The Army was being trained by Europeans (mostly Scottish)

  20. To 17-4 • Peter the Great

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