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Explore the rise of absolute monarchy in Russia, from Ivan IV "The Terrible" to Peter I "The Great," and the impact of their reign on Russian history. Learn about the Romanov Dynasty, serfdom, and Peter's modernization efforts.
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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.
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.
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.
