Russia 1450-1750

Time Period Political

1450-1750 Known as the Third Rome after the Roman and By antine !m"ires !arned title mainly #ecause they continued the $rthodo% &hurch 'By antine( and had the "otential to e%"and )reatly li*e "ast two em"ires Tsarist autocracy+ a#solute monarchy Boyars were the no#les ,-an the .reat/ /freed much of Russia from 0on)ol control #y 1412 / utili ed a #lend of nationalism and led Russia to #ecome a lar)e inde"endent state / or)ani ed a stron) army which )a-e )o-ernment a lon) lastin) military em"hasis ,-an the Terri#le/ succeeded ,-an the .reat ',,,( / continued "olicy of e%"ansion / increased the "ower of the tsar #y *illin) off many of the no#les / althou)h he was terri#le3 he did esta#lish contacts w4 5estern !uro"ean commerce and culture The Time of Trou#les followed the death of ,-an the Terri#le ',6( #ecause he had no heir+ #oyars attem"ted to )ain #ac* some of their "ower #ut were unsuccessful 0ichael Romano- was selected as tsar in 1117 which ended the Time of Trou#les and #e)an the lon)lastin) Romano- 8ynasty not endin) until 1917 Peter the .reat/ ruled from 11:9-1725 / increased "ower of the state throu)h recruitment of #ureaucrats from outside of aristocracy / #e)an "rocess of selecti-e westerni ation / formed 5estern-ty"e military force / re-olts were #rutally su""ressed / formed secret "olice / mo-ed ca"ital to ;t< Peters#ur)+ modeled after 6enice and 6ersailles / his reforms influenced "olitics3 economics cultural chan)e / created first Russian na-y / law codes systemi ed and ta% systems reformed to increase the #urden on "easantry / no#les had to sha-e their #eards and dress in dress in 5estern style instead of former 0on)ol influence / his chan)es were mostly affectin) the elite &atherine the .reat/ ruled from 1712-1791 / e%tended central )o-ernment authority+ continued 5esterni ation / she #rou)ht !nli)htenment ideas to Russia+ sto""ed once =rench Re- #e)an / "atroni ed 5estern art and architecture / after the =rench Re-olution3 she #anned forei)n and domestic "olitical writin)s / under her rule3 Russia )ained &rimea 'warm water "ort( >las*a3 and "arts of Poland she also "ushed coloni ation in ;i#eria The 0on)ols caused Russia to miss out on the &ommercial Re-olution3 Renaissance and later chan)es in !uro"e Russia?s economy was #ac*wards com"ared to the 5est There were few lar)e cities 95@ rural a)riculturally #ased 0ost trade was handled #y 5esterners Ao stron) commercial class4middle class Peter the .reat did attem"t chan)e #y introducin) minin) and metallur)y+ also encoura)ed shi"#uildin) Peter the .reat?s reforms increased trade #ut no#ility mana)es to "re-ent the rise of a stron) middle class 0ainly Russian $rthodo% Because Russia was a multinational em"ire3 there were other reli)ions also such as Budaism3 ,slam3 Roman &atholicism and Protestant Car)est multinational em"ire Detero)eneous many ethnic )rou"s >s land increased #ecause of e%"ansionism3 serfdom increased also Cittle social chan)e Tsar was at the to" with the most "ower The small class of #oyars and cler)y were #elow the tsar

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Aear .eo)ra"hy

Candlords controlled the "easants ;mall merchant class Car)e "easant4serf class Peasants and serfs la#ored on lar)e estates to "roduce )rain for sale to the 5est3 they had some ri)hts #ut -illa)e )o-ernments re)ulated many as"ects of life 0ost "easants were "oor and illiterate and "aid hi)h ta%es Peasants "reformed e%tensi-e la#or ser-ices in a)riculture3 minin)3 and manufacturin) There was not much social mo#ility 5omen were su#ordinate to men The status of no#le women im"ro-ed under Peter the .reat Peasant unrest "easants remained loyal to the tsar #ut #lamed landlords for the harshness of their li-es Periodic re#ellions includin) were su""ressed and "easant discontent remained a "ro#lem The condition of the "easants4serfs deteriorated throu)hout the time "eriod+ as western !uro"e im"ro-es 0on)ols cut Russia off from 5estern influences includin) the &ommercial Re-olution3 Renaissance and later !uro"ean e-ents li*e industriali ation+ Russia wouldn?t industriali e until 1970s Russia was mainly a)ricultural and had a small merchant class4middle class '#our)eoisie( Ao#les dominated "easants ,ncrease in serfdom durin) the time "eriod as each & ar continues e%"ansion and )i-es Boyars local authority in the frontier re)ions 0ost trade was done #y forei)ners Ender Peter the .reat and &atherine the .reat many attem"ts to 5esterni e were made #ut unfortunately at a time #efore !uro"e reaches its hei)ht Russia was mo-in) #ac*wards from the 5estern world "olitically3 economically3 and culturally and it would ta*e them centuries "ast 1750 to finally catch u" and ma*e a mar* for themsel-es )lo#ally '&old 5ar era( Russia missed the Renaissance #ecause the 0on)ols cut them off from 5estern influences 0on)ols were *nown to ha-e s"read culture+ By antine influences "reser-ed Citeracy declined Peter the .reat and &atherine the .reat made many 5estern-style reforms unfortunately #efore the ,ndustrial re&atherine the .reat #ased many of her reforms on !nli)htenment ideas #efore the =rench Re-olution '17:9( 0on)ols stifled art de-elo"ment There were few artisans #ecause most manufacturin) was rural-#ased .reatly influenced #y By antine art '.reco-Roman( under &atherine the .reat entered throu)h 8ni"er trade The tsars im"orted ,talian artists and craftsmen to desi)n church #uildin)s and the ma)nificent royal "alace in the Kremlin in 0oscow and ;t< Peters#ur) at the Baltic ;ea >cFuired land #ac* from 0on)ols in mid 1400s Territorial e%"ansion "olicy focused "articularly on central >sia to "ush 0on)ol o-erlords further !ast !arly tsars "ushed southward to the &as"ian ;ea and eastward "ast the Eral mountains- Third Rome 0entality >ll tsars were e%"ansionists =rom its #ase in the 0oscow re)ion3 Russia e%"anded outwards &ossac*s mo-ed into ;i#eriaG )ained new settlements and "olitical control 'similar to westward e%"ansion in early E;( Ender Peter the .reat3 territory e%tended all the way from Blac* ;ea to Berin) ;ea and down into &hina &atherine the .reat sends e%"lorers to >las*a3 coast of &alifornia and e-en Dawaii Car)e3 -ast are of land with a )enerous su""ly of natural resources