Russian Czars Increase Power

Ivan III1462-1505

Laid foundation for absolute monarchy

Conquered territory around Moscow

Liberated Russia from Mongols

Centralized Russian government

Succeeded by son Vasily – his son, Ivan IV

Ivan IV

3 yrs. old when he came to throne

During early years, boyars fought for power and control of Ivan

At 16 he seized power for himself; crowned himself czar

Married Anastasia, related to old Romanov boyar family

Ivan’s Good Period1547- 1560

Victories

Added land

Gave Russia a law code

Ruled justly

Ivan’s Bad Periodafter 1560

Anastasia died; Ivan accused boyars of poisoning her and he turned against the boyars

He organized his own police force, the oprichniki, to hunt down traitors; they dressed in black and rode black horses; executed many boyars and peasants

He seized boyar lands and gave it to a new class of nobles loyal to him

Ivan killed his oldest son in 1581 during a quarrel

“Time of Troubles”

Ivan’s remaining son was left to rule

He was mentally and physically weak; incapable of ruling

He died without an heir

Russia went into a time of turmoil as boyars struggled for power

Heirs of czars died mysteriously; imposters tried to claim the throne

Rise of the Romanovs

1613: Russian city representatives met to choose a new czar

They chose Michael Romanov- grandnephew of Ivan’s wife, Anastasia

Romanov dynasty ruled for 300 years 1613-1917

The Romanov’s restored order to Russia; paved way for absolute rule

Peter the Great of Russia

He shared rule at first with feeble-minded half –brother

1696: became sole ruler

Russia was a land of boyars and serfs when Peter took the throne

Russia’s Contrast to Europe

Serfdom lasted longer in Russia than Western Europe (mid-1800s)

Serfs in Russia sold with the land – could be presents or payments of debt

Mongol rule had cut Russia off from the Renaissance and Age of Exploration

Geographic barriers also isolated Russia – only seaport, Archangel, which had ice most of the year

Westerners who cam to Russia stayed in a separate part of Moscow

Russia’s Religion

Russians followed Eastern Orthodoxy – becomes Russian Orthodox Church

Catholics and Protestants were seen as heretics to the Russians

Peter Visits the West Peter regularly visited the German quarter of Moscow –

he was fascinated by modern tools and machines there

Peter also had a passion for ships and the sea

He believed Russia’s future was dependent on a warm-water port if they were to compete with the modern states of Europe

1697: he embarked on the “Grand Embassy” – a long visit to western Europe to learn about customs and technologies.

He took 200 servants and 55 boyars with him; he kept his identity a secret and worked as a ship’s carpenter; until he was recognized as he was over 61/2 ft. tall.

Peter’s Reforms

Peter’s goal for Russia became westernization

Russians were not happy.

To make changes above the dissatisfaction of his people, he needed to increase his powers as absolute monarch

The first thing he did was bring the Russian Orthodox Church under his control

- he abolished the office of patriarch

- he set up the Holy Synod under his direction

He reduced the power of the landowners

- he recruited able men from low-ranking families and

promoted them to positions of authority; gave them

land

- they owed much to czar and remained loyal to him

alone

He modernized the army

- hired European officers

- men were drilled with European tactics and weapons

- made being a soldier a lifetime job – professional

- numbered 200,000 by Peter’s death

- imposed heavy taxes to pay for army

Westernizing Russia

Introduced potatoes into diet

Initiated the first newspaper

Raise women’s status

Ordered nobles to wear Western fashions and shave beards

Peter’s “Window on the West”

St. Petersburg

Peter wanted a seaport easier to travel to the West

He fought Sweden to gain piece of the Baltic coast – took 21 years of war

He gained St. Petersburg – his “window on the West” in 1703

He forced serfs to work to build the city

25,000 – 100,000 people died from working conditions and diseases

He ordered many Russian nobles to live there

By time of his death – Russia was a power to be reckoned with

Catherine the Great

Peter had no heir (he had killed his only son who had disapproved of his westernization.

This set off a power struggle within the Romanov family

Russian nobles reasserted their independence

Catherine was a German princess who wed the heir to Russian throne at 15

She became Russian and won the loyalty of the people

1762: Russian army officers loyal to her murdered her husband, Peter III – the question was “Was she involved?”

She was an efficient ruler: she reorganized government, codified laws, promoted state education for boys and girls

She embraced western ideas: encouraged French language and customs; a student of Enlightenment thinkers

Catherine’s Absolutism

Often ruthless

Exempted boyars from taxes

Increased boyar’s power over their serfs

Peasants (serfs) rebelled; she repressed them and life became unbearably harsh

Catherine’s Expansionism

She was determined to spread Russia’s borders

Russo-Turkish War (1774) – Russia’s war against the Ottomans gave her a warm water port on the Black Sea

1770s: Poland became a target

1772: Russia, Prussia, and Austria agreed to partition Poland

1793: Catherine took eastern Poland after further partitioning

1795: Austria, Prussia, and Russia took a final partitioning; Poland disappeared from the political map