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Absolute Rulers of Russia

Ch. 5, Section 4

The First Czar

Ivan the Terrible• Becomes king of Russia

at age 3• Struggles for power

with boyars• Crowned czar at 16• Married to Anastasia

Romanov

Reign of Ivan the Terrible

Ivan’s Good Period• Lasts from 1547-1560

(First 13 years)• Won great victories and

built monuments• Added lands to Russia• Ruled justly and gave

Russia a uniform code of laws

Ivan’s Bad Period

• Began after Anastasia’s death in 1560

• Blames boyars, kills them, seizes their lands

• Organized police force to hunt down traitors

• Gave boyars’ land to new nobles

• Kills oldest son during an argument

Rise of the Romanovs

• Ivan’s heir is weak, leading to Time of Troubles

• In 1613, Anastastia’s grandnephew (Michael Romanov) becomes czar

• Romanovs rule for 300 years (1613-1917)

• Last royal family of Russia

Peter the Great Comes to Power

• Initially shares power with older, brother

• Becomes sole ruler (czar) in when bro dies

• Russia’s greatest reformer• Czar becomes absolute

monarch

Russia Contrasts with Europe

• Still has feudalism until 1800s• Isolated from Europe– Geographically in Asia– Only seaport was blocked with ice for most of year– Culturally isolated, little contact with W. Europe– Religious differences widen gap • Eastern Orthodox (Constantinople) vs. Catholic (Rome)

Peter Visits the West

• Went on “The Grand Embassy” to learn European ways – Fascinated by modern tools, machines, and ships– Dressed in plain clothes to disguise his identity– Determined Russia must have warm-weather port

• First czar to travel among Western “heretics”

Peter Rules Absolutely

• Peter’s Reforms– Brings Orthodox Church under state control– Reduces power of landowners (absolutism!!!!)– Modernizes army by hiring Europeans to train soldiers

• Peter’s goal was westernization– Introduces potatoes– Starts Russia’s first newspaper – Raises women’s status– Adopts Western fashion– Advances education (the key to progress)

Establishing St. Petersburg

• Fights Sweden to win warm weather port on Baltic Sea• Builds new capital St. Petersburg• Takes many years; many serfs die in process • By the time of Peter’s death, Russia is major power