What’s so Great about Peter

Absolute Ruler #2

After the Age of Exploration, FIVE European countries emerged and began

to dominate Europe…

ENGLANDFRANCEAUSTRIA PRUSSIA RUSSIA

http://www.youtube.com/user/onthegotours?v=gBIlCIGYk0U&feature=pyv

Think Back…….Write down what you remember about Russia....

Boyar Policy0Boyars:0Russian nobles

0Boyar Policy:0Ivan IV reduced the

nobility’s threat to the throne by seizing their land and placing it under his control

0Established by Ivan the Terrible0A secret police force that was used to

terrorize the Russian people

Oprichniki

Before the Great…

0 Ivan IV (The terrible)0 Rule disrupted by

power struggles with boyars---landowning nobles

0 Anastasia’s death0 Mass executions

including oldest son

0Rise of the Romanovs0 Entered into Time of

Troubles0 Romanov dynasty

01613-1917

Insert Peter the GreatOne of Russia’s greatest reformers.Increased Czar’s power

Major Differences

Russia Europe

0Feudalism—serfs on farms

0Eastern Orthodox0Mongol Rule0Geographic

Isolation

0Rise in cities (merchant class)

0Catholic/Protestant0Renaissance0Age of Exploration0 Trade0Economic/Military

Expansion

Quick PauseHow could Peter the Great transform Russia? Could

transforming Russia add to absolute authority?

WesternizationUsing Western Europe as a model to make Russia stronger

Ruling AbsolutelyTo Make Change, Force Change

Reforms

0Took Control of Russian Orthodox Church0 Abolished office patriarch (head of church)

0Reduced power of the great landowners0 promoted poorer men to positions of authority

0Military hired European officers0 Imposed heavy taxes

Compare Peter’s Reforms to Tokugawa’s Reforms

Westernizing Russia

0 Introduced Potatoes

0Raised women’s status

0Ordered Nobles to give up their clothes for Western Fashions

0Advanced Education

St. Petersburg

0Needed a seaport to promote education & travel0Building city on a swamp

0 Forced serfs to create the city0Ordered nobles to leave Moscow

The German States

The Thirty Years War0Religious conflict in the Holy Roman

Empire (Germany)0Protestant States v. Catholic States0The Peace of Westphalia ends the war0Divides the Holy Roman Empire into

30+ Kingdoms

Austria

0The Hapsburg family of Austria sets up a strong monarchy0Most famous

monarch – Maria Theresa (1740)

Prussia0Very militaristic0Becomes the most powerful of the

German states0The heart of modern-day Germany