The Age of Absolutism

Lanna Hong Period 1

QUESTION:

Analyze the major ways through which Czar Peter the Great (1689-1725) sought to reform his society and its

institutions in order to strengthen Russia and its position in Europe. (1989)

INTRODUCTION:

The age of absolutism (17th century-18th century) had been a period of time in which monarchs sought to gain power to enforce order and believed that by divine right, they were

entitled to have it.

THESIS:

Czar Peter the Great’s ambition was to c Russia’s society and institutions to

meet the standards of modern Western Europe socially, religiously,

politically, and economically.

TS : The boyars’ control of most of the government and the Moscow streltsy’s rebellions would prevent Czar Peter I from obtaining full control of Russia.

E1: The table of ranks was a reform that Peter I would apply and it would determine a boyar’s position by their willingness to serve the state.

C1: He would change the appearance of boyars by cutting off their beards and long sleeves because in Russia, long beards symbolized your rank.

E2: The streltsy being greedy, anticipated rewards for their support in bringing Peter to power and rebelled. C2: Peter I sought to stop the rebellion by arranging the executions of the streltsy and by doing so, he obtained power.

CS: As the boyars and streltsy’s power declined, Peter I had been gaining more control over Russia.

TP: Peter I sought change towards religious characteristics in an attempt to put himself as head of the church.

E1: Czar Peter I targeted the Old Believers, a group who had opposed modernization, and stopped their influence from spreading in Russia.

C1: To stop their influence from spreading, he would remove the patriarch from his position and replace him with a secular synod.

E2: Peter I believed in royal absolutism and removed the patriarch from his position, placing himself as head of the church.

C2: He established the Holy Synod which consisted of bishops led by the procurator general and had them govern under secular requirements.

CS: Peter the Great transformed the traditions of the church and Russia would

TP: Peter the Great would reform his government to become modern and similar to Western Europe’s governments.

E1: He created colleges which were bureaus and they would manage matters that related to taxes, war, the economy, and foreign relations.

C1:

E2:

C2:

CS:

TP: As Western Europe’s economy was more modernized, Peter the Great created economic reforms to make Russia modern as well.

E1:

C1:

E2:

C2:

CS:

Concluding Sentence:

Peter the Great would revolutionize Russia’s society by influencing western culture and creating a foundation that it’d grow on to become a

powerful country.