Early History of Russia 1450-1750
Early Russia Muscovy Russia Territorial Shift: Kievan & Novgorod Roots to Moscow as center of power Muscovy Russia
Ivan the Great (r. 1462-1505) RURIK DYNASTY Ivan III Tearing the Great Khan’s Letter Requesting More Tribute in 1480.
Russian Boyars Duma Manors Agrarian Feudal Obligations No affiliation with Rome, but like Europe…
Early Byzantine Influences: Orthodox Christianity Russian Orthodox Church Separated from Constantinople Greek Influences
Russia in the Late 1500s Ivan IV: The Terrible Expansion Repress Western Influences Cultural- Eastern Dress, mathematics, gender Eastern View Trade, settlement
Early 17th Century Russia Time of Troubles (1604-1613) Civil War Michael Romanov elected 1667: Stephen Razin Rebellion Internal Church Difficulties Expanding territories Mobile Society “Plantation” economy Centralization of Serfdom Michael Romanov (r. 1613-1645)
Serfdom v Slavery Similar Coercive labor, agricultural production, subject to will of noble classes, movement restricted, limited resources (standard of living), hereditary status Different The “other” – race v common ethnicity/religion Familial recognition – chattel slavery v familial plots Autonomy: Communal v individual – degree of management Impact on… Nobles Dependency
Peter the Great (r. 1682-1725) Enter….the reformer
Modern Military St Petersburg Peter's Reforms Streltsy Uprising Settled internal conflicts Northern War 1700-1721 St Petersburg “Window to the West” Winter Palace Directional Shift Again
Russia & Sweden After the Great Northern War
St Petersburg- Winter Palace
Political & Economic Changes Autocratic Tsar & Bureaucracy State built to support military Holy Synod (Church as bureau of state) Russian Mercantilism Higher taxes, Impressments of Management & Labor, encouraged exports, Baltic fleet, commercial companies provided with government subsidies
Palmer – Peter’s Impact… “The economic system rested largely on impressment of both management and labor, not on private profit and wages as the increasingly capitalist West. In this way Peter’s efforts to force Russia to a European level of material productivity widened the gap between Russia and western Europe.”
Social & Cultural Revolution State Service key to status, not birth right Education: simplification of the Cyrillic alphabet, Western scholars, scientists, engineers Cultural changes re: etiquette, dress Gov’t aggressively secular
Peter’s Impact… Autocracy & Bureaucracy Serfdom/Exploited Peasantry Resentment of Foreigners Europeanized upper class End of Isolation from European-
The Pendulum of Russian History Pro-West For Progress & Change Encourage New Ideas, Technologies, etc. Anti-West Isolationist Xenophobic Ultra-Conservative A few Tsars Intellectual elites Merchants/businessmen Young members of the middle class. Most Tsars Russian Orthodox Church Military Boyars peasants REFORM-MINDED LEADER DEMAGOGUE