1. Absolute Rulers of Russia

2. The Rise of Russia The rise of the Russian Empire, unlike the rise of Western colonial empires, involved only limited commercial exchange. After freeing themselves from Mongol domination by 1480, the Russians pushed eastward. Some extension of territory also occurred in eastern Europe. Regional states rivaled Russia in the 17 th century (Lithuania and Poland).

3. Explain how Russian rulers began to build a stronger Russian state Ivan III: Ruled Russia from 1462-1505 -He conquered much of the territory around Moscow -He liberated Russia from Mongolia -He centralized the government with a blend of nationalism and Orthodox Christian religion

4. Ivan III Under the Mongols, literacy had declined and the economy had become purely agricultural and dependent on peasant labor. Ivan III restored the tradition of centralized rule, added a sense of imperial mission, and claimed supervision of all Orthodox churches. Russia, asserted Ivan, had succeeded Byzantium as the Third Rome.

5. Explain how Russian rulers began to build a stronger Russian state Ivan IV-Ivan the Terrible -He became ruler at 3. As a result a group called the boyars (land owning nobles) tried to control Ivan. At age 16, he gained control and crowned himself czar (tsar) -He married into the Romanov family -1547 to 1560 are referred to as the good period when he added land, codes of law and ruled fairly. Russia became a multicultural state.

6. Explain how Russian rulers began to build a stronger Russian state After 1560, Ivans bad period began. His wife died, and he thought the boyars had poisoned her. He organized a special police force whose job it was to hunt down enemies and kill them the wore black and rode black horses. A new class of nobles were created totally loyal to Ivan. During an argument with his oldest son, he killed him.

7. St. Basils Cathedral

8. Ivan IV Under Ivan IV, British merchants established trading contacts. Italian artists brought in by the tsars built churches and the Kremlin, creating a distinct architecture.

9. Explain how Russian rulers began to build a stronger Russian state The remaining son was not a capable leader. With no heir, the time became known as the Time of Troubles A new leader was chosenMichael Romanov, the grandnephew of Ivan the Terribles wife The Romanovs will rule from 1613 to 1917.

10. Explain how Russian rulers began to build a stronger Russian state/Differences between Russian and western Europe. Czar Peter I: Peter the Great (1682-1725) In Russia, landowners treated serf like property. If the land was sold, the serf was sold also. Serfs could not move. Russia developed differently from Western Europe. Why?

11. Explain how Russian rulers began to build a stronger Russian state/Differences between Russian and western Europe. *Russia had looked to Constantinople, not to Rome, for leadership. *Mongol rule had cut off Russia from the Renaissance and the Age of Exploration. *Geographic barriers also isolated Russia: the only port was iced in part of the year *Religious differences widened the gap: Russians were Eastern Orthodox

12. Describe Peter the Greats reforms and their impact on Russia Peter was determined to modernize Russia He wanted a warm- water port He went on the Grand Embassy to learn about Western Europe Westernization began- to do this, he needed to increase his power

13. Describe Peter the Greats reforms and their impact on Russia REFORMS *The Russian Orthodox Church was placed under his control. *He reduced the power of the great landowners. *He modernized the army and made it a lifelong job-200,000 men; he raised taxes to pay for it.

14. Describe Peter the Greats reforms and their impact on Russia REFORMS-Westernizing *introduced potatoes *started Russias first newspaper *raised womens status by having them attend social gatherings *ordered the nobles to give up their traditional clothes for Western fashions *advanced education by opening a school for navigation and introducing schools for arts and sciences (BTW, he also outlawed beards and made a new calendar)

15. Describe Peter the Greats reforms and their impact on Russia The Port: Russia fought a war with Sweden (21 years), but was able to get its window on Europe on the Baltic coast-the city became known as St. Petersburg Building the city was not easy. An estimated 25,000 to 100,000 people died. It became the new capital.

16. Catherine the Great Several decades of weak rule followed Peters death. Catherine (1762-1796) took over and made change. She used the Pugachev peasant rebellion as an excuse to extend central government authority.

17. Catherine the Great She continued patronage of Western art and architecture, but the French Revolution caused her to ban foreign and domestic political writings. Expansionists policies continued: Crimea was gained from the Ottomans; colonization of Siberia and claimed Alaska Russian explorers will go down the North American coast into California.

18. Catherine the Great In Europe: She joined Prussia and Austria to partition Poland and end its independence. Russia had become the worlds largest land empire.

19. Catherine the Great Catherine was a Westernizer and brought Enlightenment ideas to Russia, but centralization and strong royal authority were more important to her than Western reform. She gave new power over serfs to the nobles in return for their service in the bureaucracy and military.

20. Themes in Early Modern Russian History Russian society was very different from the West. Serfdom and a deep-rooted peasant culture did not mesh with Westernization efforts. The Russian nobility, through state service, maintained a vital position. A minority of landowners lived in major cities and provided important cultural patronage. Smaller, incompletely Westernized landowners lived less opulent lives.

21. Themes 1649: An Act made serfdom hereditary. In the 17 th and 18 th century tied serfs to the land and gave legal rights to landlords. Most peasants remained poor and illiterate; they paid high taxes and conditions worsened throughout the 18 th century.

22. Russian trade and economy Few large cities: 95% lived in rural areas Few artisans Most trade by Westerners; there was no strong commercial class of people. Agricultural remained traditional. Social unrest becomes an issue