Absolute Rulers of Russia

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

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

Explain how Russian rulers began to build a stronger Russian state

• After 1560, Ivan’s “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.

St. Basil’s Cathedral

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 chosen—Michael Romanov,

the grandnephew of Ivan the Terrible’s wife• The Romanovs will rule from 1613 to 1917.

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?

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

Describe Peter the Great’s 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

Describe Peter the Great’s 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.

Describe Peter the Great’s reforms and their impact on Russia

• REFORMS-Westernizing*introduced potatoes*started Russia’s first newspaper*raised women’s 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)

Describe Peter the Great’s 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.