Created by Ms. Susan M. PojerCreated by Ms. Susan M. Pojeredited by Ms. D. Tempelton, 2009edited by Ms. D. Tempelton, 2009

Russia TodayRussia Today

Former Soviet Region Former Soviet Region Compared in Latitude & Compared in Latitude &

Area with the United Area with the United StatesStates

Topography of RussiaTopography of Russia

Themes Themes in Russian Historyin Russian History

Expansion by conquest.Expansion by conquest.

Need for warm-water Need for warm-water ports.ports.

The necessity of a The necessity of a strong, central strong, central government.government.

Early RussiaEarly Russia

Cyril and Methodius

Orthodox Christian

missionaries to the Slavs,

9th century

Early Byzantine Early Byzantine Influences:Influences:

Orthodox ChristianityOrthodox Christianity

Early Byzantine Early Byzantine Influences:Influences:

Orthodox ChristianityOrthodox Christianity

Early Byzantine Early Byzantine Influences:Influences:

Cyrillic AlphabetCyrillic Alphabet

NovgorodNovgorod

• Highest rank of feudal nobility in Medieval Rus, Bulgaria, Moldavia and Ukraine

• In Kievan Rus they formed a council (Duma) that advised the prince

• In Muscovy they chose the prince they served

• During the Middle Ages, they were a major power in Kievan Rus and Muscovy

Russian Russian BoyarsBoyars

RussianBoyars

Russian Russian BoyarsBoyars

Ivan IV restricted their power, curtailing their right to hold land without serving the Tsar

Russian ExpansionRussian Expansion

Alexander Nevsky: 1220-Alexander Nevsky: 1220-12631263

Battle on the IceBattle on the Ice(Neva River) (Neva River) Against the Against the

SwedesSwedes

TeutonicTeutonicKnightKnight

The Mongols Invade The Mongols Invade RussiaRussia

Ivan IV, “Grozny”Ivan IV, “Grozny”

(r. 1462-1505)(r. 1462-1505)

Ivan III Tearing the Great Khan’s Letter Ivan III Tearing the Great Khan’s Letter Requesting More Tribute in 1480.Requesting More Tribute in 1480.

• Crowned as first “Tsar of All Russia” in 1547 at age of 16

• Revised the law code, established a standing army (the Streltsy), established a Council of Nobles and confirmed the position of the Russian Orthodox Church

• Introduced the first printing press to Russia• Defeated the Kazan Khanate in 1552 and the

Astrakhan Khanate in 1556• Built St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow to commemorate

the defeat of the Khans• Passed the first laws to restrict the mobility of the

peasants – leading to their eventual serfdom• Livonian Wars – attempts to expand Russian territory

westward. Lasted 24 years and devastated western Russia. Eventually defeated by alliance of Sweden, Poland and the Hanseatic League.

• Towards the end of his life, Ivan became mentally unstable

The Death of Tsarevich Ivan Ivanovich

Ivan accidentally killed his son, causing a crisis over the succession

Russia in the Late 1500sRussia in the Late 1500s

The Time of TroublesThe Time of Troubles

• Ivan Grozny was succeeded by his mentally incompetent son, Feodor – the last Tsar of the Rurik Dynasty

• The period between his death in 1598 and the accession of Michael Romanov in 1613 is Russia’s “Time of Troubles”

• Famine from 1601 – 1603, dislocating large numbers of people

• Bands of armed brigands preyed on the population• The Government was unable to effectively rule• Russia was invaded by Poland (with the goal of forcing

the Russian rulers to become Catholic), and Lutheran Sweden in the west and the Tatars in the east

• Uprisings in the cities led to brutal repression and massacres

• Governmental crisis led Kuzma Minin Novgorod merchant, and Prince Pozharsky to lead an uprising of the Russian people that effectively defeated the Poles and established a new Russian government in Moscow

• National Assembly elected Michael Romanov as Tsar

• He was related, through his mother, to the first wife of Ivan IV

Michael Romanov Michael Romanov (r. 1613-1645)(r. 1613-1645)

Romanov DynastyRomanov Dynasty(1613-1917)(1613-1917)

Romanov Family Romanov Family CrestCrest

The Pendulum The Pendulum of Russian Historyof Russian History

Pro-WestPro-WestFor Progress & ChangeFor Progress & ChangeEncourage New Ideas,Encourage New Ideas,

Technologies, etc.Technologies, etc.

Anti-WestAnti-WestIsolationistIsolationistXenophobicXenophobic

Ultra-ConservativeUltra-Conservative

Most TsarsMost Tsars

Russian Orthodox Russian Orthodox ChurchChurch

MilitaryMilitary

BoyarsBoyars

peasantspeasants

A few TsarsA few Tsars

Intellectual elitesIntellectual elites

Merchants/Merchants/businessmenbusinessmen

Young members of the Young members of the middle class.middle class.

REFORM-MINDEDREFORM-MINDEDLEADERLEADER DEMAGOGUEDEMAGOGUE

Peter the Great Peter the Great (r. 1682-(r. 1682-1725) 1725)

Early Reign• Inherited after the death of his older half-brother, Alexis

I in 1682• Regent was his half sister, Sophia, who ruled for him

until 1689 when she led a rebellion against him and was overthrown

• Reorganized the Russian army – making it more modern• Put down a rebellion of the streltsy• Required nobility, army officers and government officials

to adopt Western dress and customs• War against the Ottoman Empire – not very successful

“The Grand Embassy”• Peter traveled to Europe in an attempt to gain support

for a war against the Ottomans• European rulers not interested – most were involved

with The War of the Spanish Succession at the time• Peter visited Holland and spent time learning how to

build ships by working in a Dutch shipyard• In England he met with King William III and reviewed

the English Royal Navy• Visited Manchester and where he learned techniques of

planning a new city which he later used in the planning and building St. Petersburg

• Visited Leipzig, Dresden and Vienna, where he met the HRE

• In 1698, Peter was forced to return to Russia to put down a rebellion of the streltsy

Peter in the Netherlands learning shipbuilding

Contemplating the Building of St. Petersburg

Founded in 1703 to be the capital of Russia

The Great Northern War• Seeking to control the Baltic Sea, Peter declared war

on Sweden• Battle of Narva – 1701 – Russians defeated during a

snowstorm• Swedes turn their attention to Poland, giving Peter time

to reorganize the Russian army• Swedish king Charles XII invaded Russia in 1706 and

attempted to conquer the Ukraine• Battle of Poltava – major defeat for the Swedes

resulting in the abdication and exile of Charles XII• Peter continued to build his navy, enabling him to

conquer much of Finland by 1714• 1721 Treaty of Nystad ends Great Northern War –

Russia acquires Ingria, Estonia, Livonia and Karelia but returns most of Finland to Sweden

• As a result of this war, Russian has acquired a warm-water port for the Navy

The Taking of Narva, 1704

Peter pacifies his troops and stops the looting and murder

Russia & Sweden After the Russia & Sweden After the Great Northern WarGreat Northern War

Later Years of Peter’s Reign• Proclaimed “Emperor of All Russia” in 1721• Reformed Russian Orthodox Church by establishing

the Holy Synod to rule the church in place of the Patriarch of Moscow – makes Church subservient to State

• Law – no man could enter a monastery before the age of 50 – to encourage enlisting in the military

• Had his wife, Catherine, crowned as Empress in 1724• Executed his son and heir, Alexei, for opposing Peter’s

policies (the son of his first wife, Eudoxia)• 1725 construction completed on the Peterhof Palace

(Peter’s Court”) near St. Petersburg• Summer of 1724 Peter had surgery to alleviate

uremia – blockage of the bladder. The problems were alleviated but returned the next year.

• Died on Feb. 8, 1725 of gangrene in the bladder at the age of 52

Peterhof PalacePeterhof Palace

East Chapel at Peterhof

Throne room

Accomplishments of Accomplishments of Peter the GreatPeter the Great

• Modernized Russia, transforming it into an empire• Discontinues use of the Old Russian Calendar, which

had dated events from the “beginning of the world” and implements the Julian Calendar

• Established the “Table of Ranks” in 1722 which determined precedence among the nobility was determined by service to the State, not by birth

• Decree on Compulsory Education (1714) – children of nobility required to have a basic education in math and science

• Abolished taxes on land and introduced a “head tax” on everyone

• Professional army – into which both nobles and serfs can be conscripted

• Expanded the Navy

• Established School of Navigation and Maths, School of Medicine, School of Engineering and School of Science

• Made education a top priority for members of the upper and middle classes

• Created a state-run newspaper• Fixed prices on many items• Mercantilism• Encouraged the adoption of Western customs and the

French language among the upper classes