The Rise of Russia

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The Rise of Russia Peter(1672 1725)
Catherine(1762 1796)
"The rich would have to eat money if the poor did
not provide food."
"Fear the goat from the front, the horse from the
rear, and man from all sides."
"Life is unbearable, but death is not so pleasant
either."
"The tallest blade of grass is the first to be
cut by the scythe."
"The hammer shatters glass but forges steel."
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Was Peter Great?

• Negatives
• further entrenched
• serfdom, which had
• been re-established with
• the Law Code of 1649.
• Forced conscription
• and cultural changes and
• alienated thousands of
• people (Westernizers
• vs. Slavophiles).
• A schism between
• the Old Believers
• and the new Orthodox
• Church in Russia.
• westernization
• succeeded only in
• widening the rift
• between Boyar and
• commoner.

• Accomplishments
• built the first Russian
• navy.
• reorganized the army
• and established a
• Table of Ranks based
• on merit.
• brought the Boyars
• under control.
• brought the Orthodox
• Church under control
• and abolished the
• Patriarchate. (?)
• reorganized the tax
• system.
• brought education to
• the boyars in Russia.
• attempted to westernize
• the boyars in Russia. (?)

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IMPERIAL EXPANSION UNDER PETER. - War with the
Ottomans. - The Great Northern War.
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Moscow St. Petersburg side by side
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Moscow St. Petersburg side by side
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What was Peters greatest accomplishment? --------
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The Era of Russian Palace Revolutions
1725-1762

• Who would follow Peter?
• His son Aleksey?
• His wife Catherine?
• Following the death of Catherine there were a
  series of
• contenders for the title of Tsar. (6 in 37 years
  to be exact)
• In this period Russia becomes an active European
  power.
• Russia aligned with Austria and France, went to
  war with the
• Ottoman Empire and reacquired the Port of Azov,
  entered the
• War of Polish Succession, the War of the Austrian
  Succession,
• and the Seven Years War.
• Peter III takes the throne (Feb. 1762 June
  1762).

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Was Catherine Great?

• Accomplishments
• Extended Russian territory
• by 200,000 square miles.
• at the expense of Ottomans
• and Polish.
• Codified Russian laws.
• Charter of the Nobility (1785)
• Charter of the Towns (1785)?
• She increased learning
• throughout Russia.
• Furthered the changes by
• Peter, especially shoring up
• government in the provinces.
• Finally establishes the warm-
• water port at Odessa.
• Further westernized the
• boyars.
• The free economic society

• Negatives
• Russia was probably
• too little, too late.
• Furthered the rift between
• the Boyars and the
• Commoners.
• Failed to do anything
• about the serfs in Russia,
• and actually sold
• 800,000 more into
• serfdom.
• Established the Pale
• settlement in the East for
• the Jews of Russia.
• She pre-empted the idea
• of Russification that later
• Tsars will continue, which
• isolated many non-Russians

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Wars with Ottomans, The Crimean Tartars, several
Asiatic tribes, and finally the Partitions of
Poland.
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Was Catherine Enlightened?