Chapter Twenty-Nine: Chapter Twenty-Nine:

The Russian Empire in Europe and AsiaThe Russian Empire in Europe and Asia

Bentley & Ziegler, TRADITIONS AND ENCOUNTERS, 2/e

Today’s Big QuestionsToday’s Big Questions

What were the aspirations of the What were the aspirations of the Tsars when they attempted to Tsars when they attempted to ‘westernize’ Russia?‘westernize’ Russia?

Why did the attempts to westernize Why did the attempts to westernize Russia fail?Russia fail?

What were the long-term What were the long-term consequences of that failure? Can consequences of that failure? Can we directly attribute the Russian we directly attribute the Russian Revolution of 1917 to it?Revolution of 1917 to it?

Foundations of the Absolutist StateFoundations of the Absolutist State

Chapter Twenty-Nine:The Russian Empire in Europe and Asia

Foundations of the Absolutist StateFoundations of the Absolutist State• The Time of TroublesThe Time of Troubles

Ivan IVIvan IV

Chapter Twenty-Nine:The Russian Empire in Europe and Asia

Foundations of the Absolutist StateFoundations of the Absolutist State• The Time of TroublesThe Time of Troubles

Ivan IVIvan IV Ivan’s Reign of TerrorIvan’s Reign of Terror

Chapter Twenty-Nine:The Russian Empire in Europe and Asia

The Absolutist StateThe Absolutist State• The Gathering of the Russian LandThe Gathering of the Russian Land

Ivan IIIIvan III CossacksCossacks The Third RomeThe Third Rome

• The Time of TroublesThe Time of Troubles Ivan IVIvan IV Ivan’s Reign of TerrorIvan’s Reign of Terror War and FamineWar and Famine

Chapter Twenty-Nine:The Russian Empire in Europe and Asia

Westernization and EmpireWesternization and Empire• The Limits of WesternizationThe Limits of Westernization

Catherine IICatherine II

“You write on paper, but I have to write on

human skin, which is far more ticklish.”

- Catherine the Great

Chapter Twenty-Nine:The Russian Empire in Europe and Asia

Westernization and EmpireWesternization and Empire• A Window on the WestA Window on the West

Peter IPeter I Peter’s Program of WesternizationPeter’s Program of Westernization Military ReformMilitary Reform Bureaucratic ReformBureaucratic Reform Social ReformSocial Reform St. PetersburgSt. Petersburg

• The Limits of WesternizationThe Limits of Westernization Catherine IICatherine II Pugachev’s RebellionPugachev’s Rebellion The End of ReformThe End of Reform

Chapter Twenty-Nine:The Russian Empire in Europe and Asia

Imperial Russia in the 18Imperial Russia in the 18thth century century

A Society in TensionA Society in Tension• Muscovite Society Before WesternizationMuscovite Society Before Westernization

Rural LifeRural Life Serfdom (the law of 1649)Serfdom (the law of 1649) Catherine and the Nobility Catherine and the Nobility

• The Growth of Trade and IndustryThe Growth of Trade and Industry European TradeEuropean Trade Asian TradeAsian Trade Industrial DevelopmentIndustrial Development Population GrowthPopulation Growth

Chapter Twenty-Nine:The Russian Empire in Europe and Asia

Cultural ClashesCultural Clashes• Crisis in the ChurchCrisis in the Church

Church ReformChurch Reform Patriarch NikonPatriarch Nikon Avvakum and Old BeliefAvvakum and Old Belief Tsarist Control OverTsarist Control Over the Churchthe Church

• Westernization and the Enlightenment in RussiaWesternization and the Enlightenment in Russia EducationEducation Enlightenment IssuesEnlightenment Issues The IntelligentsiaThe Intelligentsia The End of ExperimentationThe End of Experimentation

Chapter Twenty-Nine:The Russian Empire in Europe and Asia

Today’s Big Questions RevisitedToday’s Big Questions Revisited What were the aspirations of the Tsars when they What were the aspirations of the Tsars when they

attempted to ‘westernize’ Russia?attempted to ‘westernize’ Russia?• This was probably a sincere effort to transform Russia to This was probably a sincere effort to transform Russia to

resemble “advanced” European societies, although it did resemble “advanced” European societies, although it did contradict the personal power of the Tsarscontradict the personal power of the Tsars

Why did the attempts to westernize Russia fail?Why did the attempts to westernize Russia fail?• Probably a better question would be, “could it ever have Probably a better question would be, “could it ever have

succeeded?” The obstacles were too great, as (a) the power of succeeded?” The obstacles were too great, as (a) the power of the monarchs was built upon the structure of the nobility, (b) the monarchs was built upon the structure of the nobility, (b) there were too deeply entrenched conservative interests, and there were too deeply entrenched conservative interests, and (c) the Tsars were threatened by the specter of the French (c) the Tsars were threatened by the specter of the French RevolutionRevolution

What were the long-term consequences of that failure? What were the long-term consequences of that failure? Can we directly attribute the Russian Revolution of 1917 to Can we directly attribute the Russian Revolution of 1917 to it?it?• Yes! Yes! Yes! The Emancipation of the Serfs was too little Yes! Yes! Yes! The Emancipation of the Serfs was too little

too late, and, combined with a large and growing working too late, and, combined with a large and growing working class, the system could not restrain growing popular discontentclass, the system could not restrain growing popular discontent

We finished, again!We finished, again!