Absolute Monarchs

     Peter the Great had many strengths, but his best was he modernized Russia. By seeing Europe, he changed many things. He changed the calendar so the New Year would be January 1. He increased agriculture by growing new crops and increased the number of factories in Russia. He also started the first Russian newspaper and enlarged their army to 200,000 men. He also got a warm water port for his “window on the sea.”

Peter the Great was born to Tsar Alexis and grew up differently than many people of his time. “Peter proved a healthy child, lively and inquisitive. It is probably significant to his development that his mother’s former guardian, Artamon Sergeyevich Matveyev, had raised her in an atmosphere open to progressive influences from the West” (Britannica Academica). The fact that he grew up with a significant figure in his life who favored the west shaped his views in a major. Later in his reign, he focused on western civilization and how they thrived. Peter tried to implicate the same influences in Russia to further try and modernize and advance the culture, society, and government. Peter was a very lively and energetic child. “When Alexis died in 1676 Peter was only four years old. His elder half-brother, a sickly youth, then succeeded to the throne as Fyodor III” (Britannica

Peter the Great wanted to westernize Russia. He was eager to borrow European technology, the kind that could give him the army and navy he needed to make Russia a great power. Peter wanted to reorganize the army. He employed both Russians and Europeans as officers, built a standing army of 210,000 men, and formed the first Russian navy. Peter divided Russia into provinces in order to impose the rule of the government more effectively. He wanted to create a "police state," by which he meant a well-ordered community governed by law. After his trip to the West, he introduced Western customs, practices, and manners into Russia; he even ordered the preparation of the first Russian book of etiquette to teach Russians. He changed traditional Russian

Peter’s reforms Westernized Russia quite significantly. There are many examples of these reforms and how they helped to Westernize Russia. For example, he caused the people of Russia to change their fashion, not only of how they dressed but of how their bodies looked. For example, he made the Russians have shorter or no beards by having a beard tax. Document 2 supports this when it says that “…The Russians had always worn long beards, which they cherished and preserved with much care, allowing them to hang down on their bosoms, without even cutting the moustache…The tsar, in order to reform that custom, ordered that gentlemen, merchants, and other subjects, except priests and peasants, should each pay a tax of 100 ruples each year if they

Peter the Great was born to Tsar Alexis and grew up differently than many people of his time. “Peter proved a healthy child, lively and inquisitive. It is probably significant to his development that his mother’s former guardian, Artamon Sergeyevich Matveyev, had raised her in an atmosphere open to progressive influences from the West” (Britannica Academica). The fact that he grew up with a significant figure in his life who favored the west,shaped his views in a major way. Later in his reign, he focused on western civilizations and how they thrived. Peter tried to implicate the same influences in Russia to further try and modernize and advance the culture, society, and government. Peter was a very lively and energetic child. “When Alexis died in 1676 Peter was only four years old. His elder half-brother, a sickly youth, then succeeded to the throne as Fyodor

Peter recognized that his country was falling behind the European countries in knowledge, technology, trade, and governing ability. Using his absolute power as a czar, he brought in foreign advisers to help him modernize, westernize and educate his people. Peter had a great respect for Europe, and his reforms had a lasting influence in Russia, though there was of course opposition from the more conservative nobles.

Peter the Great of Russia was a strong and absolute ruler. Czar Peter I used a form of absolute rule called autocratic rule. Meaning that he ruled with unlimited authority over his subjects and land. Many people tile Peter the Great as a modernizer of Russia (Mendrala, 41). Peter the Great is responsible for Russia’s westernization, he enforced Western ideas, technology, and culture. By attempting to cultivate the western European way of life Peter made Russia diplomatic, military, political, commercial, scholastic, literary, and industrial (Source #2). During his reign Peter the Great develops a number of policies, and he dramatically reforms his country. Like any ruler, Peter encounters a few problematic incidents, but is able to overcome

Doc 5: Peter the Great thinks he is skillful in commercial activities and knowledge on defending and ordering his country. “For this end we have always tried to maintain internal order, to defend the state against invasion, and in every possible way to improve and to extend

England’s lengthy history of hereditary monarchs and abusive absolutists has led to the system of constitutionalism in 17th century English government. The encouragement of these absolutism practices triggered the need to search for a new way to govern. The reigns of the Stuart monarchy led to the shift from absolutism to constitutionalism during 17th century England. After witnessing the success of Louis XIV's of France establishment of absolutism, England would soon see that James I, and his son Charles I, will fail at establishing absolutism in England and see a constitutional government established.

Peter the Great’s reforms had a profound impact on Russia, it introduced an era of change that he became known for. From Peter’s childhood he became known for his infatuation with ideas about the military and navy, enjoying pastimes like shipbuilding and sailing, as well as mock battles with toy armies. This strong influence left a lasting impression throughout Peter’s life, exemplified through his reforms and relations with Europe. This impacted Russia as Peter’s keen interest in Europe was a key inspiration for his reforms as his desire for knowledge and advancement was reflected in his personality and his rule. Peter’s interest in Europe also impacted Russia as it corresponded with a growing westernisation of typical Russian values and

in which men would have to pay a tax in order to keep their beards.

But Peter censored certain western ideals that would threaten his power as a tsar such as the Enlightenment and the idea of a Parliamentarian government. Labor: Another Western idea that didn’t make its way to Russia was paid labor- Russia was still implementing the system of serfdom, so extreme that it could barely be distinguished with slavery… serfs could be bought and sold, and there were often horrible working conditions due to the landowners’ increasing powers over serfs. It was impossible to escape serfdom as it was a hereditary status.

The extent to which rulers and their subjects viewed the role of an absolute monarch was different. The time of this political issue on absolute monarchies was around the 1600s. There were people for the absolute monarchies, people with their own monarchies and people against monarchies. Each one had there own idea for what the role of the monarchy was the people against it thought it was oppressive the people for it thought it was because people couldn’t rule on their own and the rulers viewed it as a chance to gain more power.

Peter older brother took over his father's job when he passed away and Peter was by his side as the age of four ("Peter I." Britannica School). Peter was by his brother side since the age of four because his brother needed someone by his side and wanted to hand over his job to his brother since it was a family trend. Peter lived with his mother in Preobrazhenskoe and Peter was usually fearing for safety ("Peter I." Britannica School). Preobrazhenskoe is a village near Moscow, Russia and usually feared about safety. Peter feared for safety because he all pressure was on him since he was a young tsar and put all of his negative attitude on the Russian guardsmen. Peter also had a sister named Sophia and Sophia was made a regent, which is taking control of the government ("Peter I." Britannica School). Since Sophia was a regent, she could not have public appearance, since she took over the government and the government policy was that you can not have public appearances. Peter the Great was good at a lot of things but Geography was not a hit for him since he wanted to open up trade routes, so that Russia could get their name around and get objects that they needed but it was hard for Peter since know one did not support his idea (“Readings in European History,”). Know one supported Peter's idea because they felt that Russia

| Martin Luther kick started the Reformation, created Lutheranism. That branched into Calvinism, then into Hugenots, and Presbyterianism. Criticized indulgences and expressed ideals in the 95 Theses (e.g. only faith is needed for salvation, yourself is the best interpreter of the Bible, etc)