Section+21-4+Absolute+Rulers+of+Russia

Key Words:

 * __Boyars__: Landowning nobles, fought for power of Russia when Ivan IV was young.
 * __Westernization__: Using western Europe as a model to change.

Key People:

 * __Ivan the Terrible__: AKA Ivan IV, came into throne at 3 years of age in 1533.
 * __Peter the Great__: AKA Peter I, who as first shared the throne with his half-brother, became sold ruler in 1696, one of Russia's greatest reformers, absolute ruler.

Key Terms:

 * The First Czar:**
 * At 16, Ivan claimed himself czar, or "caesar", of Russia, first official Russian ruler and he married Anastasia, related to the Romanovs.
 * 1547-1560: Ivan's "good period." Great victories, Russia expanded, code of laws, ruled justly.
 * Rule by Terror:**
 * 1560: "bad period" began because Anastasia died, accused boyars, Ivan turned against them. Ivan made a police force who hunted down and murdered those who Ivan though traitors, dressed in black and rode black horses.
 * Ivan killed boyars, their families, and peasants who worked for them, thousands dead, gave dead nobles' land to new nobles who remained loyal.
 * 1581: Ivan killed his oldest son (heir) in a violent quarrel, left his 2nd and weak son to rule.
 * Rise of Romanovs:**
 * 2nd son not a good ruler at all, died without an heir, period of turmoil known as Time of Troubles, czar heirs died mysteriously, boyars fought for power, imposters.
 * 1613: representatives of towns in Russia chose the next czar, Michael Romanov, Romanov dynasty began and continued for the next 300 years (1613-1917).
 * Peter the Great Comes Into Power:**
 * Romanovs strengthened the government, made a new law code, stopping revolt.
 * Russia Contrasts With Europe:**
 * Serfs and boyars still in Russia when Peter came into power, serfdom lasted until mid-1800s, serfs were property and sold with the land that they lived on, serfs were presents and a way to pay debts, cannot run away.
 * Boyars didn't know much about western Europe, because in the past they had different dynasties and graphology Russia is cut off, only seaport is Archangel in North Russia, which is usually iced over, travelers into Russia were Dutch and German and were separated from Russians.
 * Russia's religion was Orthodox Christianity, Russians saw Europeans as heretics and avoided them.
 * Peter Visits the West:**
 * 1680s: Peter went to German section of Moscow and looked at the strange machinery, and Peter liked ships and sea and he believed that Russia needed warm-water ports.
 * Peter was 24 years old when sole ruler, 1697: went to visit western Europe to learn customs and manufacturing techniques.
 * Peter Rules Absolutely:**
 * Peter inspired by trip, believes Russia could compete with Europe's military and commercial, Peter wanted to make Russia stronger.
 * Peter's Reforms:**
 * He knew many people would disagree with his beliefs and he made his power stronger in order to change Russia.
 * Orthodox Church now under state control, abolished head of Church (patriarch), set up Holy Synod to run Church.
 * Reduced power of landowners, recruited lower class men by promoting and giving grants of land.
 * Hired European officers to modernize his army, Europe training and weapons, a soldier was a lifetime job, Russian army 200,000 and big taxes for it.
 * Westernizing Russia:**
 * To westernize, Peter did: introduced potatoes, started first newspaper, raised women's status (allowed them at social gatherings), give up traditional and have Western fashions, advanced education and introducing navigation, arts, and sciences.
 * Education was key: in the past the were not allowed to study sciences in foreign lands, now they were, many were forced to.
 * Establishing St. Petersburg:**
 * Needed a seaport so they could travel easier, fought with Sweden and after 21 years won a piece of the Baltic coast.
 * 1703: he began building new city on Swedish lands, population was made of Russian troops, swampy and unhealthy, allowed ships to go down Neva River and into the Baltic Sea, called it St. Petersburg.
 * Building a city on swamp was easy, serfs forced to work on it every summer, 25,000-100,000 died, once it was done many nobles went to live there, the new capital.
 * Peter succeeded in westernization, died in 1725.