Age of Absolutism study guide summary

 

 

 

Age of Absolutism study guide summary

 

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Age of Absolutism study guide summary

Age of Absolutism

A. The Netherlands*

1. Urban Prosperity*

2. Economic Decline*

B. Two Models of European Political Development*

C. England

1. James I

 Elizabeth died in 1603
- without a direct heir
throne passed to her relatives the Stuarts
- the ruling family of Scotland
- neither as popular as the Tudors
- nor as skillful in dealing with Parliament
- inherited problems that Henry and Elizabeth had long suppressed
- ‘century of revolution’ that pitted the Stuart monarchs against Parliament
first Stuart monarch
- James I
- agreed to rule according to English laws and customs
Soon he was lecturing Parliament about divine right
- Leaders in the House of Commons fiercely resisted the king’s claim to absolute power
James repeatedly clashed with Parliament over money and foreign policy
- needed funds to finance his lavish court and wage wars
James dissolved Parliament and collected taxes on his own
- When members wanted to discuss foreign policy before voting funds
James also found himself embroiled in disputes with dissenters,
- Protestants who differed with the Church of England
Puritans sought to ‘purify’ the church of Catholic practices
- called for simpler services
- more democratic church without bishops
James rejected their demands
- vowing to ‘harry them out of this land or else do worse
positive result of the king’s dispute with the Puritans was his call for a new translation of the Bible
- The King James version that appeared in 1611 has had a lasting influence on English language and literature

2. Charles I

 Charles I inherited the throne
-1625
Charles behaved like an absolute monarch
- imprisoned his foes without trail
- squeezed the nation for money
his need to raise money taxes forced Charles to summon Parliament
- 1628
Parliament insisted that Charles sign the Petition of Right.
- Before voting any funds
- prohibited the king from raising taxes without the consent of Parliament or from imprisoning anyone without just cause
Charles did sign the petition
- dissolved Parliament in 1629
- ignored the petition and ruled the nation without Parliament
- 11 years
created bitter enemies
- especially among Puritans
Archbishop of Canterbury, William Laud, tried to force all clergy to follow strict Anglican rules
- 1637
- dismissing or imprisoning dissenters
- people felt that the archbishop was trying to revive Catholic practices
- tried to impose the Anglican prayer book on Scotland
Calvinist Scots revolted
Charles finally had to summon Parliament
- To get funds to suppress the Scottish rebellion
- 1640
- however, Parliament launched its own revolt

3. The Long Parliament & Civil War

 The 1640 Parliament became known as the Long Parliament
- lasted on and off until 1653
- actions triggered the greatest political revolution in English history
Parliament tried and executed the king’s chief ministers
- including Archbishop Laud
declared that the Parliament could not be dissolved without its own consent
called for the abolition of bishops
Charles I lashed back
- 1642
- led troops into the House of Commons to arrest its most radical leaders
- They escaped through a back door
- soon raised their own army
clash now moved to the battlefield
civil war that followed
- 1642 to 1649
- posed a major challenge to absolutism
- forces of royal power won in France
- in England the forces of revolution triumphed

a) Cavaliers and Roundheads

 odds seemed to favor the Cavaliers
- supporters of Charles I
Many Cavaliers were wealthy nobles
- proud of their plumed hats and fashionably long hair
- Well trained in dueling and warfare
- Cavaliers expected a quick victory
foes proved to be tough fighters
- courage of their convictions
forces of Parliament were composed of country gentry, town – dwelling manufacturers, and Puritan clergy
- called Roundheads
- hair was cut close around their heads
Roundheads found a leader of genius in Oliver Cromwell.
- Puritan member of the lesser gentry
- skilled general
- organized the ‘New Model Army’ for Parliament into a disciplined fighting force
Cromwell’s army defeated the Cavaliers in a series of decisive battles
king was in the hands of parliamentary forces
- 1647

b) Execution of a King

 Parliament set up a court to put the king on trail
- condemned him to death as ‘a tyrant, traitor, murderer, and public enemy’ 
cold January day in 1649
- Charles I stood on a scaffold surrounded by his foes. ‘I am a martyr of the people’
king told the executioner that he himself would give the sign for him to strike
- brief prayer
- Charles knelt and placed his neck on the block
- executioner severed the king’s head with a single stroke
execution sent shock waves throughout Europe
- kings had occasionally been assassinated or died in battle
- first time, a ruling monarch had been tried and executed by his own people
parliamentary forces had sent a clear signal in England
- no ruler could claim absolute power and ignore the rule of law

4. Oliver Cromwell & the Puritan Republic

 After the execution of Charles I
- House of Commons abolished the monarchy, the House of Lords, and the official Church of England
republic, known as the Commonwealth, under the leadership of Oliver Cromwell

a) Challenges to the Commonwealth

 Supporters of Charles II, the uncrowned heir to the throne, attacked England by the way of Ireland and Scotland. 
Cromwell led forces into Ireland to crush the uprising
- took harsh measures against the Irish Catholic majority
Parliament passed a law exiling most Catholics to barren land in the west of Ireland
- 1652
- Any Catholic found disobeying this order could be killed on sight
Levelers thought that poor men should have as much say in government as the gentry, lawyers, and other leading citizens
- ideas horrified the gentry who dominated Parliament. 
Cromwell and his generals suppressed the Levelers
- as well as more radical groups who threatened property ownership
Cromwell took the title Lord protector
- 1653
- ruled through the army

b) Puritan Society

 Puritan preachers tried to root out godlessness and impose a ‘rule of saints.’
English Civil War ushered in a social revolution as well as a political one
Parliament enacted a series of laws designed to make sure that Sunday was set aside for religious observance
Anyone over the age of 14 who was caught ‘profaning the Lord’s Day’ could be fined
Cromwell closed all theaters
- like John Calvin in Geneva
- Puritans also frowned on lewd dancing, taverns, and gambling
Puritans felt that every Christian, rich and poor, must be able to read the Bible
- encouraged education for all people
- To spread religious knowledge
By mid – century, families from all classes were sending their children to school
- girls as well as boys
Puritans pushed for changes in marriage to ensure greater fidelity
- marriages based on business interests
- encouraged marriages based on love
women were seen mainly as caretakers of the family
- subordinate to men
- some radical Protestant groups allowed women to preach sermons
- most Puritans were shocked
Cromwell count not accept open worship by Roman Catholics
- believed in religious freedom for other Protestant groups. 
- even welcomed Jews back to England
- after more than 350 years of exile

c) End of the Commonwealth

 Oliver Cromwell died
- 1658
Puritans lost their grip on England
- Many people were tired of military rule and strict Puritan ways
newly elected Parliament invited Charles II to return to England from exile
- 1660
England’s ‘kingless decade’ ended with the restoration of the monarchy
- Puritan ideas about morality, equality, government, and education endured

5. Charles II & Restoration of the Monarchy

 young Charles II was a popular ruler
- charm and flashing wit
- reopened theaters and taverns
- presided over a lively court in the manner of Louis XIV. 
restored the official Church of England
- tolerated other Protestants such as Presbyterians, Quakers, and Baptists
Charles accepted the Petition of Right
- shared his father’s faith in absolute monarchy
- secretly had Catholic sympathies
- shrewdly avoided his father’s mistakes in dealing with Parliament

6. The Glorious Revolution

a) A New Clash with parliament

 Charles’ brother, James II, inherited the throne in 1685. 
James flaunted his Catholic faith
further angered his subjects
- suspending laws at whim
- appointing Catholics to high office
English Protestants feared that James would restore the Roman Catholic Church
alarmed parliamentary leaders invited James’ Protestant daughter, Mary, and her Dutch Protestant husband, William III of Orange, to become rulers of England
- 1688
William and Mary landed with their army late in 1688,
- James II fled to France
- bloodless overthrow of a king became known as the Glorious Revolution

b) English Bill of Rights

 William and Mary had to accept several acts passed by Parliament
- 1689
- Before they could be crowned
- became known as the English Bill of Rights
ensured the superiority of Parliament over the monarchy
- required the monarch to summon Parliament regularly
- gave the House of Commons the ‘power of the purse.’ 
- king or queen could no longer interfere in Parliamentary debates or suspend laws
- barred any Roman Catholic from sitting on the throne
restate the traditional rights of English citizens
- trial by jury
- abolished excessive fines and cruel and unjust punishment
- affirmed the principle of habeas corpus
- no person could be held in prison without first being charged with a specific crime
Toleration Act of 1689
- granted limited religious freedom to Puritans, Quakers, and other dissenters
- not yet to Catholics
- only members of the Church of England could hold public office
Glorious Revolution did not create democracy
- type of government called limited monarchy
- a constitution or legislative body limits the monarch’s powers
English rulers still had much power
- had to obey the law and govern in partnership with Parliament

7. The Age of Walpole*

D. France

1. Richelieu

 Henry IV was killed by an assassin
- 1610
nine – year – old son, Louis XIII, inherited the throne
- nobles reasserted their power
Louis appointed Cardinal Armand Richelieu as his chief minister
- 1624
- cunning, capable leader spent the next 18 years strengthening the central government
Richelieu sought to destroy the power of the Huguenots and nobles
- two groups that did not bow to royal authority
smashed the walled cities of the Huguenots
- outlawed their armies
- still allowing them to practice their religion
defeated the private armies of the nobles
- destroyed their fortified castles
Richelieu tied nobles to the king
- giving them high posts at court or in the royal army
- reducing their independence
Richelieu handpicked his able successor, Cardinal Jules Mazarin
- year after Richelieu’s death, Mazarin was in place to serve as chief minister
- death in 1642

2. Louis XIV Becomes King

 five – year – old Louis XIV inherited the throne
- 1643
Soon after Louis XIV became king
- disorder again swept France
- uprising called the Fronde
- nobles, merchants, peasants, and the urban poor rebelled
- each group for its own reasons
- rioters drove the boy king from his palace
- an experience Louis would never forget
Mazarin died in 1661
- Louis resolved to take over the government himself

3. “I Am the State’

 Like his great – grandfather Philip II of Spain,
- Louis XIV firmly believed in divine right
Louis took the sun as the symbol of his absolute power. 
- sun stands at the center of the solar system
- the Sun King stands at the center of the nation
Louis did not once call a meeting of the Estates General
- medieval council made up of representatives of all French social classes
- Estates General did not meet between 1614 – 1789
- unlike the English Parliament, the Estates General played no role in checking royal power

4. Strengthening Royal Power

 Louis spent many hours each day attending to government affairs
strengthen the state
- followed the policies of Richelieu
- expanded the bureaucracy
- appointed intendants, royal officials who collected taxes,
- recruited soldiers
- carried out his policies in the provinces
government jobs often went to wealthy middle – class men. 
- Louis cemented ties between the middle class and the monarchy
French army became the strongest in Europe
- state paid, fed, trained, and supplied up to 300,000 soldiers. 
- Louis used this highly disciplined army to enforce his policies at home and abroad

5. Colbert and the Economy

 Louis’ brilliant finance minister, Jean Baptiste Colbert,
- followed mercantilist policies to bolster the economy. 
Colbert had new lands cleared for farming
encouraged mining and other basic industries
built up luxury trades such as lacemaking
put high tariffs on imported goods
- protect French manufactures
encouraged overseas colonies
- New France in North America
- regulated trade with the colonies to enrich the royal treasury
Colbert’s policies helped make France the wealthiest state in Europe
- Louis XIV was often short of cash
- Colbert could produce enough income to support the huge costs of Louis’ court or pay for his many foreign wars
Louis failed to adjust the complicated and unjust tax system
- poor carried most of the tax burden
- nobles, clergy, and government officials were exempt from many payments
- Independent tax collectors often made large profits
- allowed to continue this practice since the money was needed to support the army
unreformed tax system heightened the economic differences between the regions of France
- any visible improvement in one’s farm or household might lead to higher tax payments
- little desire to improve one’s output
tax system encouraged people to move from heavily taxed regions to regions with lower taxes
- heavily taxed regions became poorer

6. Versailles

 countryside near Paris
- Louis XIV turned a royal hunting lodge into the immense palace of Versailles
spared no expense to make it the most magnificent building in Europe
- halls and salons displayed the finest paintings and statues,
- glittering chandeliers and mirrors
royal gardens
- millions of flowers, trees, and fountains were set out in precise geometric patterns
Versailles became the perfect symbol of the Sun King’s wealth and power
- both the king’s home and seat of government
- housed at least 10,000 people, from nobles and officials to servants

a) Court Ceremonies

 Louis XIV perfected elaborate ceremonies that emphasized his own importance
each day began in the king’s bedroom
- major ritual known as the levée, or rising
High – ranking nobles competed for the honor of holding the royal wash basin or handing the king his diamond – buckled shoes
At night, the ceremony was repeated in reverse. 
- Wives of nobles vied to attend upon women of the royal family
Rituals such as the levee served a serious purpose
- French nobles were descendants of the feudal lords who held power in medieval times
- Left at their estates, these nobles were a threat to the power of the monarchy
- By luring nobles to Versailles, Louis turned them into courtiers angling for privileges
- rather than warriors battling for power
- Louis carefully protected their prestige and left them free from paying taxes

b) Cultural Flowering

 king and his court supported a ‘splendid century’ of the arts
- Louis sponsored musical entertainments
- commissioned plays by the best writers
classical age of French drama
- Jean Racine wrote tragedies based on ancient Greek myths
- actor – playwright Molière turned out comedies, such as The Miser
- poked fun at French society
new form of dance drama, ballet
- gained its first great popularity at the French court
Louis sponsored the French Academies
- set high standards for both the arts and the sciences
Louis XIV ruled France for 72 years
- far longer than any other monarch
- French culture, manners, and customs replaced those of Renaissance Italy as the standard for European taste

7. Wars

 both foreign and domestic affairs, however, many of Louis’ policies were costly failures
Louis XIV poured vast resources into wars to expand French borders
- did gain some territory
later wars were disastrous because rival rulers joined forces to check French ambitions
- Led by the Dutch or the English
- alliances fought to maintain the balance of power
- a distribution of military and economic power that would prevent any one nation from dominating Europe

8. Repressive Religious Policies

a) Suppression of the Jansenists*

b) Revocation of the Edict of Nantes

 Louis saw France’s Protestant minority as a threat to religious and political unity
revoked the Edict of Nantes
- 1685
- More than 200,000 Huguenots fled France
persecution of the Huguenots was perhaps the king’s most costly blunder
- Huguenots had been among the most hard – working and prosperous of Louis’ subjects
- loss was thus a serious blow to the French economy
- just as the expulsion of Muslims and Jews had hurt Spain

9. Later Wars

a) The League of Augsburg & Nine Years’ War*

b) War of the Spanish Succession

 Louis’ grandson Philip IV inherited the throne of Spain
- 1700
- Louis declared that France and Spain ‘must regard themselves as one.’ 
- neighboring powers led by England were determined to prevent this union
War of Spanish Succession
- dragged on until 1713
- exhausted France signed the Treaty of Utrecht
- Philip remained on the Spanish throne
- France agreed never to unite the two crowns

10. After Louis XIV

 Louis XIV outlived his sons and grandsons
- died in 1715
- five – year – old great – grandson inherited the throne as Louis XV
France was then the strongest state in Europe
- years of warfare had drained the treasury
prosperity nurtured by Colbert evaporated
- under the burden of bad harvests, heavy taxes, and other problems
Louis XV was too weak a king to deal with such problems
- devoted his days to pleasure
- ignoring the growing need for reform

a) John Law & the Mississippi Bubble*

b) Renewed Authority of the Parlements*

E. Central & Eastern Europe

1. Poland*

2. Habsburg Empire & Pragmatic Sanction

 weakened by war
- Hapsburgs still wanted to create a strong united state
kept the title of Holy Roman emperors
- focused their attention on expanding their own lands
- Austria, added Bohemia, Hungary, and later, parts of Poland and Italy

a) Unity and Diversity

 Uniting these lands proved difficult
Divided by geography
also included diverse peoples and cultures
- 1700s
- Hapsburg empire included Germans, Magyars, Slavs, and others
- people had their own languages, laws assemblies, and customs
Hapsburgs did exert some control over these diverse peoples
- sent German – speaking officials to Bohemia and Hungary
- settled Austrians on confiscated lands in these provinces
Hapsburgs put down revolts in Bohemia and Hungary
Hapsburg empire never developed a centralized system like that of France

b) Maria Theresa & Pragmatic Sanction

 emperor Charles VI faced a new crisis
- early 1700s
- had no son
daughter, Maria Theresa, was intelligent and capable
- no woman had yet ruled Hapsburg lands in her own name. 
Charles had convinced the monarchs of Europe to accept a pragmatic sanction
- 1718
- royal decree having the force of law
- Europe’s rulers promised not to dived the Hapsburg lands
- accept female succession to the Austrian throne
he died
- many ignored their pledge
greatest threat came in 1740
- Frederick II of Prussia seized the rich Hapsburg province of Silesia
Maria Theresa set off for Hungary
- appeal for military help from her Hungarian subjects
- Hungarians were ordinarily unfriendly to the Hapsburgs. 
- she made a dramatic plea before an assembly of Hungarian nobles
- eventually got further help from Britain and Russia
War of the Austrian Succession
- eight year
- Maria Theresa was not able to force Frederick out of Silesia
- did preserve her empire
- win the support of most of her people
strengthened Hapsburg power
- reorganizing the bureaucracy
- improving tax collection
- forced nobles and clergy to pay taxes
- tried to ease the burden of taxes and labor services on peasants
- many of her reforms were later extended by her son and successor, Joseph II
unity of her empire depended on a strong economy
- Maria Theresa ended trade barriers between Austria and Bohemia and encouraged exports
- used government funds to boost the production of textiles and glass

3. Prussia & Hohenzollerns

 Austria was molding a strong Catholic state
Prussia emerged as a new Protestant power
Hohenzollern family ruled scattered lands across north Germany
- 1600s
After the Peace of Westphalia
- ambitious Hohenzollern rulers united their lands
- taking over the states between them
- set up an efficient central bureaucracy
- reduced the independence of their nobles, called Junkers (YOON kerz)

a) Great Elector

 One of the greatest Hohenzollern monarchs
- Frederick William
- held the title ‘Great Elector’ 
Frederick William increased the strength of Brandenburg – Prussia
- After the Thirty Years’ War
creating a permanent standing army
- proposed raising taxes meet the cost of his army
- Junkers, or nobles, opposed this plan
Frederick William then worked out a compromise with them
- permitted only Junkers to be landowners
- freed them from taxes
- gave them full power over the peasants
- Junkers agreed that Frederick William could tax townspeople and peasants
- two groups were too weak to organize and oppose this increased burden
Junkers further strengthened their ties to the Hohenzollerns
- 1663
- pledged allegiance to Frederick William
- Frederick William was able to become an absolute ruler
Frederick William was succeeded by his son Frederick I 
- Frederick aided the Austrian Hapsburgs against Louis XIV
- War of the Spanish Succession
- reward, Frederick was given the title of king
- weak ruler who did little to strengthen his country

b) Frederick William I

 ruled from 1713 to 1740
- powerful leader
centralized the Prussian government
uniting all functions into one bureaucracy
- under his direct control
supported production and trade
- brought more revenue into the government treasury
Known as the Royal Drill Sergeant
- Frederick William devoted his life to the Prussian army
- made it the most efficient fighting force in Europe.  He especially delighted in recruiting tall soldiers

c) Frederick II

 Frederick William made sure that, from an early age, his son Frederick was trained in the art of war
young Frederick preferred playing the flute and writing poetry
- Frederick William despised these pursuits
- treated the young prince so badly that he tried to flee the country
- Frederick William put his son in solitary confinement
- friend who had helped Frederick was beheaded while the 18 – year – old prince was forced to watch
Frederick II became king of Prussia
- 1740
Frederick adopted his father’s military ways
- set out to expand Prussian territory
- harsh military training
Frederick the Great rejected Austria’s pragmatic sanction
- seized the Austrian province of Silesia
- sparking the War of Austrian Succession

F. Russia

1. Ivan IV & The Romanov Dynasty

 most powerful of the early czars was Ivan IV
- ruled from 1533 to 1584
Known as Ivan ‘the Terrible’ or ‘the Awesome’
- learned, religious, and cruel
Ivan became czar at the age of three
- caught between rival groups of nobles who sought to rule the country
witnessed much cruelty
- never able to ride himself of his early memories
As an adult, Ivan saw treason everywhere
- arrested, exiled, or executed many of his closest advisers
- fit of rage, he even killed his own son
Ivan took many steps against the boyars, or nobles, to reduce their potential threat to his throne
- seized their scattered lands
- placed them under his direct control
- former owners were uprooted and dispersed
= seized land made up about one – half of the country
- Ivan placed his own loyal people
- became a secret police force, the oprichniki (aw-PREECH-nee-kee)
- terrorized the rest of the country
Russian society experienced many changes
- Boyars became more closely tied to the czar’s service
- townspeople lost what little influence they had on government
- peasants were bound to the land as virtually enslaved workforce
- many peasants moved to borderlands south of Moscow
- Ukraine, some formed self – governing villages of warrior pioneers and their families and became known as Cossacks
- Peasants, traders, and adventurers also moved into Siberia
Ivan IV also increased Russia’s trade with western Europe and worked to expand his borders
- had few seaports free of ice throughout the year
- Gaining more access to the sea for trade and security became a major goal of Russia rulers
Ivan conquered Mongol lands east and south of Moscow
- late 1500s
- waged unsuccessful war against Poland, Lithuania, and Sweden for territory near the Baltic Sea
Ivan’s death in 1584
- Russia drifted toward chaos
‘Time of Troubles’
- 1598 - 1613
- noble feuds over the throne
- peasant revolts
- foreign invasions plagued the country
assembly of clergy, nobles, and townsmen named 17 – year – old Michael Romanov as czar
- 1613
- began the Romanov dynasty that rule Russia until 1917

2. Peter the Great

 just 10 years old when he came to the throne
- did not take control of the government until 1689
not well educated
- young czar was immensely curious
- spent hours in the ‘German quarter,’
- Moscow suburb where many Dutch, Scottish, English, and other foreign artisans and soldiers lived
- heard of the advanced technology that was helping Western European monarchs forge powerful empires
towering figure, nearly 7 feet tall
- boundless energy and volcanic emotions
- sought to bring Russia into the mainstream of European civilization

a) Journey to the West

 Peter took an 18 – month study tour of England and the Netherlands
- After becoming czar
- visited shipyards, factories, mills, and laboratories
- learned carpentry
- developed enough skill in surgery and dentistry to want to practice on others
Peter brought along a group of technical experts, teachers, and soldiers he had recruited in the West
- embarked on a policy of westernization
- adoption of western ideas, technology, and culture
- persuading fellow Russians to change their way of life proved difficult
- most autocratic of Europe’s absolute monarchs
after returning from the West, Peter insisted that boyars shave their beards
- forced them to replace their old – fashioned robes with Western European clothes

b) Autocrat and Reformer

 Peter pursued several related goals
- strengthen the military
- expand Russian borders
- centralize royal power
brought all Russian institutions under his control
- including the Russian Orthodox Church
- forced the haughty boyars, or landowning nobles, to serve the state in civilian or military jobs
serfdom spread in Russia
- long after it had died out in Western Europe
- tying peasants to land given to nobles
- ensured that nobles could serve the state
- forced some serfs to become soldiers or labor on roads, canals, and other government projects
pushed through social and economic reforms
- imported western technology
- improved education
- simplified the Russian alphabet
- set up academies for the study of mathematics, science and engineering
pay for his sweeping reforms
- adopted mercantilist policies, such as encouraging exports
- improved the waterways and canals
- developing mining and textile manufacturing
- backed new trading companies
end the practice of secluding upper – class women in separate quarters
- held grand parties at which women and men were expected to dance together
- Russian nobles resisted this radical mixing of the sexes in public
Peter had no mercy for any who resisted the new order
elite palace guards revolted
- had over 1,000 of the rebels tortured and executed
- left their rotting corpses outside the palace walls for months

c) Search for a Warm – Water Port

 Peter worked to build Russian’s military power
- created the largest standing army in Europe
- set out to extend Russian borders to the west and south
Russian seaports, located along the Arctic Ocean, were frozen over in the winter
increase Russia’s ability to trade with the West
- Peter desperately wanted a warm – water port – one that would be free of ice all year round
nearest warm  - water coast was located along the Black Sea
- Peter had to push through the powerful Ottoman empire
unable to defeat the Ottomans and gain his warm – water port
- later Russian monarch Catherine the Great would achieve that goal before the century ended

d) War with Sweden

 Peter began a long war against the kingdom of Sweden
- 1700
Sweden dominated the Baltic region
Russia suffered humiliating defeats
- Swedish force of only 8,000 men defeated a Russian army five times its size
Peter rebuilt his army along western lines
defeated the Swedes and won land along the Baltic Sea
- 1709

e) Peter’s City

 land won from Sweden
- Peter built a magnificent new capital city, St. Petersburg. 
- open a ‘window on the West,’
Russian workers laid the foundations for a fortress on the Baltic coast
- May 16, 1703
located the city on the swampy shores of the Neva River near the Baltic coast
- forced tens of thousands of serfs to drain the swamps. 
- Many thousands died
- Peter got his city
Peter made it the new capital of Russia
- 1712
invited Italian architects and artisans to design great palaces in western style
- even planned the city’s park and boulevards himself
Versailles became a monument to French absolutism
- St. Petersburg became the great symbol of Peter’s desire to forge a modern Russia

f) Toward the Pacific

 Russian traders and raiders crossed the plains and rivers of Siberia
- blazing trails to the Pacific
Russia signed a treaty Qing China
- defining their common border in the east
- recognized Russia’s right to lands north of Manchuria
Peter hired the Danish navigator Vitus Bering to explore what became known as the Bering Strait between Siberia and Alaska
- Russian pioneers crossed into Alaska
- migrated as far south as California
Few Russians moved east of the Ural Mountains at this time
- Russia was already the largest country in the world

g) The Case of Peter’s Son Aleksei*

h) Administrative Colleges*

i) Table of Ranks*

j) Legacy

 Peter died in 1725
- mixed legacy
good
- expanded Russian territory
- gained ports on the Baltic Sea
- created a might army
- ended Russia’s long period of isolation
bad
- many of Peter’s ambitious reforms died with him
- Noble soon ignored his policy of service to the state
- dangerous split developed between the few who accepted European ways and the many who clung to traditional values
- brandished terror to enforce his absolute power
- policies contributed to the growth of serfdom
- served only to widen the gap between Russia and the West

 

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