Bell Ringer

 What was the Edict of Nantes and who came up with
it? What section tells you what the document is
about?
 A declaration of religious freedom
 Henry IV of France
Agenda/Objectives

 Russian Czars become absolute rulers:
- Ivan the Terrible
- Peter the Great
 Video: Biography of Ivan the Terrible
 Westernizing Russia
 Video: St. Petersburg
Russian Czars Increase
Power

 Ivan IV – “Ivan the Terrible”
 Came to power in 1533, he was only 3 years old.
 Struggle for power – Boyars fought to control Ivan.
 Boyar - landowning noble.
 Ivan – at 16 seized power and named himself czar.
 Which means???
 Title meant Caesar.
Ivan the Terrible

Ivan the Terrible

 1547 – 1560: known as Ivan’s good period
 - gained land
 - ruled justly
 1560: Bad period… Dum dum dum dum!
 Who died???
 Anastasia, his wife
Bad Period

 Accused Boyars of poisoning his wife.
 Police force = hunt down traitors and kill them.
 - dressed in black and rode black horses.
 Thousands of Boyars died.
 Boyar’s land was seized and given to new class of
nobles who had to be loyal.
Prince Andrew Kurbsky

 “In front of your army have I marched – and marched
again; and no dishonor have I brought upon you, but only
brilliant victories… But to you, O czar, was all this as
naught; rather do you show us your intolerable wrath and
bitterest hatred, and furthermore, burnings ( a means of
torture).

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

Is he happy or upset?
What class do you think Andrew was a part of?
Was he loyal to Ivan?
What does this say about many of the loyalties of the
Boyar?
Ivan made a terrible
mistake….

 1581 – Killed his oldest son.
 Died 3 years later.
 His second weak son was left to rule.
Rise of the Romanovs
1613- 1917

 Ivan’s son both physically and mentally weak.
 Died without an heir.
 What do you think happens now???
 Turmoil = “Times of Trouble”
 Boyars vs. heirs of czars
 Heir of czars kept dying “mysteriously”
 1613 - Representatives from the major cities chose an
heir – Michael Romanov.
Peter the Great

 Took power in 1696.
 One of Russia’s greatest reformers.
Russia’s difference from
Europe

 Still a land of Boyars and serfs.
 Serfdoms lasted until the mid 1800s.
 Most Boyars did not know about Western Europe.
 - Mongol rule cut them off from the Renaissance and
Age of Explorations.
 Geographic barriers.
 Religion: Eastern Orthodox Christians.
 - Viewed Catholics and protestants as heretics.
Peter Visits the West

 1697 – At age 25, Peter embarked on the “Grand
Embassy”.
 Goal – Wanted to learn about European customs and
industrial techniques.
 Brought 200 servants and 55 boyars.
 First to travel to the west and be among the “heretics”.
 Kept his identity a secret.
 - Wore plain clothes and labored as a ship’s carpenter for
4 months.
 His identity was not well hidden.
 Travelled to England and Austria before going home.
Peter rules absolutely

 After trip wanted to compete both economically and
militarily.
 Westernization: Idea of using Western Europe as a
model for change.
 Peter saw it as a change to better Russia.
Reforms

 Peter increased his power to as an absolute ruler.
 Russian Orthodox church under state control.
- abolished the patriarch or head of church and
formed a group called Holy Synod.
 Like Ivan IV, Peter lowered power of land owners.
 Recruited low ranking families and gave them land based
on loyalty.
 Modernized army: hired European officers.
- His army would reach 200,000.
Imposed heavy taxes.
Westernizing Russia

 Introduced potatoes, became a staple of the Russian
diet.
 Started Russia’s first newspaper and edited the first
issue himself.
 Raised women’s status by letting them attend social
gatherings.
 Ordered nobles to give up their traditional clothes
for Western fashions.
A new capital

 1703: End of a 21 year war with Sweden.
 Gained land on the Neva river near the Baltic sea.
 Named the new capital St. Petersburg after his
patron saint.
 Building the capital cost around 100,000 lives.
 Swampy conditions
Legacy of Peter

 Died in 1725.
 By that time he raised the status of Russia among the
European powers.
 Now a forced to be reckoned with in Europe.
Essay/homework

 Do you think Ivan the Terrible or Peter the Great was
more of an absolute Monarch? Explain your answer
giving specific examples from notes…
Peter the Great

 List the steps Peter took to reveal himself as the
highest authority of Russia.