Did Russia Benefit from
Absolute Monarchs?
I. Geography and Background
Vast area Northern/eastern Europe
spanning to Asia
 Isolation from the West during the
Mongol invasion
 Russians are slavic people
 Identified with Asia more than
 Influenced by the Byzantine Empire
 Russian Orthodox
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II. Tsars of Russia
The Romanov Family ruled Russia from
1613 to 1918.
 Absolute rule
 Feudalism prevailed in Russia while it was
declining in Western Europe
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III. Peter the Great
1672-1725
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Reigned from 1682-1725
Sought to Westernize Russia
Expand Russia and gain warm water ports
for trade
Reduced power of nobles (boyars)
All children of nobilities were required to go
to school.
New tax system in which the people who
owned property or maintained families had
to pay.
IV. Catherine the Great
1729-1796
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Princess of minor German kingdom, married the
heir to the throne Peter III
Took part in the coup against her husband and
succeed him as the tsarina of Russia when he
abdicated
Reigned from 1762-1796
Considered an Enlightened Despot, close friends
with Voltaire, Rousseau
Extended the borders of the Russian Empire
southward and westward
Continued the policy of modernization
and westernization of Russia
 Landowners gained greater rights
strengthening serfdom
 Supported education, founded boarding
schools for daughters of wealthy families,
medical college
 Founded hospitals
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