History of Russia Lectures for technical students. Part 1. Учебное пособие

Lopuchina. After this he could rule the state by himself. Peter’s wife born him a son (the only one), but they had different interests and didn’t love each other. Later Peter sent his first wife to a monastery and could marry for a second time.

In August 1689 Streltsy revolted again but that time things turned in Peter’s favour. Sophia was dethroned (removed from power). After

Ivan’s death 7 years later, Peter became the only ruler. But Russian state was far behind Europe, that’s why Peter wanted to get access route to the seas. So Russian new Tsar had ambitious program to transform Russia into an advanced European country. Breaking the resistance of old nobility Peter launched a series of reforms during 25 years in every area of nation’s life – administration, industry, commerce and culture.

The first steps he took were military campaigns of 1695-1696 against Crimean Tatars in the hope to get a route to the Black Sea. Initially unsuccessful, the campaign eventually brought some lands and forced Peter to build a navy.

His next undertaking was an extensive European tour. It was the first time a Russian Tsar went abroad. Accompanied by a large delegation, Peter's main objective was to strengthen the anti-Turkish coalition, but also to learn more about European economic and cultural life. He studied different things: shipbuilding, sailing and so on.

In summer 1698 Peter returned home because of new Streletsky revolt. Hundreds of rebellions were executed and exiled to distant towns. Stretskaiy army was abolished after it.

Peter gave up his dreams about the Black Sea without allies, but he turned his attention to the Baltic Sea in the north. Peter allied some European countries and started war against Sweden in 1700. It was so called Northern war. Peter never could imagine that this campaign would last for 21 years. Sweden had the most advanced army and was the most powerful country of that time. So Russian army was defeated for the first time at Narva. The military plan of operations was Peter’s own design. In November 1721 after celebration of a victory in Northern

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war Peter was assumed the title of Emperor of Russia. So Russia became Empire because it had access to the Baltic Sea. Many of the states of northern Europe – Prussia, Sweden, Denmark, the Dutch Republic (Holland – nowadays) – made little or no difficulty about giving it formal recognition, but Britain and Austria did not recognize until 1742; France and Spain not until 3 years after that. In the XVI th and XVII th centuries Russia was not regarded as a part of Europe in any significant sense; words “Emperor” or “Imperial Majesty”, applied to the ruler of an exotic country apparently outside Europe, were not titles which raised serious issues, for Europeans the Romanovs were the same as the Moguls in Delhi.

Peter was now a European ruler and his titles must be weighed in European scale. Another unmistakable sign of Russia’s new standing was the presence in every significant European capital of permanent Russian diplomatic mission. By 1721 Peter had 21 of these, this number was not to be exceeded during the rest of the XVIII th century. Russia was the first time an internal part of the network of European diplomacy. Peter was never able to negotiate marriages with members of any of the most prestigious European dynasties. Frederick William, duke of Courland, became the husband of Peter’s niece Anna Ivanovna, the Princess Charlotte of Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel to whom the Tsarevich Alexey was married, Charles-Leopold, duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, to whom another niece, Ekaterina Ivanovna, was given – these were at the best of second-rate importance. All were Protestants – a reflection of the fear and hatred of Catholicism which, a legacy of generations of struggle with Poland, was still so powerful in Russia. The Courland and Mecklenburg marriages considerably strengthened Russian influence in the

Baltic and North Germany, but it was until Peter’s last years that he could seriously hope to unite the Romanovs with a European ruling family of indisputably first-class importance.

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After the end of Northern war Peter began to manage more active foreign policy on south border. In 1722 he invaded Persian territory and captured the Caspian Sea.

Peter went on to modernize Russian military and administrative structure, simplify the alphabet and change the calendar to make it correspond to European standards. Under the rule of Peter the Great industrial development was boosted. Foreign experts were invited, plants and factories were founded across the country and trade flourished. While Russia had no wars when Peter came to power, he went on to create a strong Baltic fleet and a modern regular army.

Peter was the first Russian ruler to promote secular education, while the Church was subjected to the state. Russians were encouraged to study abroad and were often compelled to do so at the state's expense. Many books were translated into Russian. The first newspaper appeared in 1703.

Peter moved the capital to new city Saint Petersburg, his “European paradise”, on the Gulf of Finland. He didn’t like Moscow since his childhood and considered it as a center of old Russian nobility and traditions.

Part II

Catherine I starts life really as a sort of camp follower of Peter. She was a beautiful young woman and one of the Russian generals fancy to her. Story then goes that Peter caught a sight of her and he of course was the Tsar could have anything he wanted and he took her. As Marfa Skavronskaya was evolved into the Tsar’s closest confidant the camp follower, she acquired a respectable name – Ekaterina, Catherine.

She helped him to make that he needed, she went with him to battles she comforted him when he got angry, she was produced children for him and gave him the love and the warmth that he had been denied probably as a child. Peter and his “peasant Queen” married first in se-

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cret, later they remarried. Later Peter would even crown her as an Empress of Russia. In 1715 Catherine gave Peter what he desired most of all, a new male heir. The birth of a baby half-brother complicated life for

Peter’s first son the 25 year old crown prince Alexey. Peter had the son from his first marriage. His son Alexey was upbringing according Old Russian traditions. Alexey didn’t want to be a successor and he told his father: “I do not think myself fit for the government. My memory is weak, my body is weak, my body decayed I do not aspire to the Russian crown”.

The quarrel between the Tsar and Alexey widened and Peter gave him an ultimatum: “I cannot resolve to let you live on according to your own will. Either strive to render yourself worthy of the succession or become a monk”. In 1718 Peter prepared to confine his son to a monastery desperate to live free of his overbearing father Alexey escaped to the west but the sudden flight only help to convince Peter that his son was plotting against him. The Tsar’s spies followed Alexey to Austria when lured him back to Russia. Alexey was imprisoned to island fortress. He faced his father’s raffle inquisition, was almost immediately confronted with an ultimatum that unless he divulged his accomplices he would not get his pardon. Under torture Alexey confessed to every offense his father could imagine, he even named names of his supporters (other plotters). Alexey was accused as an organizer of the plot against his own father and the Tsar Peter. To find out the truth Alexey was tortured with a knout which is a thick leather whip that it just shred through skin and 15 to 25 lashes with the network considered standard anything over that would cause death and on the first day alone Alexey get 25 lashes. The Tsar showed no mercy. He sentenced his son to be beaten for two days. In June 1718 Alexis died in the fortress of St. Peter and St. Paul condemned to death by his own father.

I honestly don’t believe that ultimately Peter wanted Alexey dead, he wanted him alive and being the Alexey which Peter wanted, but which is what Alexey couldn’t be. Within a year the wheel of fortune turned and

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ground down on Peter. His young son, the child of his loved Katherine died. The Russian Empire was left with no male heir and for Russia’s first official Emperor time was running short. On a cold November day in 1724 a vessel fell on rocks on the coast of the Baltic Sea. As being very impulsive person Peter dove into the freezing water to save the 20 sailors onboard. Urinary disease aggravated by alcohol was compounded by the consequence of his brave action and Peter succumbed.

As he lay dying he prepared to write his will. In a single generation Peter the Great had remained Russia. He had transformed an ancient land and isolated secretive Kingdom into a modern open nation and achieved the goal that had set for 30 years before. He had introduced so much that was never before: in particular he ended the xenophobia and religiosity of the old Muscovite way of life. And he ended the isolation of Russia as a country and I think this is terribly important. He introduced a whole new style of statecraft. Peter saw himself not as being a religious keeper of the status quo which the Muscovite Tsars were there.

As being a secular hard-working reforming Tsar was capable of creating through force. I think these were the ways in which Peter demonstrated himself to be a real revolutionary. On the brink of death one last task remained, Peter still had to name a heir of empire. He had 15 children from two wives but only two had survived and both of them were female. On a piece of paper he wrote give it all to but he died without finishing the sentence.

I think ultimately the reason that Peter didn’t point out his successor that he was immortal: he didn’t expect to die as soon as he did, he thought he still had time but it was too late. The giant of the Romanov dynasty had died and left his empire without a ruler. After Peter’s death

Russian Empire stretched from the White Sea to the Caspian Sea and from the Baltic Sea to Pacific Ocean.

Peter’s personality left imprint on the whole history of Russia. Peter was a handsome man with original intellect, 2 meters high, much taller than his contemporaries. Some Peter's reforms were introduced quite

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brutally: Peter personally cut off the beards of his boyars and cut off parts of their clothes for European fashion. Unlike all earlier Russian

Tsars he didn’t run away from hard physical labor and enjoyed a simple lifestyle. Peter’s personality and his policy had been the source of much debate.

Peter I didn’t completely bridge the gulf between Russia and Western countries, but he achieved considerable progress in development of the national economy, trade, education, science, culture and foreign policy. Russia became great power under Peter I. His internal reforms achieved progress to an extent that no earlier innovator could have envisaged.

TASKS

1.Answer the following questions:

1.How and why Peter got a power?

2.What reforms did Peter I introduce and what was the result?

3.What strengthened Russia’s influence on the Baltic coast?

4.Why did Peter assume the title of Emperor and make Russia an Empire?

5.Why did Peter earn the title Great?

2.Watch video “History of Russian Empire” (Matteo Zilli, part 7-10 of 20) and summarize new information.

3.Topics for writing essay.

1.Peter the Great – great personality in Russian history.

2.A new era in Russian history after Peter the Great.

3.Cultural rise in Russia under Peter I.

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LECTURE 6. CATHERINE THE GREAT

AND ENLIGHTMENT

Part I

Sophia Augusta Frederica born a German princess of Anhalt-Zerbst became well-known as Catherine II. Catherine came to Russia from Germany in 1744 to marry Peter III. She was baptized and got new name after Empress Elizabeth’s mother, Catherine. As Catherine mounted to the Russian throne she did her best to give her people happiness, freedom and wellbeing. She was charitable, good-tempered and loved life.

At one dinner she warned the French ambassador to mind her ambitions: “There never was a woman bolder than I. I have unbridled audacity”. Peter III and Catherine drifted from distant relations to open hostility. Once he succeeded Elizabeth on the throne and he might lock his wife in a convent or dispose of her entirely but while her husband threatened Catherine build defenses and plan for the future. She forged alliances with generals and politicians throughout the Empire and across Europe. In 1758 Catherine's growing web of influence caught the attention of the Empress Elisabeth. Catherine earned that her correspondence

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and loyalty became a topic for discussion with Elizabeth and Elizabeth was unsatisfactory her.

Peter certainly had been planted in Catherine's mind but she didn’t like him. There was plotting and people who recognize Peter as being incompetent feared despotic tendencies in his character rallied around Catherine. While Peter and Catherine spark the Empress Elisabeth armies marched into Prussia against King Frederick. The German-born

Grand Duke Peter had idolized all Frederick’s life. Russian conquests shaken Europe's balance of power. Elizabeth had joined an alliance to quash Germanic Empire.

The greatest hero of them all was the guardsmen Gregoriy Orlov. Gregoriy was the second of the five brothers all of whom were handsome, reckless and dashing. Catherine fell in love with Gregoriy Orlov and he was the one who helped organize the guards to support her bid for the throne. Catherine and the Orlovs brothers dubbed Peter. Russian army had overrun Berlin and Frederick the Great was on his needs, German kingdom was about to be wiped off the map. Grand Duke Peter was in despair at the impending defeat of his beloved Prussia. His aunt the Empress Elizabeth was poised for victory. On Christmas Day 52 years-old surviving child of Peter the Great, the empress of Russia Elizabeth fell dead.

Elisabeth despite her flaws was a role model for Catherine on that a woman can be in charge and have power. The Empress's nephew and heir to the throne was the German Prince Peter III. At Elizabeth's funeral in his first act Tsar Peter III declared peace with Prussia, sparing his hero Frederick from annihilation and infuriating the entire Russian army. He ordered the officer corps changed Russian green uniforms. Peter hated all Russian and dressed them in Prussian blue uniform. He stripped the icons out of the Russian Orthodox Church. He ordered the priests to dress like German Lutheran ministers. Peter III ordered an invasion votes to claim the German homeland.

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One night Peter toasted his impending crusade when his wife Catherine failed to raise her glass, Peter announced to all that her time had run out he was threatening to divorce Catherine and send her to a nunnery and leave her without anything. So Catherine realized that the moment had come also for her to act. The next night Catherine’s favorite Gregoriy Orlov with his brothers and their fellow guardsmen went to save Catherine and Russia. They deposed Peter easily but the worst was still to come. If you are an Empress the only good ex-emperor is a dead ex-emperor. Orlov and his brothers drag Peter out of St. Petersburg. The conspirators soon sent Catherine a letter soon with the news “the monster was dead”. In July of 1762 Peter III Tsar of Russia suffered an unfortunate fatal accident he collided with the ambitions of his wife Catherine the Great. The official word was that he had died of hemorrhoids. After Peter III was killed it became even more important that Catherine established that she was a savior of Russia because he was going to crucify Russia. Catherine declared herself as the sovereign ruler of Russia. To depose an unpopular ruler was one thing but for a German princess to claim the crown of Russia – another. Catherine seized the throne with a coup then consecrated her Authority. She went to the cathedral of the Kremlin to be crowned. Catherine immediately orchestrated a brilliant coronation in which she was celebrated as elected by the people.

Catherine would have to transform herself and the Russian nation. Catherine had the hotspot to think that she could rule well indeed. Possibly she knew that she had the talent and she had the backpacking. Catherine had become Russian: she certainly saw herself as legitimate that she was the competent person. She was devoted to Russia and Russian interest and she saved Russia from disaster. During the first years in power

Catherine’s attention was directed to strengthening her position. She knew that a number of influential people considered her power illegal but her son Paul as the rightful ruler. Catherine realized that she needed the support of the nobility and army.

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In the early reign Catherine had far-reaching plans regarding both domestic and foreign policy. She understood that Russia required general changes. By 1764 Catherine was ready to start working on reforms. Influenced the ideas of the Enlightment monarchs thought that a wise and generous ruler could ensure the well being of their people. In the spirit of Enlightment Catherine carried out her first major reform of legal system. Code of laws was active from 1649 and became less effective. More than two years Catherine worked on the Instruction for Legislative Comission. This Instruction became widely known in Europe and was translated into many foreign languages. In 1767 the Empress created the Legislative Comission to revise old laws in accordance with her Instruction. The Comission consisted of delegates from all levels of society except the serves. Despite many Comission made no progress and Catherine put an end of this in 1768 (after one year). Catherine was strongly opposed to serfdom but she didn’t want to lose the support of nobility, that’s why she did nothing for serves.

Catherine’s government followed a general policy of developing public confidence with the aim of leading Russia to full and equal membership in Europe like Peter did. She expanded the Senate, incorporated Ukraine into the Russian empire by abolishing a self-governed Cossack community in Southern Ukraine centered at the Dnieper River that had its own political and administrative center the hetmanship (also known as hetmanate).

Catherine devoted much attention to expanding education. She enlarged the number of elementary and secondary schools. She believed that Russia could be a center of civilization. Under her reign Academy of Science reached new heights. Catherine founded the society for the translation of foreign books into Russian. Comprehensive dictionary of Russian language was published. She filled the rooms of St. Petersburg's palace with art of the great masters, turning it into the world's greatest museum – Hermitage (a museum part of Winter Palace). She also collected admirers, heart powerful friends and devoted men. Under Cathe-

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