Transcript Absolute Rulers of Russia

Russia
Labor
Religion
Geography
Western Europe
Labor
Religion
Geography
Russia
Western Europe
•Serfs are property
•Cannot leave the
land
•Are bought and
sold
•Orthodox Christian
•Won freedom during
ren/ref
•Moved to cities
•Catholics & Protestants
•Isolated
•Trade & political
•Few seaports – none connections are easily
warm water
made
 Absolute
ruler
 Takes throne at 3
 Fighting between the
boyars (nobles) about
controlling Ivan
 @16 Ivan takes over
and crowns himself
Czar
• At age 16 he seized power and
became czar
• Added land to Russia
• Gave Russia a code of laws
 His
wife died – he blamed boyars
 Has secret police kill the boyars &
associates
 Thousands died
 Tortured
and executed thousands of people
 Once had an entire city killed because a
few people planned an uprising
 Ivan tortured people himself
 He
came up with elaborate types of torture:
 Burning people alive in a huge pot of water
 Frying people to death
 Tearing off their limbs
 Time
of Troubles
 Boyars struggling for power
 Heirs of czar died mysteriously
Michael
Romanov starts
the Romanov
dynasty
Strengthened
government
Enforced laws
Put down revolts
 Visited
the West
 Wanted reform Russian society –
“Westernize” it
• Really wanted their technology
• Institute Western manners
 Took
control of the Russian Orthodox Church
 Hired European officers to train his soldiers
 Raised womens’ status
 Removed traditional veils
 Marry of their own free will
• Beard Tax: “Beards are a ridiculous ornament”
• Ordered the nobles to wear Western fashions
 Would
be the seaport Peter wanted
 Somewhere
from 25,000 to 100,000
people died in the building of the city