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CHAPTER 18: THE RISE OF RUSSIA
Page 404 – 419
I.
SUMMARY
A. Russia’s Expansionist Politics under the Tsar
Between1450 and 1650, Russia began its process of territorial expansion while
working to strengthen the tsarist state in what proved to be the first phase of the
empire’s early modern development. This process was externally challenged by
Russian neighbors especially Poland, Sweden, and the Ottoman Empire. Internally,
the nobles were often the largest impediment to centralization and state power.
B. Russia’s First Westernization, 1690 – 1790
By the late 17th century, Russia was poised for dramatic, if selective, internal
change. Peter the Great led the first Westernization effort in history, changing
Russia permanently and providing a model for later Westernization attempts
elsewhere. Peter and his successors used Westernization to bolster Russia’s
expansionist empire, without intending to become a truly Western society.
C. Themes in Early Modern Russia History
Russian society differed greatly from that of the West. It focused on serfdom and a
deep-rooted peasant culture. The gap between Russia’s traditional economic and
social structure and its Westernization efforts at the top set up some durable
tensions in the nation’s history, visible even today. Although Russian serfdom was
particularly severe, a similar social system developed in other east European areas.
D. Conclusion: Russia and Eastern Europe
Russian history did not include the whole of Eastern Europe after the 15th century,
although Russia’s expansion, particularly its final acquisition of much of Poland,
did merge much of the larger region into the Russian embrace. Regions west of
Russia continued to form a fluctuating borderland between West and East
European influences. Even in the Balkans under Ottoman control, growing trade
with the West sparked some new cultural exchange by the 18th century as Greek
merchants picked up many Enlightenment ideas. Areas such as present-day Poland
or the Czech and Slovak regions operated more fully within Western cultural orbit
and participated in such Western currents as the Renaissance and Reformation. At
the same time, many smaller east European nationalities lost political autonomy
and fell under the control of the Catholic Hapsburgs ruling from Vienna or the
Turks in Istanbul. The decline of Poland was particularly striking. From a 15th
century position of most powerful state in eastern Europe through 1793, the date it
disappeared from the map, Poland’s collapse and eventual partition stand in sharp
contrast to Russia’s emergence as the dominant power in the East.
II.
CHAPTER REVIEW
A. Into what areas did Russia expand and how was this accomplished?
B. How had the Mongol rule affect Russia?
C. What role did the “West” play in early modern Russia?
D. What is “westernization” and what did it mean for Russia?
E. How did Peter the Great and Catherine the Great modernize Russia?
F. What forces resisted modernization and westernization in Russia? Why?
G. What was the connection between expansion and modernization?
H. What themes have dominated Russian history and how have they affected
Russian development?
I. What is a multinational state and how does it differ from a nation-state?
III.
VOCABULARY
A. Third Rome
B. Boyars
C. Cossacks
D. Time of Troubles
E. Old Believers
F. St. Petersburg vs. Moscow
G. Westernization vs. Modernization
H. Westernizer
I. Partition of Poland
J. Serf
K. Multinational states
L. Obrok
IV.
MAP EXERCISE
A. Map 18.1: Russian Expansion under the Early Tsars, 1462-1598 (Page 407)
B. Map 18.2: Russia under Peter the Great (Page 509)
1. What city-state formed the core of the Russian empire?
2. Where did Russia expand first? Later?
3. How would you describe Siberia?
4. What lands has Russia acquired since 1598?
C. Map 18.2: Russian Holdings by 1800 (Page 414)
1. Using maps at the front of the book, how have geography, climate and
distance directed and limited Russian expansion?
2. How might geography, climate, and distance affect the governance of Russia?
3. Using the map on page 325, what states probably opposed Russian
expansion?
V.
DOCUMENT ANALYSIS: The Nature of Westernization (Pages 412 – 413)
A. Document Analysis
1. Who wrote the document? (Attribution includes biographical references)
2. What is the author’s point of view?
3. How reliable is the document? Why?
4. What is the intent or purpose behind the document?
5. Who is the intended audience?
6. What is the document’s tone?
B. Conclusions
1. To what degree is modernization really westernization? Are they the same?
2. Why would Russian tsars seek to modernize and westernize?
3. Why would Western thinkers admire Peter and Catherine?
4. Why would Russian peasants oppose Peter and Catherine?
VI.
PHOTO ESSAY: The Two Worlds of Russia (Pages 405, 408, 411, 413, 416, and 417)
Although Russia westernized and modernized, the changes created a two-tiered society
defined by two distinctive cultures. One segment favored by urban and aristocratic
elites copied European culture and traditions and looked to the “West” for guidance.
The other culture was based on the land of Russia and favored Russia’s traditional
heritage of serfs, the land, autocratic rule, and Orthodoxy.
Compare and contrast the two worlds of Russia – the Western cultures and the
traditional Russian heritage – for daily lives, customs, education, work, and religion.
VII.
VISUALIZING THE PAST: Opposed Peasants (Page 417)
Historical paintings are supposed to portray with a degree of accuracy, historical
events. Accuracy is especially difficult if the subject is painted centuries after the
events. And all paintings represent the artist’s perception of the event and include his
or her biases. Nevertheless, historical paintings can teach us about history.
1. Based on the painting describe 17th century peasant life?
2. Why is it unlikely that a 17th century Russian painter would have depicted
peasants?
3. Why might a 20th century painting about 17th century peasants be inaccurate
and biased?
4. If poverty levels are accurately rendered, what conclusions can you draw about
17th and 20th century peasant life?
5. About what items would the artist have had to guess?
VIII. MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
1. In order to expand, Russia had to defeat all these neighboring states EXCEPT:
A. Austria.
B. Sweden.
C. Poland-Lithuania.
D. Ottoman Empire.
E. Khanate of the Golden Horde.
2. Russia did not experience either the Renaissance or Reformation because
A. Russia did not exist at the time of either movement.
B. Russia was engaged in a 100 Years war with the Ottoman Empire.
C. both revolutions were confined to Italy.
D. Mongol rule cut Russia off and isolated her from western contacts.
E. Russia had no intellectual elites able to understand either movement.
3. In order to acquire lands to the south and east (the Ukraine), the Russian tsars
A. married into the ruling dynasties of neighboring states.
B. recruited semi-nomadic peasants and adventurers and landlords to acquire
and to farmlands.
C. made an alliance with Poland.
D. launched an Orthodox crusade against the Mongols and Muslims.
E. became Roman Catholic and sought assistance from the Pope.
4. In Russia, prior to the 17th century, the group that was most receptive to western
or European styles and ideas was
A. landlords.
B. Orthodox clergy.
C. serfs.
D. free peasants.
E. tsars.
5. The only group to support the tsars’ attempts to modernize Russia and increase
the power of the central government was
A. boyars.
B. urban artisans and merchants.
C. peasants.
D. clergy.
E. ethnic minorities.
6. Reforms in Russia during the 17th and 18th centuries
A. were examples of the benefits of world trade.
B. show cooperation by all classes for the benefit of the nation.
C. failed to benefit Russia.
D. led to a revolution against the ruling dynasty.
E. were due to energetic rulers ordering changes against nearly universal social
opposition.
7. Peter the Great’s symbol of his reforms, Westernization, and foreign policy was
A. his visit to the West to learn first hand about institutions and technologies.
B. toleration of religious minorities and laws granting freedom of worship.
C. the shaving of the nobles’ beards.
D. building of St. Petersburg as the new capital and a port on the Baltic.
E. his conversion to Islam.
8. All of Russia’s reforms under Peter the Great were largely attempts to
A. preserve Russian cultural identity from Western influences.
B. protect the serfs from the harsh rule of the boyars.
C. please his wife, who was Italian.
D. undermine the power of the Russian Orthodox clergy.
E. modernize the state and strengthen the army in order to conquer desired
lands.
9. Most Russian reforms under Peter the Great and Catherine the Great
A. were reversed following their deaths.
B. were supported by the Orthodox Church.
C. affected only the educated elites and landowners.
D. benefited the serfs.
E. discouraged trade and industry in favor of agriculture.
10. Modernization and westernization in Russia under Peter the Great and
Catherine the Great did not include
A. military reforms.
B. liberalizing state policies and tolerating democratic ideas.
C. educational reforms.
D. improvements in the conditions of upper-class women.
E. internal economic and industrial changes.
11. Although early modern Russia was paternalistic, evidence that reforms in Russia
included women is proven by all of these changes EXCEPT the:
A. right of women to sue in court and divorce their husbands.
B. rule of four Russian tsarinas (empresses).
C. right of women to appear in public.
D. end to the tradition of husbands whipping their wives.
E. decrees westernizing women’s dress and manners, and permitting education.
12. In order to accomplish her domestic goals, Catherine the Great
A. followed Enlightenment ideas and democratized her government.
B. supported peasant demands for reform and free land.
C. abolished serfdom and slavery.
D. supported the French Revolution when it broke out.
E. allied with the nobles and gave them absolute control over their peasants.
13. The majority of Russians in early modern Russia were
A. educated.
B. merchants and artisans living in Russian cities.
C. non-Russian minorities.
D. rural inhabitants, especially serfs.
E. free peasants.
14. As Russia expanded
A. it acquired a larger Russian population.
B. it became a largely Muslim state.
C. serfdom spread.
D. the free population expanded.
E. nobles lost their influence to merchants and artisans.
15. In comparison to American slaves, Russian serfs
A. had fewer rights.
B. could neither be owned nor sold.
C. were largely skilled laborers working in export industries.
D. grew mostly cotton, sugar, and tobacco.
E. produced only for a domestic, local economy.
16. Economically, early modern Russia was
A. largely agricultural and dependent on western trade.
B. largely industrialized.
C. poor and backward with few items to export and unable to feed itself.
D. uninterested in trade because she was economically self-sufficient.
E. one of the leading partners in international trade.
17. The greatest source of social unrest in early modern Russia was
A. noble opposition to westernization.
B. the clergy and religious opposition to the non-Christian minorities.
C. rapid growth of towns and factories.
D. the lack of real reform especially rights for the serfs.
E. caused by intellectuals and radicals opposed to the tsars’ autocracy.
IX.
ESSAY QUESTIONS
A. Compare and contrast Russian serfdom with Latin American, African, and/or
American slavery.
B. Compare and contrast Russian governmental policies and institutions with (1)
any West European state (France, England, Spain or Netherlands), or (2) one of
the successor states to the Mongols (Ming, Mughals, Safavids, or Ottomans).
C. How did Russia change from the time of Kiev through the rule of Catherine the
Great?
D. Compare and contrast the role and influence of industry, trade, and commerce
in Russia with Western Europe.
E. Compare and contrast the rise of the Russian Empire with any one Western
European maritime empire (Spain, Portugal, England, or France).
F. Compare and contrast reform and change in Russia with changes that arose in
Western Europe from the Renaissance through the Enlightenment.