HIST 2600 Lecture Notes - Lecture 16: Supreme Privy Council, History Of Russia, Westernization
23 Feb 2017
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HISTORY OF RUSSIA – LECTURE 16
EXAM: IDENTIFY FIVE TERMS AND WRITE ABOUT A PARAGRAPH ON THEM
SIGNIFICANT TERMS
IN THE COURSEPACK… ARE FAIR GAME
THE ERA OF PALACE REVOLUTIONS, 1725 – 1762
SUMMARY OF ERA
• 36 year reign of peter the great was followed by 37 year period known in
Russia as Era of Palace Revolution
• There were 5 revolutions
• Of the 6 tsars that ruled this period, 3 were women, 3 were stupid boys
• Country run at this time by favourites: Germans of doubtful honesty and little
intelligence
• Despite the undoing of some peter’s reforms, there is a surprising degree of
continuity between peter’s reforms and this period, and same with policies
both domestic and foreign
• Gentry turning into , peasants turning into slaves
• Trend of continuing of foreign policy issues with Turkey and Sweden by
taking their land
• Westernization of many aspects of Russian life
• Problems of leadership in this period are partly problems of peter’s own
making
• Contributed to problems in the succession crisis in 3 ways
• 1. 1722 there was a new succession law that said the tsar had the right to
name his own successor
• Would not just go to eldest male now
• Peter died without naming an heir
• . Created elite guard regiments and given them power and position in gov’t
• These guards came from gentry, located in capital, armed
• Represented only group capable of concerted action in emergencies
• In a position to make or unmake rulers of Russia
• 3. Made marriage alliances with Germany
• They brought a steady progression of dumb German to serve as advocates,
aspiring rulers of Russia, etc.
RULERS
CATHERINE I
• Two possible successors, Peter II or Catherine
• Grandson Peter II from Aleksei
• years old when peter died… only male heir
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• Most logical successor under old succession law
• Favoured by old boyars who lost their influence and power under Peter I
• Catherine I, second wife of Peter I
• Favoured not by boyars, but by new gentry and Peter’s close associates, i.e.
Menshikov
• Two reasons for wanting Catherine
• 1. No political ambitions of her own, so she would be a pliable figure and they
could run things
• 2. Fear that peter II might decide to settle up some old scores, i.e. who
murdered Aleksei?
• It was decided in favour of Catherine because the elite guards were gentry
and Catherine was the gentry’s favourite
• Also Menshikov promised to raise their pay if they backed her
• Catherine left all power to the advisors, also created Supreme Privy Council
in 1726(?)
• Dominated by new gentry and dealed with matters of exceptional
importance, as in anything
• Demoted the more aristocratic Senate to the level of being a mere college
• Catherine continued her activities, i.e. drinking, and her death came soon
• Succession problem again… Peter II is now years old
PETER II
• How do the gentry control peter?
• One way was to marry him to his aunt Elizabeth, who he was fond of
• Or marry him to Menshikov’s daughter Maria, and Menshikov would be his
father in law
• This was the decision, and Menshikov forged a will in Catherine’s name
• Catherine died in 1727 and power passed to Peter II as tsar
• At first, things went according to plan
• Peter moved in and named Menshikov head of the Russian army
• Aristocrats said that Peter shouldn’t just listen to Menshikov, so peter sent
him to Siberia where he died in 1729
• Also sent his wife to a convent
• Dolgoruky became the power behind the throne now
• When he was 15, he became engaged to a younger Dolguruky, and died on his
wedding day… WITHOUT A SUCCESSOR!
• End of the male Romanov line
• Will was rejected that said Catherine Dolgoruky was named tsar
• Will was rejected Catherine I’s for some reason, Elizabeth would not be
tsarina
ANNE
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find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Exam: identify five terms and write about a paragraph on them. The era of palace revolutions, 1725 1762. Significant terms (cid:883)(cid:887)(cid:882) in the coursepack (cid:886)(cid:882) are fair game. Summary of era: 36 year reign of peter the great was followed by 37 year period known in. 1722 there was a new succession law that said the tsar had the right to making name his own successor: would not just go to eldest male now, peter died without naming an heir, (cid:884). Created elite guard regiments and given them power and position in gov"t: these guards came from gentry, located in capital, armed, represented only group capable of concerted action in emergencies, 3. Made marriage alliances with germany: they brought a steady progression of dumb german to serve as advocates, In a position to make or unmake rulers of russia aspiring rulers of russia, etc. No political ambitions of her own, so she would be a pliable figure and they.
