Peter the Modern<\/p>\n
Peter the Great could be characterized as a \u201creforming tsar\u201d as opposed to his predecessors who strived to be \u201cgood tsars.\u201d\u00a0 The reign of Peter even though in some ways categorized as ruthless, introduced Russia to the modern era.\u00a0 This meant Russia entering the global field amongst Western countries and further developing in social, economic, and political ways that were secular.<\/p>\n
The original founding of the name \u201cTsar\u201d was meant to be a ruler dedicated to his country, but first and foremost to God.\u00a0 Peter tried to reform this way of thinking by separating the state from the church.\u00a0 One way he did this was by abolishing the need to kneel in from of his presence.\u00a0 Another way was by removing any religiously associated diction from his title as Tsar, resulting in usage of words such as \u201cemperor\u201d and \u201cautocrat.\u201d Even though Peter was an Orthodox Tsar just like previous tsars, his focus was on his people and not on the word of God.<\/p>\n
This resulted in the concept of the \u201cgood of the common wealth.\u201d\u00a0 The idea was that the absolute monarch or ruler was a servant to his people.\u00a0 This also was meant to justify the tsar\u2019s unlimited amount of power.\u00a0 Hence every action taken by Peter was meant to advance the state.\u00a0 He was able to excuse his strict ruling hand by saying that such a backward nation as Russia needed a heavy ruling hand to achieve modern Western standards.<\/p>\n
Overall, Peter maintained absolute rule is Russia with a plan of action to reform most of Russian stardom.\u00a0 By distancing himself from the Church as well as being a man of the people and redesigning social hierarchy in Russia, Peter mimicked what Western monarchs were doing.\u00a0 This resulted in Russia not being seen as backwards, but instead as modern.<\/p>\n
Questions:<\/p>\n
Do you agree that prior to Peter\u2019s rule Russia was a \u201cbackward\u201d state?\u00a0 In what ways have we discussed Kiev and\/or Muscovite eras as progressive rather than backwards?<\/p>\n
How much of Peter\u2019s reforms were carried out since he made the mistake of not appointing a new Tsar to the throne before his death?<\/p>\n
Works Cited<\/p>\n
Whittaker, Cynthia H. \u201cThe Reforming Tsar: The Redefinition of Autocratic Duty in Eighteenth-Century Russia.\u201d Slavic Review<\/em> 1992:77. JSTOR Journals<\/em>. Web.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Peter the Modern Peter the Great could be characterized as a \u201creforming tsar\u201d as opposed to his predecessors who strived to be \u201cgood tsars.\u201d\u00a0 The reign of Peter even though in some ways categorized as ruthless, introduced Russia to the … Continue reading