Peter the Great sought to westernize and modernize Russia in the early 18th century. He built a professional army and navy, established schools to teach military skills, and instituted mandatory service. Peter also implemented political reforms including requiring nobles to serve the state and creating a new bureaucracy. Economic changes began industrialization with state-owned mines and factories employing former serfs. Culturally, Western ideas and fashions were introduced through new academies, books, and the new capital of St. Petersburg.

1. PETER THE GREAT Unit 4, Day 5

2. Peter the Great
1.Czar of Russia
2.Sought to westernize (modernize) Russia, especially
military

3. 3. Military Reforms
A. Built professional army based on infantry
B. Built schools staffed by Western Europeans to
teach artillery, engineering and military medicine

4. C. First navy in Russian history
D. Branded left hand of peasant draftees to
prevent desertion (required to serve for life)

5. 5. Political Changes
A. Required nobles to either serve in military or civil
administration for life

6. B. Created military-civilian bureaucracy with 14 ranks
and forced everyone to start at bottom
- Led to rise of non-nobles to high positions
C. Tax increases– TRIPLE for peasants

7. 6. Economic Changes
A. Beginning of industrialization
- Mines/factories almost always owned by the
state
B. Serfs reassigned from fields to work in mines or
factories
C. People replaced land as unit for determining
taxes

8. 7. Social Changes
A. Westerners began to come to Russia for first
time
B. New class of educated Russians emerged
C. More power concentrated in hands of czar
D. Idea of “common good” began to rise over “what
czar wants”

9. 8. Cultural Changes
A. Western ideas came to Russia
- Academy of Sciences
- Book of manners
- Arabic numerals
- Julian calendar
- Newspapers
- Nobles forced to shave beards and wear
western fashions

10. B. St. Petersburg built as symbol of power and new
capital (further west than Moscow)

11. Enlightened Despots
- A king or queen that rules absolutely but does incorporate one
or several enlightened ideas into his/her government
- Enlightened Rulers began to:
A. Increase religious tolerance
B. Make legal and economic reforms
C. Justify rule by usefulness to people
- Goal was to reform society from the TOP down.

12. 1. Catherine the Great of Russia (ruled
1762-1796)
A. Put power in hands of nobility
B. Expanded Russia’s borders
C. Promoted continued
westernization of Russia

13. 2. Frederick the Great of Prussia
A. Friends with Voltaire (promoted
tolerance)
B. Expanded Prussian borders
C. Reformed judicial and civil systems
D. Did NOT allow free press

14. 3. Joseph II of Austria
A. Hapsburg
B. Tried to unify different nationalities
into one nation
C. Did not believe in organized
religion

15. Classwork:
1.Make sure you have ALL of the notes
from this unit.
2.Complete review assignment