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Jeremy Hong 12/10/11 Period 3 AP Euro Sygafoos Peter the Greats Russian Revolution To revolutionize the Russian state, Peter the Great brought Western ideas and traditions to Russia, enabling the centralization of power under his absolutist rule. Upon his return from his journey throughout Western Europe, Peter the Great appointed many outside specialists such as Italian artists and Scandinavian militarists to transform Russia and pass down their trades to the Russian people. His revolution transformed the prior social structure, government, and economy to the extent of completely changing Russia from its previously fragmented image into the greatest Baltic power, thereby centralizing the scattered state. Under his absolute rule, Peter condensed the multiple social classes of people into two simple organizations. The greater nobility of the upper class and the minor aristocracy of the middle class were merged into a single noble class, as did the peasants who were scattered across the social complex. Due to the significant transformation, serfdom was inevitably expanding under the aristocracy. Unlike the serf, the peasant had freedom of movement. However, said movement was difficult because the entire population of peasants were a single lower class, and were thus subjected to military conscription and living in poor conditions. However, Peters social policies enabled

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greater power centralization in Russia because the nobles were made equal, and could be unified under Peters absolute Rule. Since this completely changed the previous hierarchy, it thereby revolutionized the lives of nobles and peasants alike, integrating the lives of the two classes, but also reintroduced feudal serfdom. Russian economy was transformed under Peter the Greats new policies; though taxation was still essential, much of Russian capital was fueled by the revenue of agriculture generated by the serf population. Their labor produced income that was necessary to Russia, causing serfdom to become important to the economic balance in Russia. With the increasing economic power of Russia, Peter was able to construct a greater army comparable even to the great European powers, such as France, Britain, and Prussia. In addition, Peter also reformed the Russian Church by taking complete control, enabling him to gain the vast income and revenue of the Church while also appointing his own officials. Using his economic policies, Peter was able to increase Russias wealth, renewing the states economy and allowing it to acquire efficient capital. The formation of an effective yet balanced government was an essential factor in centralizing the state and revolutionizing the scattered and spread state. As an absolutist tsar, Peter the Great ignored and even dismantled the power, authority, and structure of the Duma, instead focusing on expanding the power of the tsar. To enforce a sense of security and order in Russia, Peter created a Western-based bureaucracy that borrowed the many types of structures. His cherished bureaucracy included a system of multiple, complex branches that ensured a balance of power, yet still not as influential as the tsars power itself. With the intention of creating his government, Peter was forced to cooperate

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with aristocrat families; in exchange for the tsars support for them, the families supplied officials to fill the ranks of his bureaucracy. With the impartial and composite bureaucracy installed, the powers of Russia were completely changed as the nobles held less power and the new government would become an influence in the state, thereby centralizing the powers of Russia. Centralizing and unifying Russia was not a simple feat, yet Peter centralized the scattered country with his proposed social, political, and economic reforms. His ambitions for centralization of state would not be possible unless under absolute rule. Peters revolution completely transformed the barren Russia to a new, Western power.