Hobbes on Russia

Thomas Hobbes would look at Russia and a smile would appear on his face. Hobbes would think Russia being ruled by the czar was a phenomenal idea. Hobbes also believed that people are inherently selfish and should be ruled by a monarch. Since Russia is ruled by a monarchy, Thomas would believe this is an idea society.

Impact of the Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment

The Enlightenment and Scientific Revolution brought on a prosperous time in Russian History. Catherine the Great who was renowned by western philosophers came to the throne in 1762. She was a well educated and good looking women who believed in the absolute monarchy as the best form of government. She ruled Russia with an enlightened manner and sought out to improve laws and legislation. After a major revolt by Serfs in 1773, Catherine put total control in the nobility to control the peasants. The enlightened thinking of Catherine also resulted in a campaign of expansion and imperialism. Russia took a large slice of Poland in three different partitions of the withering country. During the time of Catherine the great, Russia was westernized intellectually which fit the already westernized armies that Peter the great had established prior to the reign of Catherine.

Political Changes

The first ruler or Prince of Moscow was Alexander Nevsky. The Prince of Moscow was the absolute ruler of Russia and was called an autocrat. In 1840 when Ivan III was ruler, he felt that he was the supreme ruler, instead of the previously acknowledged Khan. Ivan's son Ivan IV "Ivan the Terrible" was the first ruler to give himself the title of tsar which is Slavic for Caesar. Ivan fought many wars and gained a lot of territory. After his death, there was confusion and struggle for power. Ivan's grandnephew, Michael Romanov was the new tsar. After a few more tsar's Peter the Great took over and made important reforms involving militarism and westernization.

Culture and Society

As time went on in Russia peasants began to lose their freedom and nobles began to lose power and influence over society. A class called the service nobility was formed, these were people who held the tsar's land on the condition that they would serve in the tsar's army. Eventually all of the nobility became "service nobility". Peasants fled torward conquered territories in the east and south and formed outlaw armies known as cossacks. Once Ivan the Terrible died, peasants and cossacks called for a tsar who would restore their freedom and lighten taxes. Nobles crushed this rebellion. Peasants continued to call for freedom.

Perspective of a Clergy member

Russia has been in complete dissaray as of late. I am a member of the Greek Orthodox church and a follow of the patriarch Nikon. Nikon is really helping Russia by trying to rid it of the corruption of religion that it now has. The Greek Orthodox church though is not getting the following that I would like. Many people are resisting the change expessialy the intensely religous. They see Nikon as the Antichrist but they are wrong, Nikon is saving this country.

Politics in Units1 and 2

A major political change ocurring in Russia was the change to absolute rule. Ivan IV, also known as Ivan the Terrible was named the first Tsar of Russia. Ivan gained a lot of land and new territorries for Russia through many wars. Ivan also set up a new code of laws called Sudebnik of 1550. While in control Ivan made all the people of Russia serve him in one way or another, even nobles. Ivan took total control of every aspect of Russia and made it into one of the largest nations.

Peter the Great

As the absolute monarch of Russia, I have much work to do since Ivan the Terrible ran the country into the ground. I first need to establish a great military unlike the one that waged war against Poland and Sweden. I will use this money to fulfill the duty of the Tsar by expanding the lands of Russia. Since, I do not have the money for a huge army I have been forced to use the small army on horse of past.

Ivan the Terrible

My reign as Tsar will be remembered forever Along with my wife Anastasia of the powerful Romanov family I will take ofer the Mongol powers and extend my power across Eastern Europe. All citizens of Russia will serve me or will perish without land. This service nobility will help make Russia even more powerful and I will crush Poland and Lithuania for the death of my beautiful Anastasia. I have already eliminated the Muscovite boyars completely and my Secret police will crush any that I have not found.

Ivan the Third.

I just defeated the republic of Novgorod and now I am the lone prince in Russia. I am the first Tsar, I am an absolute ruler and have no need to acknowledge the Mongol Kahn. I myself am the Kahn.

Ivan the First.

Life in Moscow has been extremely prosperous as of late. I am now the General tax collector of all Slavic lands for the Mongols. They have named me the "great prince", not that I needed the title. My power has become extremely influentual since I began loaning money to the less fortunate princes. Oh, I also was the commander of a large Mongol army when I shut down an attempted revolt by the prince of Tver.

Ruler of Russia/Poland

Russia at the start of Unit 3 was ruled by Ivan the first. Ivan was known is "Ivan moneybags because he got extremely rich and built a fortune as the prince of Moscow. Ivan was under Mongol rule but they made him an official tax collector and he gained a large fortune. The first true "tsar" of Russia was Ivan the fourth or the more commonly known "Ivan the Terrible. Ivan waged war on a withering Mongol power and added large amounts of land to the Russian empire. Then Ivan waged a slow and exhausting war in which he took over the Poland and Lithuanian state.

Work cited

Travelogue of Russia

"Moscow." www.wikipedia.org. 18 Nov. 2007 .

"Saint Petersburg." www.wikipedia.org. 16 Nov. 2007 Saint_petersburg>.

Travelogue of Russia

Out first stop in our tour of Russia will be Saint Petersburg. Peter the Great founded Saint Petersburg; he named the city after Saint Peter, which was one of Jesus’ 12 disciples. Saint Petersburg is the 2nd largest city in Russia and was the capital for more than 200 years but lost its title as capital city during Russian Revolution. Saint Petersburg is on the Baltic Sea, which makes it a seaport and a Naval base.
Saint Petersburg was the first Russian city to become modernized. This modernization of a Russian city was not taken well by old fashion Russian nobility. There were many attempts on his life also acts of treason involving his own son. There are two palaces in Saint Petersburg The Monplaisir and the Great Peterhof (Peter’s Palace). These were modeled after great western palaces like Versailles.
Now for our last stop on this great tour throughout Russia is Moscow. Moscow is the capital and largest city in Russia. Also this is the center of main parts of Russian society like economic, financial, educational, and transportation. The city holds approximately 7 percent of Russia’s population. It was named the most expensive city in a row and is home to large amount of Russia’s billionaires. There are beautiful architecture structures like Ostankino Tower, Saint Basil Cathedral and the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. Many of the great architecture feats were destroyed during Stalin’s ruling.