RUSSIA UNDER THE ROMANOVS                                  

IVAN THE TERRIBLE (1553-1584) 
         beginnings of tsarist absolutism

TIME OF TROUBLES (1584-1613)  
       aristocratic (boyar) rebellion
            zemsky sobor: national boyar assembly
                            claims right to elect tsar
            period of feudal anarchy, church as one stable institution

RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH: Moscow as "third Rome"   (Constantinople is 2cd)

PATRIARCH OF NIKON (1652-1666): religious crisis
     Greek Orthodox ceremonial changes versus
     strict Russian "Old Believers": collective suicides

MICHAEL ROMANOV (1613-1645)
        elected by zemsky sobor
        son of Patriarch of Moscow, grandnephew of Ivan the Terrible

TSAR ALEXIS (1645-1676)
         hereditary principle still weak 
1649 decree on serfdom
          last legislative act of zemsky sobor
          imposes serfdom on all peasants (90%) of population
1667-71: peasant revolt under STEPHEN RAZIN
         supported by Cossacks, serfs, army deserters, Old Believers
1670 march on Moscow defeated by Tsarist army;
               Razin executed

PETER THE GREAT: born 1672, died 1725; becomes Tsar at 4
            1682-89 Sophia as Regent for Ivan & Peter (joint Tsars)
            1689 Peter survives plot, becomes sole Tsar
Projects and reforms:
Opening to the West
     Seaports at Archangel on Arctic Ocean, Azov on Black Sea    
     1697-98 Trip to western Europe: military and industry
     1698: return to Russia to suppress revolt of Streltsky Guard
                   modernizing regulations: calendar reform, no beards
     1699-1721 Swedish War: takes site of St. Petersburg
     1703: starts construction of St. Petersburg
Expansion of government
     1705 conscription; builds up military
     1718 office of “tax inventor”; creates poll tax:
             head tax on peasantry, collected by landlords
     1722 Table of Ranks: civil, military, court service
     1732 canal system linking St. Petersburg to Volga
Mercantilist policies: govt. sponsored industrial enterprises
            1719 College of Manufactures to train workers
            1721 grants noble status to industrial entrepreneurs
Problem of succession:
       1716 executes his own son Alexis for opposing Peter's reforms
       1722 decrees that tsar should select own successor; died 1725
       1725-62: period of weak rulers

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PETER III (1762)
              grandson of Peter the Great, marries German princess
CATHERINE THE GREAT (1762-1796)
       Russia's 18th century enlightened despot