Imperial Russia
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The growth and development of Imperial Russia through the reign of Catherine was a period of tremendous expansion, consolidation and turbulence. Cracraft marks the beginning of the period with the reign of Peter the Great (1689-1725), and the end with Catherine's death in 1796 after thirty-four years in power (Cracraft v; 166). The six weaker rulers who succeeded Peter and preceded Catherine essentially did little more than keep the Empire on a holding pattern after Peter's death and until Catherine became Emperor. Although Cracraft later writes that "Imperial Russian history--the period of the Russian Empire--may be said to have begun formally on October 22, 1721," when Peter was given the title of Emperor (Cracraft 81), it is clear that events of the previous three decades were crucial to the establishment of that empire. As in the creation of most if not all empires, war played a major role in the emergence of the Russian Empire. It was no coincidence that Peter's acceptance of the position of Emperor occurred simultaneously with the victory of Russia over Sweden. The rough course of that war necessitated transformations in Russia which would serve well the expansion and development of the empire: The war had begun badly for Russia; and in order to withstand Swedish invasion and then to secure control of the Baltic coastlands conquered from Sweden, Peter's government had been obliged to reform, sometimes radically, Russia's armed forces, economy, and state administrati
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orm intensified because the inequities of serfdom became more clear and undeniable. The central government made unfair demands on those most stressed by imperial change. Freeze writes that different classes of serfs and peasants developed in the mid-18th century, but even the most economically strong peasant was weak compared to non-peasant classes. Even the "state peasants," who "held a relatively higher status, . . . independence and personal rights," nevertheless found that "their economic condition was far from satisfactory, for their land and other resources were simply not sufficient to enable them to satisfy the various government demands" (Freeze 75).
Peter exercised his will in every aspect of Russian society, imposing his state-centered policy in economic, social, political and even religious realms. He initiated, in the latter case, a "conversion of the church into a bureaucratic office protective of the interests of the autocracy" (Cracraft 97). Just as important as a powerful central state for the establishment of the empire was the geographical expansion of that empire, which was in large measure due to Peter's military might and determination.
The most significant expansion in that regard was the war with Sweden
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Approximate Word count = 2034
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page)
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