1. The Age of Absolutism Lanna Hong Period 1

2. QUESTION: Analyze the major ways through which Czar Peter the Great (1689-1725) sought to reform his society and its institutions in order to strengthen Russia and its position in Europe. (1989)

3. INTRODUCTION: The age of absolutism (17 th century-18 th century) had been a period of time in which monarchs sought to gain power to enforce order and believed that by divine right, they were entitled to have it.

4. THESIS: Czar Peter the Great’s ambition was to c Russia’s society and institutions to meet the standards of modern Western Europe socially, religiously, politically, and economically.

5. TS : The boyars’ control of most of the government and the Moscow streltsy’s rebellions would prevent Czar Peter I from obtaining full control of Russia. E1 : The table of ranks was a reform that Peter I would apply and it would determine a boyar’s position by their willingness to serve the state. C1 : He would change the appearance of boyars by cutting off their beards and long sleeves because in Russia, long beards symbolized your rank.

6. E2 : The streltsy being greedy, anticipated rewards for their support in bringing Peter to power and rebelled. C2 : Peter I sought to stop the rebellion by arranging the executions of the streltsy and by doing so, he obtained power. CS : As the boyars and streltsy’s power declined, Peter I had been gaining more control over Russia.

7. TP : Peter I sought change towards religious characteristics in an attempt to put himself as head of the church. E1 : Czar Peter I targeted the Old Believers, a group who had opposed modernization, and stopped their influence from spreading in Russia. C1 : To stop their influence from spreading, he would remove the patriarch from his position and replace him with a secular synod.

8. E2 : Peter I believed in royal absolutism and removed the patriarch from his position, placing himself as head of the church. C2 : He established the Holy Synod which consisted of bishops led by the procurator general and had them govern under secular requirements. CS : Peter the Great transformed the traditions of the church and Russia would

9. TP : Peter the Great would reform his government to become modern and similar to Western Europe’s governments. E1 : He created colleges which were bureaus and they would manage matters that related to taxes, war, the economy, and foreign relations. C1 :

10. E2 : C2: CS :

11. TP : As Western Europe’s economy was more modernized, Peter the Great created economic reforms to make Russia modern as well. E1 : C1 :

12. E2 : C2 : CS :

13. Concluding Sentence: Peter the Great would revolutionize Russia’s society by influencing western culture and creating a foundation that it’d grow on to become a powerful country.