The issues of absolute monarchy of the kings are often questioned by the historians during the course of history. Here we are going to discuss whether the Russian ruler who is known as a great changer, Peter the Great, was proclaimed as an absolute monarch for true reasons or not. He gained his name and entered the world history as a person, who has pushed Russia through the number of changes that led the country to become one of the most powerful European countries. Peter the Great (1672 – 1725) is a Russian leader of the 17th century, famous for transforming Russia into a leading European power.
Saint Petersburg
His supremacy can be displayed by a power symbol. He was the one to introduce modernization into the medieval country and the founder of the whole big new city. Peter the Great built a new capital Saint Petersburg, a whole magnificent city that cost enormously in human lives and money. The city was named after the monarch. Later in 1712, St. Petersburg became the main city of his Russian empire. To make the issue even more symbolical, Peter the Great ordered to bring back the remains of Alexander Nevski from Vladimir and started a religious community dedicating it to his memory.
Religion Control
Want to control people? Control what they believe in. This was the rule of Peter the Great, and he successfully implemented it. He also controlled religion. He eliminated the highest office of the church and created his own system. During his reign, the toleration of the religious protestors was extended, and the land was taken away from the monasteries. Meanwhile, the beards were favored by the church, Alexander ordered the men to shave.
Army Forces
Navy and army forces were created by Peter the Great. He made cannons from all the metal he had ever found and modernized the training and weapons of the military by inviting experienced officers from abroad.
Nobility and Taxes
Peter the Great required that the nobility of Russia became state servants for life. He also put heavy taxation on anything that seemed to make no or little money. He introduced the tax register by military force which took him 6 years. The governmental system of Russia has also been changed – Peter the Great introduced 50 provinces in the country, found a Senate that was meant to deal with legal, administrative, and financial affairs. Also, he introduced special Government ministries to administer income, commerce, war, and manufacturing. Peter didn’t want to share his power, so despite all of these new parts of government the plans had to be approved by him. Seeing himself as a local God, Peter used this critical thinking topic to change the country and the nation by force. Meanwhile, he considered himself to be the first servant of the nation. Later he was set above everyone else by accepting the title of the emperor. For 32 years of his rule, Peter the Great pushed the country towards modernization. Being the Emperor of All Russia, he basically had all the parts of an absolute monarch.
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