This quote, “It is my great desire to reform my subjects, and yet I am ashamed to confess that I am unable to reform myself,” from Peter the Great, shows the sophistication he possessed, and also reflects the attention that he gave to Russia in order to reform it into a better society. Obviously, since he was called Peter “the Great,” he must have influenced history. This is shown through the fact that he was mainly successful in completely overhauling Russia and its economy, government, and society and left a lasting impression that the world would forever feel. Before discussing the breakthroughs that Peter brought, it is also important to note how he rose to power. He was born in Moscow in 1672, with the name of Pyotr Alekseyevic. He shared
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Caesaropapism is best described as when the ruler is both a ruler through religious authority and secular authority or when the secular government has more power than the Church. Though it occurred in the Byzantine Empire, the latter form of caesaropapism described was more definite by the time Peter the Great took power. Caesaropapism was seen in Russia before Peter the Great through rulers like Ivan IV, also known as Ivan the Terrible. However, caesaropapism was taken to a new level under the rule of Peter the Great, as he made the church a section of his government and eliminated the patriarchate from power. This trend would continue until the end of the Russian empire in 1917. By utilizing caesaropapism, Peter the Great would set the stage for future leaders of Russia for centuries to follow in regards to the relationship between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the …show more content…
During his reign as tsar, he profoundly developed Russia to meet up to the standards of the time through various means, many of which that are not discussed in this paper. He did this primarily through three different fronts: the military, government, and religion. When he passed away in 1725, Russia had the largest army of Europe, with over three hundred thousand troops. Compared to the initial state of the Russian military, which was completely elementary, the new military was one of the reasons why Russia was able to increase in world power quickly in order to compete with other European nations. To complement the rise in military, Peter the Great reformed the government of Russia as well. He changed the very foundations of the government as he transferred power away from boyars and allowed more mobility among the ranks in government. His ideas can be best seen from the creation of the Table of Ranks, which was an outline of how Peter portrayed the hierarchy of government officials. In addition, he utilized caesaropapism to gain even more power, and influenced his successors into following the tradition as well. By having done such numerous actions that affected Russian society, Peter the Great fundamentally changed Russia and future political affairs in Europe. Without him, society as we know it likely wouldn’t have had Marx, Stalin and their contributions to society showing why Peter
Caesaropapism is best described as when the ruler is both a ruler through religious authority and secular authority or when the secular government has more power than the Church. Though it occurred in the Byzantine Empire, the latter form of caesaropapism described was more definite by the time Peter the Great took power. Caesaropapism was seen in Russia before Peter the Great through rulers like Ivan IV, also known as Ivan the Terrible. However, caesaropapism was taken to a new level under the rule of Peter the Great, as he made the church a section of his government and eliminated the patriarchate from power. This trend would continue until the end of the Russian empire in 1917. By utilizing caesaropapism, Peter the Great would set the stage for future leaders of Russia for centuries to follow in regards to the relationship between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the …show more content…
During his reign as tsar, he profoundly developed Russia to meet up to the standards of the time through various means, many of which that are not discussed in this paper. He did this primarily through three different fronts: the military, government, and religion. When he passed away in 1725, Russia had the largest army of Europe, with over three hundred thousand troops. Compared to the initial state of the Russian military, which was completely elementary, the new military was one of the reasons why Russia was able to increase in world power quickly in order to compete with other European nations. To complement the rise in military, Peter the Great reformed the government of Russia as well. He changed the very foundations of the government as he transferred power away from boyars and allowed more mobility among the ranks in government. His ideas can be best seen from the creation of the Table of Ranks, which was an outline of how Peter portrayed the hierarchy of government officials. In addition, he utilized caesaropapism to gain even more power, and influenced his successors into following the tradition as well. By having done such numerous actions that affected Russian society, Peter the Great fundamentally changed Russia and future political affairs in Europe. Without him, society as we know it likely wouldn’t have had Marx, Stalin and their contributions to society showing why Peter