Greatest barrier/force for modernisation under Alexis (pre-1676) Flashcards
Economy
Barrier 1: The biggest flaw of the Russian economy which caused a barrier to modernisation was the fact that there was a severely under-developed, perhaps non-existent, middle class. This was shown by the statistic that 97% of the Russian population were peasants. This meant that there were a lack of traders, merchants, entertainers etc. which would have encouraged the exchange of ideas and technologies with foreign countries which would have resulted in the modernisation of Russia. Clearly, Russia’s economic structure was unsuited to modernisation and so was clearly a large barrier to modernisation by 1676.
Barrier 2: In addition to this, due to the fact that peasant labour was forced, there were no incentives for innovation and progress for the 97% peasant population which caused a significant barrier to modernisation. The 1649 Law Code formalised “serfdom”. Russian serfs were agrarian peasants who were legally bound to the land owned by nobility, deprived of rights and forced to provide free labour. Therefore, with “serfdom” still being prevalent by 1676, the Russian economy was not only a barrier to modernisation because of its prevention of the adoption of modern foreign practices, but also because of the economy’s discouragement of internal innovation and invention which could have modernised Russia without influence from foreign countries.
Not a barrier: Nevertheless, some aspects of the economy encouraged modernisation. The higher classes in the economy were receptive to Western influence, and more importantly, had the authority to implement such modern concepts. The tsar was especially receptive to modern foreign inventions thus signed silk deals with Persia and dispatched embassies to Bukhara and India for trade talks. This meant that there was a very small part of the economy that was able to adopt modern movements which very slowly filtered out to the rest of the Russian population
Church
Barrier 1:
Throughout the 1650s, Alexis and Nikon clashed over a multitude of issues stemming from their desire to attain more (or keep in Alexis’ case) power. The climax of such clashes taking place in mid July 1658 when a boyar struck one Nikon’s officials but Alexis refused to instigate an inquiry. These ecclesiastical power struggles meant that Russia’s leadership were more focussed on retaining power than instigating change and progress resulting in the Church forming a barrier against modernisation
Barrier 2:
Additionally, foreigners claimed that Russians did not send their children abroad to study because they feared that the superior customs and the “blessed freedoms” of foreign lands would lure them into heresy. This fear originates from the Russian Orthodox Church’s disgust of Western cultures (which were essentially modern practices) and was widespread across Russia due to the Church’s nationwide influence. The lack of willingness to accept Western practices – particularly in education – caused by the Church meant that the Church was a clear barrier to modernisation in Russia. This is because in Muscovy there were no universities, academies or even elementary schools, so the Russian population remained mostly illiterate and uneducated which meant that Russia as a whole was not able to capitalise on the Scientific Revolution which modernised the rest of Europe..
Not a barrier: However, whilst the Church was clearly a barrier to modernisation, it could be argued that it actually encouraged progress in Russia. This is because it was often the first area of Russian society to introduce Western technologies despite its fear of Western heretical practices. An example of this is the fact that the Church in Russia acquired the first press used for the printing of texts. Whilst the majority of products from this press were liturgical or devotional works, around 10 or so books that were not wholly religious in content – for example the 1649 Law Code and a manual for training infantry regiments.
Legalisation of serfdom
Barrier 1: Serfdom was ratified in Chapter 11 in the 1649 Law Code preventing the emergence of a middle class
Barrier 2. Serfs suffered grain requisitions for military use which reduced possibility of peasants making profits and modernising
Barrier 3. 90% of Russian population in the 17th century were peasants and thus, the Russian economy was reliant on agriculture
Culture
Barrier 1: Edict of 1645 objected against instruments being used for pagan entertainments
Barrier 2. Book of psalms still bestseller - no journals, plays, poetry in print
Barrier 3. Royal decree 1675: courtiers forbidden to cut hair, wear clothing of foreign design or adopt foreign customs
Not a Barrier 1: Alexis son taught polish and Latin - however, cultural changes limited to upper class
Law code
- Serfdom was ratified in Chapter 11 in the 1649 Law Code preventing the emergence of a middle class
Not a barrier 1: Secularizes much of the urban property of the Orthodox Church (makes Patriarch subordinate to the state - increases autocracy)
Not a barrier 2: Increased justice - Stated that priests below the rank of Patriarch could be tried in a secular court… Also, became first Russian law code to be printed… One of the problems in getting justice before 1649 was that officials frequently could not even locate copies of relevant statues; From now on the printed volume was made available in government offices.
Political
Barrier 1. Alexei consulted ‘Assembly of the Land’ in 1648 to try and combat civil dissaray, however, post-1649, Alexis rarely called upon the ‘Assembly of the Land’ and dealt with political matters on his own
Not a barrier 1. Alexei strayed away from the Code of Precedence, allowing some people (especially military) to achieve positions of power through merit and not purely heretical claims to power
Military
Not a Barrier 1: In 1648 Alexei created new regiments - Reiters, Dragoons and Hussars as well as hiring 12,000 mercenaries from Western Europe
Not a barrier 2. Alexei strayed away from the Code of Precedence, allowing some people (especially military) to achieve positions of power through merit and not purely heretical claims to power
Not a barrier 3. Showed a transition in his military strength towards a more developed and skilful army, employing more progressive Western strategies to secure victories
Fedor
- Military / Political: Fedor abolished the Code of Precedence in 1681-82. Improved Russian military by allowing soldiers to progress through ranks on merit alone
- Culture: Fedor approved a charter of privileges for an academy in Moscow to teach increasingly Western subjects - e.g. grammar, politics, rhetoric, philosophy, and ‘free sciences’
