Russia Under the Old RegimeThe theme of this book is the poliltical system of Russia. It traces the growth of the Russian state from its beginnings in the ninth century to the end of the nineteenth, and the parallel development of the principal social orders: peasantry, nobility, middle class and clergy. The question which it poses is why in Russia -- unlike the rest of Europe to which Russia belongs by virtue of her location, race and religion -- society has proven unable to impose on political authority any kind of effective restraints. After suggesting some answers to this problem, I go on to show how in Russia the opposition to absolutism tended to assume the form of a struggle for ideals rather than for class interests, and how the imperial government, challenged in this manner, responded by devising administrative practices that clearly anticipate those of the modern police state. - Foreword. |
Contents
The military reforms of Peter | 1 |
The bureaucracy slips out of the crowns control | 7 |
The Genesis of the Patrimonial State in Russia | 27 |
Copyright | |
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administration Alexander appanage appanage princes authority became began boyars bureaucracy Catherine Catherine II cent central CHAPTER Christianity cities civil clergy Code common constituted country's court crown dvoriane dvorianstvo economic eighteenth century élite Emperor empire estates exile families favour feudal foreign Golden Horde historians household imperial Russia industry inhabitants institutions intellectual intelligentsia Istoriia Ivan Ivan III Ivan Iv Kiev Kievan labour land landlords living major manufacture merchants mestnichestvo middle military monarchy monasteries Mongol Moscow Muscovite Russia Nicholas nineteenth century Novgorod officials Old Believers oprichnina patrimonial Peter police political pomestia population posad principal provinces radical ranks reforms regime reign Rossii rulers rural Russian church Russian peasant secular serfdom serfs service class servitors seventeenth century sixteenth century slaves Slavophiles Slavs social society sovereign St Petersburg territory tiaglo tion trade tsar urban village Vladimir votchiny wealth western Europe zemstva