Russia in the Early Modern World

The Continuity of Change

Häftad, Engelska, 2023

AvDonald Ostrowski

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A fundamental problem in studying early modern Russian history is determining Russia’s historical development in relationship to the rest of the world. The focus throughout this book is on the continuity of Russian policies during the early modern period (1450–1800) and that those policies coincided with those of other successful contemporary Eurasian polities. The continuities occurred in the midst of constant change, but neither one nor the other, continuities or changes alone, can account for Russia’s success. Instead, Russian rulers from Ivan III to Catherine II with their hub advisors managed to sustain a balance between the two. During the early modern period, these Russian rulers invited into the country foreign experts to facilitate the transfer of technology and know-how, mostly from Europe but also from Asia. In this respect, they were willing to look abroad for solutions to domestic problems. Russia looked westward for military weaponry and techniques at the same time it was expanding eastward into the Eurasian heartland. The ruling elite and by extension the entire ruling class worked in cooperation with the ruler to implement policies. The Church played an active role in supporting the government and in seeking to eliminate opposition to the government.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum2023-08-22
Mått157 x 230 x 29 mm
Vikt776 g
FormatHäftad
SpråkEngelska
Antal sidor574
FörlagBloomsbury Publishing Plc
ISBN9781793634221

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PrefaceIntroduction: The Problem with Russian History Chapter 1.Ecological Zones and Expansion Strategies: The Russians Establish an Empire Chapter 2. A Roadmap to the Landowning Class and Court Politics Chapter 3.Military Techniques, Tactics, and StrategiesChapter 4.Gunpowder, Germans, and Iron: Early Modern Russia’s Pre-Industrialized EconomyChapter 5.Governmental Institutions, Organizations, and the Legal System in the Afro Eurasian context Chapter 6.The Three-Cornered Relationships: Church and State Chapter 7.The Icon and the Chronicle: An Interpretive Commentary on Early Modern Russian Culture Conclusion: Putting Peter in His Place GlossaryBibliographyAbout the Author

This informative book provides a thematic analysis of Russian history during the early modern period. Challenging the familiar notion that the reign of Peter I (“the Great”) marked an epochal turning point in Russian history, Ostrowski insists that “between 1450 and 1800, there are no turning points, just more or less continuous trends” (p. 13). Rather than focus on Russia’s relation to a vaguely conceptualized Europe or West, he emphasizes the importance of “influence flows” (p. 9) across the Eurasian continent as a whole, arguing that the periodization of world history into premodern, early modern, and modern is more appropriate for Russia than the familiar division between pre-Petrine and modern periods. He depicts a “continuity of change” during Russia’s early modern period in thematic chapters on the expansion of the empire, court politics, the military, the economy, government institutions, the relationship between church and state, and culture and education. His provocative claims are accompanied by detailed historiographical discussion, making the book a useful overview of and contribution to key debates that have shaped the field. Highly recommended. Graduate students and faculty.