Absolutism In The 19th Century

Absolutism’s primary opponents were often noblemen. It is due to this that Louis XIV forced the French nobles to “Perform”, or reside at his court in Versailles for a portion of the year. This decreased the noblemen’s political power in provinces, but exalted his social status by directly associating these nobles with the king at Versailles. The magnificence of the court at Versailles was deliberate in an attempt to discourage the nobles from disobedience whilst the strict rules of court etiquette left them fearful of offending the king. The nobility still retained privileges and rights to govern local peasants. In short, absolutism made the nobility dependent on the crown but did not seek to challenge their superior role in society. As

a result, the relationship between Louis XIV and the nobility was more of a tenuous settlement than victory of the king.

Peter the Great established fundamental social and cultural reforms on Russia, which facilitated the westernization of Russia.

He challenged the traditional idea of Russian nobility by demanded men cut off their long flowing sleeves and beards, publishing a book of manners which expressly prohibited eating with one’s fingers (and spitting on the floor), required polite conversation between sexes, and requiring the noblemen (and noblewomen) to wear Western clothing during public events: weddings and banquets. Additionally, Russian nobles’ children were sent to Europe for education and European ‘experts’ were moved into Russia to house new schools and academies, design buildings, and serve in Peter’s army, administration, and navy. However despite the previous examples of Peter’s transformation of Russian society, his primary goal was to establish Russia as a great military power of Europe, not modernize Russian society. An example of this is his taxation system which established taxes per individual, not household, and as a result obliterated the divisions of the Russian peasanty, however the new taxation system’s primary purpose was to increase money for the war effort. Peter’s Table of Ranks reversed the traditional hierarchy of Russia by exalting the military class, then administrative, and finally

landholders. This reorganization incentivized military and administrative service from the nobility. Peter’s degree of absolutism was unmatched elsewhere in Europe; in 1650 all peasants were property of landholders, in 1750 half were serfs, and the other half lived on lands owned by Peter, and as such they were called on to serve in his army, factories, or on his building projects. Additionally, serfs and their lords could be taxed and all Russians were obligated to serve Peter. Furthermore, Peter replaced Russia’s national assembly, the Duma, with nine senators whom he picked to supervise military and civilian affairs and directly assumed control of the Russian Orthodox Church. To mediate the strain of war, Peter created a larger and more efficient administration run by nobles and non-nobles alike, with the distinction of birth practically irrelevant in this administration. This facilitated a degree of social mobility that was nearly impossible in other European countries. Therefore, in Russia noble status had become dependent on service to the government, and Peter’s administration would become the basis for Russia’s rulers for over two hundred years.