Prerequisites for the reforms of Peter 1 and their knowledges

The prerequisites for the reforms of Peter 1 are a complex issue. Scientists distinguish both objective and subjective reasons for the need for change in the state. Below we will try to open this question as fully as possible.

If we try to describe briefly the preconditions of Peter's reforms, we can distinguish two main of them: the personality of the sovereign himself, who managed to take over the leadership of a huge country, and the objective lag of the Russian Empire from European states.

The beginning of government

The beginning of the reign of Peter the Great was at a very difficult time - a period of confrontation between the two groups of courtiers. The first grouping was represented by the boyars of Miloslavsk, and the second by the Naryshkins. The first were relatives of the first wife of Alexei Mikhailovich, and the second - the mother of Peter the Great. After the death of Tsar Aleksei in 1682, Sophia, their elder sister, became regent for the young Peter and Ivan. When Peter reached adulthood, Sophia tried to remove him from power, using archers. But the attempt was unsuccessful. She was imprisoned in the Novodevichy Convent, and all her associates were executed or exiled. It was from this moment on that Russia embarked on the path of real reforms and reforms.

The first models of reforms

Historians agree that the prerequisites for the reforms of Peter the Great were outlined long before his ascension to the throne. His father and grandfather were able to overcome the gravest social and economic crisis in the state, caused by the events of the Time of Troubles.

In addition, there have been trends in Europeanization of Russia. In this situation, radical reforms and reforms were needed. The main directions are the activation of Russia's foreign policy activity, the intensification of trade, the reform of the tax system, the transition to manufacturing with the use of wage labor. In no event should we forget that it was the absolutization of the supreme power that ultimately made possible the transformations that Peter the Great introduced during his reign. It was at that time that the term "autocrat", known to all, appeared, the Zemsky Sobors were abolished, the centralization of power was taking place . Also, the formation of legislation, unified for the entire state, was far from being of last importance. And, of course, the reorganization of the armed forces should be noted among the key prerequisites for the reforming activities of the tsar. He created the regiments of the so-called "new order", changed the order of the set in regiments and their complete sets.

In addition, the stratification of Russian society was actively under the influence of Western values penetrating the state. Influenced on the prerequisites and the course of Peter's reforms 1 and the innovations of Nikon. In the society appeared the national conservative and western currents.

Russia in comparison with Europe before the reforms

Before the reforms, against the backdrop of European states, Russia looked backward. And this backwardness was ultimately dangerous for the freedom of the Russian people. Peter understood this and clearly saw that if this continues, Russia, with all its wealth, will sooner or later become a raw material appendage of some of the strongest European powers. The structure of industry was predominantly feudal, the volume of output was significantly inferior to the same index of Western European countries.

The army consisted of untrained boyar militia, and the clumsy bureaucratic apparatus could not meet the needs of the state. In addition, the fleet of the Russian Empire was not due to the lack of access to the sea. This problem was also to be solved by Peter 1.

The course of development of Russia in the 17th century

Russia's foreign policy in the 17th century is another prerequisite for Peter's reforms. It was necessary to solve three problems: to return the lands lost in the Time of Troubles, to provide access to the Baltic Sea and secure the southern borders. Of course, these problems were resolved later, in the 18th century, but progress was noticeable. Thus, neighboring countries saw that Russia's military force would have to be reckoned with. Russia only through reforms could take a worthy position in the geopolitical arena among the eastern and western states. So, we briefly considered the prerequisites for the reforms of Peter 1. The table will allow us to see the whole picture.