Reforms of Peter 1, an overview: goals, content, result. The price of Peter's reforms.
During the reign of Peter 1, reforms were carried out in all areas of the country's state life. The transformations covered almost all aspects of life: economy, domestic and foreign policy, science, everyday life, government.
Basically, the reforms were aimed not at the interests of individual estates, but the country as a whole: its prosperity, well-being and involvement with Western European civilization. The goal of the reforms was for Russia to acquire the role of one of the leading world powers, capable of competing with Western countries militarily and economically. Deliberately used violence has become the main instrument of reform. In general, the process of reforming the state was associated with an external factor - the need for Russia to access the seas, as well as with an internal one - the process of modernizing the country.
Military reform of Peter I
Since 1699
• The essence of the transformations: The introduction of conscription, the creation of the navy, the establishment of the Military Collegium, which managed all military affairs. Introduction with the help of the "Table of Ranks" military ranks, uniform for the whole of Russia. Severe discipline was established in the troops and in the navy, and corporal punishment was widely used to maintain it. Introduction of military regulations. Military-industrial enterprises were created, as well as military educational institutions.
• Result of the reform: through the reforms, the emperor was able to create a strong regular army, numbering up to 212 thousand people by 1725 and a strong navy. In the army, subunits were created: regiments, brigades and divisions, in the navy - squadrons. A large number of military victories were won. These reforms (although ambiguously assessed by various historians) created a springboard for the further successes of Russian weapons.
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Public administration reforms of Peter I
(1699-1721 years)
• The essence of the transformations: Creation of the Near Chancellery (or Consilium of Ministers) in 1699. It was transformed in 1711 into the Governing Senate. Creation of 12 colleges, with a specific area of activity and authority.
• Result of the reform: The state administration system has become more perfect. The activities of most state bodies became regulated, the collegiums had a clearly defined area of activity. Supervisory bodies were created.
Provincial (regional) reform of Peter I
(1708-1715 and 1719-1720)
• The essence of the transformations: Peter 1, at the initial stage of the reform, divided Russia into eight provinces: Moscow, Kiev, Kazan, Ingermandland (later St. Petersburg), Arkhangelsk, Smolensk, Azov, Siberian. They were under the control of governors in charge of the troops stationed in the province. And also the governors possessed full administrative and judicial power. At the second stage of the reform, the provinces were divided into 50 provinces, which were ruled by voivods, and those, in turn, were divided into districts, under the leadership of zemstvo commissars. The governors lost their administrative power and dealt with judicial and military issues.
• Result of the reform: There was a centralization of power. Local governments have almost completely lost their influence.
Judicial reform of Peter I
(1697, 1719, 1722 years)
• The essence of the transformations: The formation of new judicial bodies by Peter 1: the Senate, the Justitz Collegium, the Hofgerichts, the lower courts. Judicial functions were also performed by all colleagues except Foreign. The judges were separated from the administration. The court of kissing people (a kind of jury) was canceled, the principle of the inviolability of the unconvicted person was lost.
• The result of the reform: many judicial bodies and persons who carried out judicial activities (the sovereign himself, governors, voivods, etc.) added confusion and confusion to the proceedings, the introduced possibility of "knocking out" testimony under torture created fertile ground for abuse and bias. At the same time, they established the adversarial nature of the process and the need for the sentence to be based on specific articles of the law, in accordance with the case under consideration.
Church reform of Peter I
(1700-1701; 1721 years)
• The essence of the transformations: After the death of Patriarch Adrian in 1700, the institution of the patriarchate was essentially liquidated. 1701 - the administration of the church and monastery lands was reformed. The Emperor restored the Monastic Order, which controlled church revenues and the trial of monastic peasants. 1721 - Spiritual regulations are adopted, which actually deprived the church of independence. To replace the patriarchate, the Holy Synod was created, whose members were subordinate to Peter 1, to whom they were appointed. Church property was often taken away and spent on the needs of the sovereign.
• Result of the reform: Church reform led to the almost complete subordination of the clergy to secular authority. In addition to the elimination of the patriarchate, many of the bishops and ordinary clergymen were persecuted. The church was no longer able to pursue an independent spiritual policy and partly lost its authority in society.
Financial reform of Peter I
• The essence of the transformations: A lot of new (including indirect) taxes were introduced, monopolization of the sale of tar, alcohol, salt and other goods. Deterioration (minting of a coin of less weight and a decrease in its silver content) of a coin. The penny became the main coin. The introduction of the poll tax, which replaced the household taxation.
• Result of the reform: Increase in state treasury revenues several times. But first: it was achieved due to the impoverishment of the bulk of the population. Second, most of these incomes were stolen.
The results of the reforms of Peter I
The reforms of Peter 1 marked the formation of an absolute monarchy.
The transformations have significantly increased the efficiency of state administration and served as the main lever for the modernization of the country. Russia has become a Europeanized country and a member of the European Community of Nations. Industry and trade developed rapidly, and great advances began to appear in technical training and science. An authoritarian rule was being established, the role of the sovereign and his influence on all spheres of society and state life increased enormously.
The cost of the reforms of Peter I
• Many times higher taxes led to the impoverishment and enslavement of the bulk of the population.
• A cult of institution has developed in Russia, and the race for ranks and positions has turned into a national disaster.
• The main psychological support of the Russian state - the Orthodox Church at the end of the 17th century was shaken in its foundations and gradually lost its significance.
• Instead of a civil society emerging in Europe with a market economy, by the end of the reign of Peter I, Russia represented a military-police state with a state-owned monopolized serf economy.
• Weakening of the contact of the government with the people. It soon became clear that the majority did not sympathize with the Europeanization program. In carrying out its reforms, the government was forced to act cruelly.
The cost of the transformations turned out to be prohibitively high: in carrying out them, the monarch did not take into account either the sacrifices made on the altar of the fatherland, or national traditions, or the memory of ancestors.