The Relationship Between Catherine The Great And Nicholas I

Between 1760 and 1855, Russia’s growth as an imperial power resulted in numerous social developments that were impacted by foreign relations and influences. These changes throughout the reigns of rulers such as Catherine the Great and Nicholas I exemplify the relationship between foreign and domestic relations as they affect the policies and ideologies of the lower and upper classes. Policies enforced during this time period such as the Enlightenment and Charter to the Nobility enacted during Catherine’s rule, as well as formation of Systems of Committees under the rule of Nicholas I, ultimately developed Russia’s imperial presence in Europe as well as the social reforms of life within Russia. Throughout the reign of Catherine II, also known

Catherine’s interactions with the evolving Western European powers motivated her to incorporate their ideals into Russian society and legislature as her attempt to establish a more modernized state. Ultimately, this came to be identified as Catherine’s Enlightenment. This movement resulted from Catherine’s foreign experiences, and she attempted to make improvements to fundamental parts of society such as education, finance, and the nobility. Additionally, the Enlightenment attempted to re-evaluate the system of serfdom. Her Nakaz was an instruction that obligated the upper class to help people of the lower class status, which included better treatment of the serfs. This decree can be considered the first effort to equalize the quality of treatment towards different social and economic classes in accordance to Western Europe. Additionally, Catherine enacted the Charter to the Nobility, which was a reform that primarily favored the noble class. As repayment for their support, the nobles were granted benefits such as the exemption from state service, taxes, and army conscription. The charter also allowed nobles to claim absolute right and ownership of

After taking the throne despite revolts by a group known as the Decemberists, his ideals in both foreign and domestic policy could be defined as subtly aggressive. Throughout his rule, Nicholas emphasized that he is the “Gendarme of Europe”, and wished to protect the balance of power. Because of this ideal, Nicholas established a foreign and domestic policy that displayed subtle qualitative properties of a dictatorship. While his aggressive foreign policy led to Russia’s involvement in many wars, Nicholas’ domestic policy began to mirror his foreign policy. This means that he was being more aggressive to achieve the ideal, controlled society that he desired. The reflection of his foreign policy was especially prominent in his establishment of the Systems of Committees as an attempt to attain order. These committees covered a wide span of issues that included the processes for education, politics, and the expansion of Russia into the Trans-Caucus region. Furthermore, through the expansion of Russian territory, Nicholas imposed Russian ideals of what the model “citizen” and “Russian” was meant to be. This resulted in a suppressed voice of public opinion, which continued until Peter Chaadaev’s Comments on Russian History and Culture. This was a published work that praised Western European experience, and criticized the Russian influenced culture.