https://padlet.com/rybo1829/btx8zbj7bwi8fezy The legitimacy of the Russian Empire and how it held onto its power and lost its power. Almost completely lost. Starting with the map of Poland we see Poland as one of the outer limits of what Russia could control within its Empire. Thwarted by Polish Nationalism during the Napoleonic invasions, we see a rather strong hold on Poland during the 1700s. Catherine the Great had formed a reliable avenue of diplomatic relations with Polish elites, allowing a more diverse set of religious ideals. Catherine II took the idea of a Russian Empire and solidified it in the regions that were most resistant to a singular Russian identity. The Caucasus and Poland were just two examples of Catherine II grabbing onto power and territory beyond the current Russian borders. We see this idea of Empire challenged in all-out war in the Crimean War. Russia had not gained enough political backing to enforce its will and its religion onto the new territory by the black sea. A combined French and English force, as well as Ottoman support, created a brutal struggle for Russian troops. This top of the coalition formed against them, the Russian Empire showed to have poor logistics. Over half a million casualties would be inflicted on Russia, many due to poor supply. These failures of the Russian leadership, as well as the infrastructure itself, were a huge wake-up call for the Empire. In order to impose its will onto the many groups of people it wished to rule, it needed a powerful defense force with modern weapons and up-to-date logistical practices. Reforms in the army and navy were taken into consideration at all angles to ensure a Russian defeat of this magnitude would never happen again. Never say never… Coronations are supposed to be a sign of strength and wealth for the Empire. Many ethnic groups are led by one man, with absolute power. This power was shown off during the crowning of the Emperors. These ceremonies attracted the masses from across the Empire to see the crowning of the new Emperor. Contrary to Alexander II’s coronation, Nicholas II ended in disaster. Over a thousand casualties were at hand right outside the Church where he was just crowned. The stark contrast of the aristocracy and the thousands that laid trampled to death was the beginning of the End of the Russian Empire experiment. Hard times would soon fall on Russia, where it struggled to hold its outer territories, each ethnic group gaining irredentism day by day. World War I helped to hold the country for a short while before war exhaustion set in. Once revolutionary parties took control of the government, the end of the Russian Empire was all finished. Stretching its arms too wide and out of range with its fists, Russia pulled out of World War I to begin its own civil war. The narrative of the Empire was no longer welcome in, not Russia, but the new Soviet Union. en-us 2021-12-11 18:33:21 UTC 2024-11-01 15:51:26 UTC hello@padlet.com rybo1829 https://padlet.com/rybo1829/btx8zbj7bwi8fezy/wish/1942003003 Empire is a tricky word. Catherine II makes it a little more obvious. The Russian Empire was growing and was not slowing down. With the recent addition to Poland, Lithuania, Crimea, and some other states by the Caucuses, the Empire was growing at a rapid rate. With this comes clashes with culture. One of the main clashes Catherine faced was with religion. A touchy subject today, and an even touchier one back then. The first image shows a map by John Cary in 1799, depicting Poland in its state of Russian rule. Poland would soon develop nationalistic tendencies, but under the rule of Catherine I, there was a system in place that allowed somewhat limited self-governance with the aristocracy choosing certain leaders, but the autonomy being controlled by the Russian Empire. Catherine the Great used this method of appeasement to a greater extent when allowing Islam to be an official religion in Russia. Why, when Orthodoxy was so strong? Control. Catherine used this idea to allow different cultures into Russia to keep the population happy while still maintaining direct control over her subjects. This is a genius way of expanding the territory of your nation while maintaining order in a new land that might not agree with the takeover itself. This cultural appeasement is an important factor when looking at what it means to have an empire and what it means to manage an empire. Poland is a great example of Catherine tolerating Catholicism to an extent as to keep the population firmly under Russian control. ]]> 2021-12-11 19:05:08 UTC https://padlet.com/rybo1829/btx8zbj7bwi8fezy/wish/1942003003 rybo1829 https://padlet.com/rybo1829/btx8zbj7bwi8fezy/wish/1942003021 Catherine the Great. Women rulers at the time were not unheard of but they were most certainly rare. Her coup of her husband was a bit of a gamble, but anybody in the empire business knows how to bet. Catherine herself was important to the expansion and management of the Russian Empire. She herself oversaw the takeover of Poland and Islam coming into the fold of the Russian Empire. This image is just a portrait but can show us a few key things about the ruler. Few religious symbols. There is a cross on her crown, but for the time, there are not many religious symbols for this portrait. Though she would call herself Orthodox, not everyone in her Empire, mainly Catholic Poles and Muslims would not be thrilled to have their religion shoved to the side or at least not rubbed in their face that they are not the same religion as their ruler. ]]> 2021-12-11 19:05:10 UTC https://padlet.com/rybo1829/btx8zbj7bwi8fezy/wish/1942003021 rybo1829 https://padlet.com/rybo1829/btx8zbj7bwi8fezy/wish/1942005166 The beginning of the Battle for Sevastopol. This Battle marked the European Coalition of France and Britain, using their combined strength, to lay siege to the city of Sevastopol. The British and French navies were far superior, using steam engines, in terms of maneuverability. The Russians had decided to scuttle part of their navy and block the entrance by sea to delay the invasion. The Russians had decided that the best use of their navy was to sink it. This Battle was the beginning of Russia losing Crimea. This area being fought over that Russia decided to value highly, was not under full control of the Russian Empire. This idea of Empire was important to the Russian identity and their power status in Europe. This war meant more to Russia than just keeping territory. It was to show the dominance of the Russian Empire and the important role that they can and will play in the future of Europe. This idea of Empire is a particularly tricky one to negotiate. The Russians needed a balance of acceptance of different cultures while still maintaining a sense of national identity. ]]> 2021-12-11 19:08:25 UTC https://padlet.com/rybo1829/btx8zbj7bwi8fezy/wish/1942005166 rybo1829 https://padlet.com/rybo1829/btx8zbj7bwi8fezy/wish/1942006108 This image is from Sevastopol, in modern day Ukraine. This shows the absolute devastation that occurred in this city. The complete annihilation of what used to be. The Russians stood little to no chance. In conjunction with the previous photo, showing the beginning of the battle, this is the end. A disaster. Russia held more than 400,000 casualties during this war, with disease playing a large part in that. The entire identity of the Russian Empire was military strength and the defenders of Orthodox. This battle single handedly woke up the entire nation of a crumbling grip on their territories. Russia was not only military and technologically behind Britain and France, but logistically as well. One major failure of the Russian war effort was the supply chain issues throughout Crimea. Lack of food, disease, and overall lack of supplies ran rampant throughout the Russian Army at the time, contributing to the massive casualties suffered at Sevastopol. This Empire that Russia had been building was hurting. Empire was their identity but they failed to enforce that identity during this war. They can’t control their vast Empire that they took so long to build. This Empire needed change. Militarily. Technologically. Logistically. The Bear began to wake.]]> 2021-12-11 19:09:54 UTC https://padlet.com/rybo1829/btx8zbj7bwi8fezy/wish/1942006108 rybo1829 https://padlet.com/rybo1829/btx8zbj7bwi8fezy/wish/1942007888 This visually striking image shows us the celebration of the coronation of Alexander II. The fireworks, the explosions, the cheer, all of these happy tones subjects ais inspiring to see and watch as well as study. I believe that it shows the power of the Russian Autocrat using their powers at full force. Alexander II freed the serfs, making him an instant harbinger of change. This picture shows us the excitement and joy the Russian people felt about Alexander II. The coronation of the Russian Emperor can be seen in a light of hope and happiness if you are seen good in the eyes of history. Alexander II was swayed by public opinion and advisors to be more favorable toward the peasant class. The emancipation of the peasant class from serfdom had large implications throughout the empire. The freedom of serfs created a new power dynamic where the peasant class held more personal responsibility for themselves. The soldier class was being developed with the universal conscription law coming into place as well. These progressive reforms were the eventual demise of Alexander II, being assassinated in 1881, leading his son, Alexander III, to be much more conservative. The Empire began to change, rapidly. Tsars were not seen in the same light as they once were and the idea of “Empire” was beginning to be questioned at all levels. These decisions made by Alexander II started with this coronation. Some coronations wouldn’t go as smooth and would be more like the end of his reign…]]> 2021-12-11 19:12:44 UTC https://padlet.com/rybo1829/btx8zbj7bwi8fezy/wish/1942007888 rybo1829 https://padlet.com/rybo1829/btx8zbj7bwi8fezy/wish/1942009835 The Beginning of a New Era. That’s what the people would think on this day. The coronation of the Emperor was a huge event by any means. A coronation shows us the lavish wealth and the power that comes with that wealth. The Russian aristocracy was taking part in the ceremony as well as the celebrations. Outside this Church, however, there are around 1,000 people being trampled to death. The aristocracy remained protected from this tragedy of course. This picture shows the stark difference in reality in which two distant social classes share the same space. This was the beginning of the end. Though a light example, these differences in class would soon be challenged. 
Empire used to be a strong idea that swelled some sense of nationalistic pride in Russia. The peasants and the aristocrats had a common idea of Country, however, this pride was soon shattered by an exhausted population due to mismanaged pride of the Emperor, or that’s who they blamed anyways. It is to be said that the October Revolution was not one-sided, many Russian people and especially aristocrats favored the Tsar, the status quo, however, the changes that were demanded by the peasant class and the working class and the soldier class were powerful enough to spark a revolution. This new idea of socialism had swayed the minds of enough people to counter the monarchist power established through the land for hundreds of years. 
The Empire itself would be challenged. Exhausted by war, famine, and political differences, the Russian people abandoned the worship of the once god-like Tsar, to find their hope for a better life with a revolution. The Coronation of Nicholas II was the beginning of the end of the idea of “Empire.”

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