18th May 2011.
Introduction
In the early 1600s, France had moved in a very different political direction from England. The century was characterized by decades of religious differences and civil wars between England and France. France had adopted an absolutist form of government. This government was centralized and shared only some little power with other national institutions, and limited the forms of religion to only Roman Catholic. England, on the other hand had adopted a constitutional monarch and the government supported all forms of religions. (Kagan, Craig & Graham, et al.23)
Factors
Revenue ConcernsIn search for adequate revenue in England, the monarchs threatened the political interests of the locals and the financial well being of the noblemen and large landowners. They invoked the traditional liberty and resisted the monarchs. (Kagan & Craig, 67)
In France, Louis made the French noble men dependent on his own patronage and goodwill. Louis would in turn support the noblemen’s influence on the locals as well as their social hierarchy positions.
Religious factors
In England, an influential religious movement by the Protestants called the “Puritanism” which opposed the single religious denominations began. However in France, Louis XIV crushed all the protestant communities and singularly supported the Roman Catholic (Kagan & Craig, 71).
Institutional differences
The parliament in France (monarchy) had weak traditions of representation, strong liberty and bargaining with other national institutions. This meant that the parliament had supreme and unquestionable authority over political system. On the other hand, the parliament in England bargained with other political institutions on political issues before making decisions (Kagan & Craig, 73).
Influential personalities
France benefitted from guidance of two statesmen who advised the government on political matters. The government used the two to win the trust of the people. The two able statesmen were: Cardinal Richelieu and Mazarin. England on the other hand did not benefit from its four monarchs. The four found it difficult to make the people believe and trust them. (Kagan, Craig & Graham, et al.25)
Social Concerns
In both the governments, large landowners and noblemen with social elevation in the social ladder wanted to secure local benefits and privileges. In England, large landowners wanted to secure their interests as well as limit the monarchy’s power on life at the local level. In France, the noblemen strongly supported the monarchy in order to protect their own interests (Hughes & Lindsey, 234).
The significant changes that Peter the great made during his rule and how Russia emerged as a great power
Military reforms
Peter the Great introduced autocracy and brought Russia back into the Europe’s political power system. He led his army to various battles beginning with the ottoman Turks, then to the north but still, he lacked a sheltered northern seaport. His ambitions were to have a “window to the sea” in order for him to make a secret alliance with Denmark and the Lithuanian commonwealth against Sweden which resulted in a war.
Later on in 1721 when a Swedish man sued for peace between Sweden and Russia, Peter got hold of four provinces located east of the Finland Gulf and therefore gained access to the sea. He developed Saint Petersburg to be the new city of Russia and this saw a 200 years domination of the region by the Russian empire (Kagan, Craig & Graham, et al, 30).
Government reforms
Peter restructured the government based on the Western models which were modern by then and molded Russia into an absolutist government. He appointed nine senators to replace the old noblemen. Peter then commissioned the senate the responsibility of collecting tax revenue. This led to a tripled tax revenues within his reign in Russia.
He established administrative communities in St. Petersburg, which replaced the government departments.
Peter the great ordered for division of the countryside into provinces and districts.
Domestic reforms
Peter brought the church system under the control of the government administrative structure to eliminate the independence of the church (Hughes & Lindsey, 234).
He did away with the patriarchates to pave way for a collective body. Peter set high standards for his predecessor for all the noblemen.
In summary, peter contributed to the emergence of Russia as a powerful state by making reforms in domestic structure, reforming the military and transforming his government.
Work cited
Hughes & Lindsey. Russia in the Age of Peter the Great: New Haven, London: Yale University Press. 1998 print.
Kagan, Craig & Graham et al. Heritage of World Civilizations, print. London: Prentice Hall. 2009 print.
Kagan & Craig. State Building and Society in Early Modern Europe, London: Prentice Hall. 2010 print.
