Russian Empire

A Eurasian empire ruled by the Romanov dynasty from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It expanded across northern Eurasia and ended with the monarchy’s overthrow.

Tsarist autocracy: A system of government in which the tsar wielded supreme political authority. Romanov rulers claimed undivided authority over the empire’s government and armed forces.
Peter the Great: The Russian ruler who reigned from 1682 to 1725 and proclaimed the Russian Empire in 1721. His victories and reforms established the empire’s formal status and reshaped its institutions.
Catherine the Great: Empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796, under whom the empire expanded and consolidated its power. Her reign extended imperial territory and strengthened the state’s influence in Europe.
Russian Revolution: The revolutions of 1917 that ended the monarchy and brought the Bolsheviks to power later that year. The revolution overthrew the Romanov regime and ended the empire.
Austrian Empire: A Central European multinational empire ruled by the Habsburg dynasty from 1804 to 1867. It was another dynastic empire managing diverse peoples, but with a different political structure and European center.
Table of Ranks: A 1722 hierarchy that organized Russian military, civil, and court service into fourteen ranks. Peter I used service rank to structure elite advancement and strengthen the state.
Great Northern War: A war from 1700 to 1721 in which Russia and its allies defeated Sweden’s Baltic empire. Victory secured Russia’s Baltic foothold before Peter declared the empire.
Alexander II of Russia: Russian emperor from 1855 to 1881, known for emancipating the serfs and introducing major reforms. His reforms altered the empire’s social order without ending autocratic rule.
Russian Civil War: A conflict from 1917 to 1922 between the Bolsheviks and their opponents across the former Russian Empire. The struggle determined who would control the territories and institutions left by imperial collapse.
Ottoman Empire: A transcontinental empire ruled by Ottoman dynasties from the late thirteenth century until 1922. Its long rivalry with Russia shaped wars and borders around the Black Sea and Caucasus.

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