Transformation of the highest political elite in Russia after Peter the Great in the process of “palace coups”
https://doi.org/10.26425/1816-4277-2022-8-188-195
Abstract
The article is devoted to the study of the transformation of the highest political elite of the Russian Empire after the death of Peter the Great. This is one of the most difficult and dramatic periods in Russian history, called the era of “palace coups”. The main properties of the Russian political elite formed by the reforms of Peter the Great are analyzed, its main features are determined that influenced the nature of the intra-elite struggle and led to the transformation of the highest political elite in Russia. The composition and goals of the main court groups that fought for power under Catherine I, Peter II, Anna Ioannovna are considered in detail. The formation of such bodies as the Supreme Privy Council under Catherine I and the Cabinet of Ministers under Anna Ioannovna and their influence on ensuring the interests and transformation of the highest political elite are analyzed. Attempts to limit royal power by members of the Supreme Privy Council were considered and conclusions were drawn about the reasons for their failure.
Keywords
palace coups,
palace revolution,
political elite,
18th century,
post-Petrine Russia,
Supreme Privy Council,
Catherine I,
Peter II,
Anna Ioannovna,
conditions,
Cabinet of Ministers,
elite transformation,
aristocracy
Supporting agencies: The research was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research within the framework of scientific project no. 20-09-42064.
About the Author
D. A. Filimonov
State University of Management
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Cand. Sci. (Sociol.), associate professor of Department of Public Administration and Political Technologies,
Moscow
References
1. Kollmann N. By honor bound. State and society in early modern Russia. Trans. from Eng. by A.B. Kamensky. Moscow: Drevlekhranilishche; 2001. (In Russian).
2. Kurukin I.V. The era of “palace storms” essays on political history after Peter’s Russia 1725–1762. Modern Russian History: research and documents. Vol. 6. Ryazan; 2003. (In Russian).
3. Lishtenan F.D. Russia Enters Europe: Empress Elizaveta Petrovna and the War for the Austrian Succession, 1740–1750. Materials and research on the history of Russian culture. I. 5. Moscow: OGI; 2000. (In Russian).
4. Chernikov S.V. The Russian elite of the reform era of Peter the Great: composition and social structure. In: Pavlov A.P. (ed.) State and society in Russia in the 15th – early 20th centuries: a collection of articles in memory of Nikolai Evgenievich Nosov. St. Petersbourg: Nauka; 2007. P. 366–386. (In Russian).
5. Pavlenko N.I. Ekaterina I. Moscow: RG-Press; 2021. (In Russian).
6. Kamenskiy A.B. From Peter I to Paul I: reforms in Russia in the 18th century (an experience of a holistic analysis). Moscow: RGGU; 2001. (In Russian).
7. Kamenskiy A.B. Russian Empire in the XVIII century: tradition and modernization. Moscow: Novoye literaturnoye obozreniye; 1999. (In Russian). 8. Kostomarov N.I. Russian history in the biographies of its main figures. Moscow: Olma-Press Obrazovaniye; 2004. (In Russian).
8. Polskoy S.V. The court and “court society” in post-Petrine Russia. In: The ruling elites and the nobility of Russia during and after the Petrine reforms (1682–1750). Russia and Europe. Century after century. Moscow: Rossiyskaya politicheskaya entsiklopediya (ROSSPEN); 2013. (In Russian).
Review
For citations:
Filimonov D.A. Transformation of the highest political elite in Russia after Peter the Great in the process of “palace coups”. Vestnik Universiteta. 2022;(8):188-195. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.26425/1816-4277-2022-8-188-195
Views:
423
Email this article 