Catherine the Great ruled the Russian Empire for 34 years. During her reign, the territory and population of the country increased significantly. Serious successes have been achieved in foreign policy. Russia gained more weight and influence in international affairs, including in relation to European states. But the most striking feature of this era was the expansion of the rights of the nobility to unimaginable limits. In history, it is difficult to find a similar example of an elite with such unlimited privileges. The reign of Catherine 2 is called the golden age of the nobility.
Accession to the throne
The path to the Russian crown was very thorny for the future empress. Catherine came to power as a result of a palace coup in difficult and complicated circumstances. Her husband Peter the Third was little capable of governing the state and served as an obstacle to the throne. After his mysterious death, Catherine concentrated power in her hands. But, from the point of view of subjects, she was a foreign princess involved in the murder of her husband. The position of the empress seemed precarious and unreliable. The main support and protection for her was the court guard that organized the coup. The need for support from the army elite determined Catherine’s policy towards the entire nobility.
Enlightened Monarchy
The empress read Voltaire's works and was familiar with European liberal ideas. She believed that reasonable laws, effective law enforcement and concern for the education of citizens could lead the state to prosperity and well-being. The idea of an enlightened monarchy presupposed the preservation of the estate system, the main force of which are the nobles. In addition, the absolute power of the autocrat was not called into question.
Carried away by the principles of the French Enlightenment, Catherine realized how far the reality of the Russian Empire was from them. With all the desire to smooth over social contradictions in society, she was forced to act in favor of the estate, on which her power depended. That is why the golden age of the nobility came during the reign of Catherine. The Palace Guard was a huge political force, sometimes deciding who to sit on the throne.
Change of position of nobles
The fundamental principle of relations between the monarch and the nobles was to perform military service in exchange for the ownership of estates. The duties of a representative of the noble estate before the sovereign were in nature similar to the dependence of the serf on the feudal lord. Until the time of Peter the Great, inclusive, the service began at the age of 15 and was practically life-long. The nobleman had no right to choose between a military and civilian career.
Gradually, these ancient principles were destroyed. The process of their abolition reached its climax when the reign of Catherine 2. came. The golden age of the nobility laid the foundation for the existence of the first completely free and independent stratum of society in Russia.
Change after the death of Peter the Great
The legislation was amended step by step, making the position of the feudal estate more and more convenient and profitable. Nobles were allowed to temporarily leave their duties to the state and return to the estates in order to personally manage economic affairs. One of the sons in every noble family received the right not to enter the service and to devote themselves fully to resolving issues related to the estate. The age at which representatives of the feudal estate began to fulfill their duty to the monarch was increased from 15 to 20 years. The nobles were given the choice between army and civilian service. The exclusive right of the noble estate to own land and serfs was confirmed. There was a possibility of retirement after 25 years of service.
Manifesto of Peter the Third
The far-sighted Catherine sought to enlist the support of the nobility even before her accession to the throne. She could largely manipulate the reigning spouse, and under her influence he signed a manifesto abolishing the mandatory public service for representatives of the feudal estate. Catherine confirmed the main points of this document a few months after her coronation. The golden age of the nobility was called the era that came from the moment of the declaration of liberties, which had no analogues in the past. But the dependence of the feudal estate on the generosity and mercy of the autocrat remained strong.
Economic situation
The empress officially declared that there was no need to force the nobles to fulfill their duties to the state. In her opinion, the patriotism and devotion to the monarch inherent in the representatives of this estate guaranteed their voluntary entry into the service. This statement was not fully true. The true reason was that often the estates gave small incomes and did not provide their owners with a decent standard of living. For many nobles, public office was the only alternative.
Bundle
It is worth noting that the empress contributed to the enrichment of a narrow circle of her proxies and favorites. For example, the organizers of the palace coup, which opened her the way to the Russian throne, received ranks, large sums of money and land. Thanks to the monarchy of generosity, some close associates became owners of fantastic states. The golden age of the nobility is called the reign of Catherine the Great, but not all representatives of this estate received economic benefits in this era. Some of them did not have serfs at all. The Liberty Manifesto did not affect their financial situation.
Serfs
The golden age of the Russian nobility had its opposite side. The welfare of the feudal estate was based on the free labor of serfs. The expansion of privileges of the nobility was accompanied by a restriction of the rights of forced farmers. The only court for serfs was their landowner. He had the authority to sentence to exile in Siberia or even life-long hard labor. It was forbidden to file complaints against the landowner under penalty of a whip. The position of serfs differed little from classical slavery, although legislation did not openly recognize this.
Humanistic ideals and reality
Catherine the Great considered such a system of social organization inhuman. She repeatedly thought about the possible ways to limit serfdom. However, these plans directly contradicted the interests of the elite. The economic source of the golden age of the nobility was serfdom. The good intentions of the empress faced harsh reality, and she was forced to abandon humanistic designs. Support for the aristocracy was the highest priority for Catherine, and the years of her reign became the heyday of serfdom.
Charter of liberties
In 1785, a document was published confirming all the privileges received earlier and expanding them. First of all, the liberation of the noble estate from compulsory public service and its exclusive right to own land and peasants were secured. In addition, the noble rank since that time was inherited, and it could only be lost by decision of the Senate for committing a serious crime. The list of privileges added exemption from the poll tax. Judged by a nobleman could only equal in origin. It was forbidden to apply corporal punishment to representatives of the noble estate and confiscate their estates. They had the right to make requests and complaints directly to the sovereign. Nobles were allowed to travel abroad and even enter the service of foreign monarchs.
Administration Representatives
It is worth emphasizing the introduction of local government. In the golden age of the Russian nobility, almost all representatives of the authorities in counties and cities were elected or appointed from this estate. The aristocracy in Russia finally turned into a closed corporation isolated from the rest of the population.
Food export
The golden age of the nobility coincided with the widespread rise in grain and bread prices. Russia's participation in the European market system was mainly in the supply of food. Export of bread has become an extremely profitable business. This circumstance stimulated the landowners to increase the acreage and increase the exploitation of the labor of serfs in order to obtain additional income. The economic situation contributed to the continuation of the golden age of the nobility.
End of an era
After the death of Catherine the Great, Paul entered the throne, with whom she had a difficult relationship due to the murder of his father Peter the Third. He attempted to limit liberties and privileges granted to the noble estate. The golden age of the nobility has not yet ended, but its peak was already behind. In an effort to make this estate the main pillar of the autocracy, Catherine gave him enormous rights and turned it into a serious political force.