How Autocratic were the 18th c

How absolute were the 18th Century Tsars? When asking how absolute a monarch is, we need to pay attention to the groups of people that surround that monarch. The aristocracy, the church and the army all played an important part in the running of an 18th century state, and without the support of these powerful elites, it is arguable whether or not the monarch in question would have had the opportunity to be absolute at …showed first 75 words of 692 total…

…showed last 75 words of 692 total…by the French revolution and the Pugavhov rebellion, Catherine began to institutional reform in the 1770’s. These reforms were conservative and careful not to cause too much upheaval for any groups that had political power. In my opinion, it is a romantic view to consider the Tsars of the 18th century ‘absolute’. There were other factions that they relied heavily upon for their personal power, and these factions could not be ignored or trampled upon.