Wiley-Blackwell Russia's Age of Serfdom 1649-1861 (Blackwell History of Russia)

Russia’s Age of Serfdom 1649-1861 offers a broad interpretive history of the Russian Empire from the time of serfdom’s codification until its abolition following the Crimean War. Considers the institution of serfdom, official social categories, and Russia’s development as a country of peasants ruled by nobles, military commanders, and civil servantsIlluminates the reality of absolute monarchy in Russia, with special emphasis on the mobilization of human and material resources, the search for regular government, and the persistence of personal-moral forms of authorityTraces the emergence of modern Russian culture out of and alongside Orthodox religious culture Review “There are different ways to write a survey of Russian history, and most of them have been tried many times. Yet Simon Dixon, the editor of this excellent three-volume series, has invited his authors to do something new.”  (Slavonic and East European Review, 1 April 2012)"The real strength of this book lies in its quality as an extended interpretive essay ... .Graduate students, advanced undergraduates, and non-Russianist historians. It is they who have the most cause to welcome the publication of this excellent book, and to look forward to the remaining volumes in the Blackwell History of Russia series" (Reviews in History, March 2009)“Wirtschafter's detailed descriptions and analysis, particularly of the Muscovite and Petrine periods, make this an excellent source for advanced undergraduates and graduate students. The addition of an inclusive introduction and conclusion would have made the book more accessible to a general audience.” (CHOICE, February 2009) Review "Russia’s Age of Serfdom brings together an enormous volume of recent research and distills it in a way that is at once elegantly written and deeply informative. Wirtschafter’s chapters on institutional and social history are among the clearest and most compelling assessments of the dynamics of Russian society that I have ever seen. Her book will be appreciated by specialists and students alike." –Gary Marker, State University of New York at Stony Brook From the Inside Flap Russia’s Age of Serfdom 1649-1861 offers a broad interpretive history of the Russian Empire from the time of serfdom’s codification until its abolition following the Crimean War. Coverage focuses on those of the empire’s European territories populated predominantly by ethnic Russian peasants. The book is divided into three chronological periods, each containing chapters on society, politics, and culture. The chapters on society consider the institution of serfdom, official social categories, and Russia’s development as a country of peasants ruled by nobles, military commanders, and civil servants. Political chapters illuminate the reality of absolute monarchy in Russia, with special emphasis on the mobilization of human and material resources, the search for regular government, and the persistence of personal-moral forms of authority. Finally, the cultural chapters trace the emergence of modern Russian culture out of and alongside Orthodox religious culture, a process embodied in the Europeanization and growing independence of Russian elite society and in the emergence of political and cultural dissent. From the Back Cover Russia’s Age of Serfdom 1649-1861 offers a broad interpretive history of the Russian Empire from the time of serfdom’s codification until its abolition following the Crimean War. Coverage focuses on those of the empire’s European territories populated predominantly by ethnic Russian peasants. The book is divided into three chronological periods, each containing chapters on society, politics, and culture. The chapters on society consider the institution of serfdom, official social categories, and Russia’s development as a country of peasants ruled by nobles, military commanders, and civil servants. Political chapters illuminate the reality of absolut