Changes to society: importance of landownership and gentry; Enlightenment and education; reforms to religion
Catherine the Great reshaped Russian society by giving the nobility (gentry) greater power over land, expanding education under Enlightenment ideas, and reducing the Church's independence from the state.
Real World
The 1785 Charter of the Nobility gave Russian landowners formal legal immunity from corporal punishment and guaranteed their property rights — privileges that English gentry had held since Magna Carta, highlighting how far Russia lagged behind Western European noble freedoms.
Exam Focus
Distinguish between changes that benefited the gentry and those that harmed serfs — examiners reward precise social differentiation.
Essay Framework
Use PEEL to structure every paragraph. Tap each step for guidance and an example.
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