The “Darkest Russia” poster

Examine the “Darkest Russia” poster and the Abraham Lincoln quote on the first page of the syllabus for this course. What are the sources of Imperial Russia’s reputation for despotism? Name several specific examples from 1613 to 1917 where that reputation is earned, but also consider several specific ways that Russia was, at given moments, on par with other European powers of the time and/or when outside observers emphasized Russian “darkness” in order to put themselves in a more favorable light.
Identify several moments in the Romanov Dynasty when substantial limits on autocracy were considered or enacted, and explain in each case why autocracy came out essentially unscathed until 1917 (and arguably long beyond). Consider the “reforms” of every tsar and the perceived need for nearly constant “reform” throughout the period: what does this state of perpetual reform/revolution tell us about the nature of the Romanov autocracy? Ultimately, would you characterize Imperial Russia as a “dark” outlier to Europe, or can you think of a more useful characterization?