Comparison Of Peter The Great And Catherine The Great

Peter The Great should be granted the title of "Most Absolute Monarch" because he created a strong navy, recognized his army according to Western standards, secularized schools, administrative and territorial divisions of the country. Peter focused on the development of science and recruited several experts to educate his people about technological advancements. He concentrated on developing commerce and industry and created a gentrified bourgeoisie population. Mirroring Western culture, he modernized the Russian alphabet, introduced the Julian calendar, and established the first Russian newspaper. Peter was a far-sighted and skillful diplomat who abolished Russia's archaic form of government and appointed a viable

Catherine II of Russia was one of the most influential rulers in Russian history. Catherine was born a princess in Germany, originally named Sophie Fredericke Auguste von Anhalt-Zerbst, but moved to Russia, changed her name and married the heir to the throne (Massie 96). Prior to Catherine’s reign her husband, Peter III, whom she married at age fifteen was in power. Their marriage was an unhappy one and Peter often was unfaithful to Catherine .Peter also proved very unpopular among the Russian people. He was very immature and made many poor political decisions. Peter soon was overthrown and eventually murdered. Catherine came to rule Russia shortly after the death of her husband Peter III. She was eager to learn the ways of

Peter the Great was born to Tsar Alexis and grew up differently than many people of his time. “Peter proved a healthy child, lively and inquisitive. It is probably significant to his development that his mother’s former guardian, Artamon Sergeyevich Matveyev, had raised her in an atmosphere open to progressive influences from the West” (Britannica Academica). The fact that he grew up with a significant figure in his life who favored the west shaped his views in a major. Later in his reign, he focused on western civilization and how they thrived. Peter tried to implicate the same influences in Russia to further try and modernize and advance the culture, society, and government. Peter was a very lively and energetic child. “When Alexis died in 1676 Peter was only four years old. His elder half-brother, a sickly youth, then succeeded to the throne as Fyodor III” (Britannica

     During this same time Peter the Great sought to ¡°westernize¡± Russia. An autocratic tsar who had absoluter power, he did not wish to share it with his royal court. He moved the capital to St. Petersburg, and absorbed western intellectual and cultural trends. He forced all his nobles to cut of their beards, and instructed them to learn modern Western dances. Russia historically had an autocratic tsar like Peter, + the nobles have no political clout in the government. However, the nobles in Russia are huge landowners and had enormous powers over the serfs on their estates. This economic power, b/c serfs were almost like slaves, made them wealthy + prosperous. Thus, although Peter the Great rules without the input of anyone else, the nobles were westernized under his rule + enjoyed power over their serfs and economic gains.

In the late 17th century to the early 18th century, two powerful monarchs who ruled over their own magnificent empires. These monarchs were Peter the Great, the tsar of Russia, and the emperor of China, Kangxi. At the time of their rules, an economic system called mercantilism formed. This system allowed societies to benefit off of influx of goods from merchants trading. Using this system, in China, the Canton system was formed to open up ports to western societies. Even though, both Kangxi and Peter the Great shared similarities in the way they ruled, they had a variety of differences, which were caused by their background and their country’s interests. On the other hand, the diverse backgrounds and experiences of the empires caused them to also have differences in their ways of ruling. These differences could be categorized into two overarching topics, economy and education. Their economies had varied taxation systems and were structured differently. As far as education, the rulers differed in the ways they spread knowledge and the type of knowledge they taught.

Peter the Great wanted to westernize Russia. He was eager to borrow European technology, the kind that could give him the army and navy he needed to make Russia a great power. Peter wanted to reorganize the army. He employed both Russians and Europeans as officers, built a standing army of 210,000 men, and formed the first Russian navy. Peter divided Russia into provinces in order to impose the rule of the government more effectively. He wanted to create a "police state," by which he meant a well-ordered community governed by law. After his trip to the West, he introduced Western customs, practices, and manners into Russia; he even ordered the preparation of the first Russian book of etiquette to teach Russians. He changed traditional Russian

During the late seventeenth century under the leadership of Peter the Great, Russia underwent a period of modernization and westernization due to Peter’s reforms. However, without the reforms he instituted, Russia would have remained the most culturally unevolved country in Europe for quite a long time.

Peter recognized that his country was falling behind the European countries in knowledge, technology, trade, and governing ability. Using his absolute power as a czar, he brought in foreign advisers to help him modernize, westernize and educate his people. Peter had a great respect for Europe, and his reforms had a lasting influence in Russia, though there was of course opposition from the more conservative nobles.

Peter the Great of Russia was a strong and absolute ruler. Czar Peter I used a form of absolute rule called autocratic rule. Meaning that he ruled with unlimited authority over his subjects and land. Many people tile Peter the Great as a modernizer of Russia (Mendrala, 41). Peter the Great is responsible for Russia’s westernization, he enforced Western ideas, technology, and culture. By attempting to cultivate the western European way of life Peter made Russia diplomatic, military, political, commercial, scholastic, literary, and industrial (Source #2). During his reign Peter the Great develops a number of policies, and he dramatically reforms his country. Like any ruler, Peter encounters a few problematic incidents, but is able to overcome

in which men would have to pay a tax in order to keep their beards.

Peter took Russia into the European world, “westernizing” it, and leading him to create what is known as the “the window to the west” for Russia. He did this by adopting European customs, administrative systems, architecture, and many other ideas from Europe. He mainly focused on the navy and new technology advances Russia could use (Whisenhunt 329). Usually overlooked, Peter the Great was also able to create St. Petersburg, contributing to his positive effect on Russia. St. Petersburg made Russia a major European power politically and socially, through culture and economics.

Peter the Great was an absolute leader, he was the sole leader of the Russian empire, and his word was his law, and believed himself to be divine. He believed in absolute principles in political, philosophical, ethical or theological matters. Peter the Great was an absolute ruler of all Russia from 1682-1725. Peter the Great prolonged a standing army, which displays an absolute ruler. Peter the Great is considered one of the most effective transformational leaders in Russian history. He also created a brutal foreign policy centralizing in the government. However, the reform of expansion of Russia was what Peter was primarily known for. Peters military reforms profoundly modernized Russia’s Army and Navy.

In 1679, Peter Alekseyevich, famously known as Peter the Great, visited western Europe in an attempt to establish and strengthen Russia’s position in the modern world, such as ideas that would reform the domestic structure of Russia. Through Europe's customs and industry, Peter the Great sought to westernize Russia. Decrees such as the new calendar and compulsory education for Russian nobility transformed daily lives.

Peter I had a large impact on Russian westernization in many different aspects. For example, the Russian army became a force in European power politics and was modernized along Western lines. Peter I educated himself on concepts of construction and city planning from Manchester that he was able to hire an army of men to help create Petersburg. Peter I introduced and enforced new social etiquettes, dress codes, and grooming practices to help to blend with modern European culture. Peter I imported new technologies through his life and visited several different countries to hire craftsmen to come to Russia for shipbuilding. Peter built Russia’s first navy.

Admittedly, none of the countries will last long without a long-term plan of development. However, absolute monarchy is the best way to achieve this goal. If the countries are under several parts of forces or a fatuous and self-indulgent ruler, it will be hard to take everyone’s idea into consideration. And finally, the country will move towards died. Nevertheless, if the country is an intelligent and powerful king’s country, the country will become flourish and develop rapidly. Peter the Great’s example can be raised here. He has been known as the great Russia reformer in the history. During that period of time, when all the other European country expanding their region and enlarging their trade network, Russia was still a land of boyars and serfs. After finished the trip to Europe, Peter was so inspired how the European country operate. Thus he decided to reform his country from