Philip II And Peter The Great Of Russia

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

     Peter the Great had many strengths, but his best was he modernized Russia. By seeing Europe, he changed many things. He changed the calendar so the New Year would be January 1. He increased agriculture by growing new crops and increased the number of factories in Russia. He also started the first Russian newspaper and enlarged their army to 200,000 men. He also got a warm water port for his “window on the sea.”

Prior to Peter taking reign, the Russian society was in a rough condition. The economy was failing and the country's standing army was extremely weak. Russia was also in the midst of a war against the Ottoman Turkish Empire, with a goal to secure a Russian port on the northern coast of the Black Sea. Peter the Great ruled over Russia from 1682-1752.He tried to form warm water ports so they had the ability to trade in the in the winter. He also tried to improve Russia and modernize the culture. As an effect of these things, Peter the Great had an overall positive impact on Russia during his rule.

He spent much of his childhood in the German district of the capital. There he became fascinated with the west. As an adult he toured Western Europe in an attempt to learn the latest advances in ship building as well as to campaign for a crusade against the Ottoman Empire. When he returned he continued to Westernize Russia . Some of his reforms are looked on by contemporary’s as overly fanatical for example he implemented a beard tax and forced social events to be mixed genders. ! He was the Master of bureaucracy. Peter I completely restructured the government on western models. He established a Privy Council staffed with his closest friends as well as organizing the senate in to different colleges. He secularized the government thus taking power away from the Russian Orthodox church. Peter also reorganized the army and defeated the Swedish empire in The Great Northern War. He then erected a new capital in the lands he gained and named it for his likeness Saint Petersburg. This city became an important trading hub because it had a warm water port and Russia could now trade overseas with the rest of Europe all year round. His wife Catherine succeeded him on his death in

Russia before Peter the Great was disconnected from Europe and did not have the technology that the rest of the world had. This position was largely caused by the Mongol invasion of Russia around the 14th century. However, before the Mongol rule, the city-states of Kievan Rus predominated the region. This settlement was established when the Vikings began migrating from Scandinavia to the Black Sea, merging with the East Slavic people. Soon after the creation of Kievan Rus, they converted to Eastern Orthodox Christianity, and began trade with the Byzantine Empire. About 250 years later, the Golden Horde began controlling Russia, cutting it off from the rest of the Europe. When the Russians finally broke free from Mongol rule around the 15th

During the time periods between 1682 and 1725 Peter the Great took a number of steps to modernize russia and transform it into a major European power. These steps were promoting diversity, encouraging education, increasing foreign trade, enforcing a new style of dress, prompting progress in technology and changing old Russian appearances. Realizing that Russia couldn't confront the Ottoman Empire alone, Peter ventured out to Europe to look for the guide of the European rulers. Despite the fact that the mission failed it presented Peter to Western European artists, scientists, craftsmen, and noble families. This persuaded him that Russia should take after Western Europe in certain ways

Peter the Great made it his ambition to pursue military growth in Russia. What started out as a defenseless country, ended as an army of 210,000 men. “At his (assumption of the throne) Russia had no armed forces except for the inefficient and untrustworthy Streltsy (hereditary military units).”- Document F. Peter the Great had many accomplishments. His greatest was the army, he formed in Russia. With all the power concentrated in his hands, Peter the Great was able to get things done efficiently and effectively. It took less time because, under the rule of absolutism, no one could question Peter’s work or capabilities. He built a professional army of 210,0000 men, created a navy and fleet of forty-eight ships and smaller vessels. Rather than being an insignificant vulnerable country, Russia was made into a dominant country. The amount of power that Russia had acquired was feared by other countries. Absolutism prevented many rebellions because of a new found fear. Many countries and people were afraid of Russia’s potential to become a dominate country. However, this was beneficial for absolutist leaders because no one would question or rebel against their actions. Many historians argue that Peter the Great’s method of absolutism was an excuse for tyranny. However, his achievements for the country of Russia outweigh the costs of inequality and unshared wealth. If Peter the

(document 5) . To prove he was an autocrat Peter also declared war on Sweden to open a road from Russia to the west by taking over the coastal region . He raised new armies after being defeated by Charles XII of Sweden and worked to create a good military and to construct ships to gain

In the latter half of the 1600 's, monarchial systems of both England and France were changing. Three royal figure throughout history who all tried to establish a role of absolutism in their societies all of them had varying factors with the greatest success from least to greatest being Charles I, Louis XIV, and Peter the Great. Absolutism is a form of government where a king or queen rules with unrestricted powers. They are often followed in heredity by passing on the leadership through bloodlines. All over the world these bloodlines still exist except, that most of them only remain as a symbolic figure or a person of fame. A couple of monarchs that still rule are Brunei, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Swaziland, the emirates comprising the UAE, and Vatican City.

Peter’s respect did not translate into friendship with Western Europe. These countries were his competitors, his rivals, and one could say that by modernizing Peter was really trying to beat them at their own game. He fought a long war against Sweden and with victory finally gained possession of ports on the Baltic that opened the way for greater trade with Western Europe.
Meanwhile, Peter continued Russia’s attempts to expand at the Ottoman Empire’s expense. His short war in 1710-11 was a failure, though, and nearly resulted in his own capture. In spite of this loss, it was obvious to Peter and the rest of Europe that the Ottoman Empire was in an irreversible decline. The Ottomans were quite a contrast to Europe: outdated in technology and military methods, politically unstable, and scarcely able to control their far-flung empire.

As an enlightened despot, it was common for rulers to change every law and policy possible in order to make life better for their people as according to enlightenment ideals. The ruler was seen as being in charge only to serve the people (Document 3). The ruler was to put the needs of his people before the needs of himself, and could not do anything that would harm them (Document 4). In Russia, this was prominent amongst rulers. Peter the Great believed and acted on these ideas. He offered rights to the serfs in order to help them and made it so that anyone, no matter of their social standing, would suffer the same consequences for breaking the laws (Document 10, 6). According to Document 3, “the ruler and the ruled can be happy only if they are firmly united.” This shows how the people expected their rulers in this time to meet their needs to make them happy and to help them flourish as a

His main goal was to improve Russia in order to conquer the Ottoman Empire. During the beginning of his reign Peter had periodically fought against Sweden in order to gain hold on the Baltic Sea, and in the south Peter fought against the Ottoman Empire(source ). After facing defeat in Azov against the Ottoman Empire in 1695, Peter was frustrated and wanted to acquire the necessary knowledge, power, and skills to wreck havoc during future warfare. Therefore, Peter made the decision to venture into Europe to learn and retain the information on how to make Russia a great power. Peter embarked on a European tour in in 1697 with the mindset to establish Russia as an accomplished country (source 2). One of his main goals when leaving to travel, was to establish an anti-Ottoman alliance, but he was unable to create this alliance. Peter’s attempt was unsuccessful, but instead Peter the Great developed relations with the Polish king and important leaders. Which led Russia towards a coalition against Sweden in 1699 (source). The goal of the coalition, for Peter, once again was for Russia to be able to attain the Baltic Sea. In order to do this, Peter had to first focus on domestic

Doc 5: Peter the Great thinks he is skillful in commercial activities and knowledge on defending and ordering his country. “For this end we have always tried to maintain internal order, to defend the state against invasion, and in every possible way to improve and to extend

Peter the Great was a descendant of the Romanov family who started his co-rule with his brother since he was ten years old. When his brother died in 1896, only then did Peter become the sole tsar of Russia. However, at the time, Russia did not have a developed military, government, or technology as that of the other countries in Europe. At the start of the Peter’s reign as tsar, he had taken part in the conquest against the Ottoman Empire in an effort to gain land in order to secure a Russian port in the coast of the Black Sea. In Compared to Europe, Russia was much less advanced.

The reforms and westernization of Peter the Great made Russia a more modern and stronger power in Europe under his rule and until his death in 1725. Peter was a powerful and forceful leader with a vision. He wanted to westernize Russia and bring the state to a more modern era in order to compete with Europe for goods and services.