How Peter the Great turned Russia into a world power

Peter the Great was one of the most influential and important Tsars in Russian history.

He ruled during the late 17th and early 18th centuries, which was a time of great change and modernisation for Russia, and he is credited with helping to turn the country into a major world power.

Peter the Great was born on June 9, 1672, in Moscow. He was the son of Tsar Alexis.

Peter's father died when he was just four years old. From 1682-96, Peter ruled Russia as co-monarch with his chronically ill half-brother, Ivan V.

However, the real power of the empire was held by his mother, Natalya Naryshkina. 

He grew up to be an intelligent and athletic young man, and developed a love for all things military at an early age.

When Natalya died in 1694, the 22-year-old Peter gained real power. Then, when Ivan V died in 1696, Peter became the sole ruler of Russia.

When Peter came to the throne, Russia was considered to be 'backwards' in comparison to other European nations.

This was because it was still using an old-style calendar, had a feudal system of government, and its people were not very well-educated.

Additionally, Russia's economy was in poor shape and its military was not strong. Peter knew that he needed to make some changes if Russia was going to become a major power in the world.

In order to learn more about how to modernise Russia, Peter decided to travel incognito through Europe for several months in 1697-8.

This 'Grand Embassy' as it came to be known, gave Peter a chance to see first-hand how other European nations were governed and how their economies worked.

This was done in order to learn about the latest military and technological advancements of the time, as well as to establish diplomatic relations with various countries. 

While on his journey, Peter visited several major cities including Amsterdam, London, and Berlin.

He also met with a number of famous European leaders, such as King William III of England and Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I.

The Tsar was greatly influenced by what he saw there and realised that Russia was significantly behind in technological and social advancements.

After his Grand Embassy, Peter set about reforming Russia. He began implementing sweeping reforms designed to modernise the country.

This included changing the calendar so that it matched the western one, reforming the government along western lines, and encouraging a focus on education and technology.

One of his most famous reforms was creating the city of St Petersburg in 1703. This new city became a symbol of Russian power and prestige.

Peter also sought to modernise Russia's military. He created a new army using European methods and technologies.

He built a modern navy and army, which were essential in defeating Sweden in the Great Northern War.

This victory helped to establish Russia as a major European power.

He also reformed the Russian government bureaucracy, and expanded education and trade.

He invited Western scientists and artists to come to Russia, in order to help improve the country's culture.

All of these reforms helped to make Russia into a more modern and powerful nation.

Not all of his changes worked well. When Peter the Great attempted to reform the economy of Russia by introducing paper money and a new tax system, it caused a great deal of financial instability.

Famously, he introduced a beard tax in order to persuade Russian men to shave their beards, which was seen as a sign of backwardness.

While Peter had a grand vision of a modernised Russia, his people were slow to change and were suspicious of too much western influence.

In particular, many of his efforts to westernise Russia met with resistance from the conservative nobility.

This led to a number of uprisings and revolts against Peter's rule. However, through a combination of force and persuasion, Peter was eventually able to quell these rebellions and maintain control over Russia.

During his reign, Peter the Great also engaged in a number of wars with neighboring countries.

In particular, he was involved in two major wars with the Ottoman Empire and Sweden.

The first of these was the Russo-Turkish War of 1686-1700, which ended in a Russian victory.

The second was the Great Northern War, which lasted from 1700-21. This war ended in another Russian victory, and cemented Russia's position as a major European power.

As a result of these victories, Peter was able to expand the territories of the Russian empire.

He added the regions of Azov, Livonia, Estonia, and Ingria to the empire.

During 1723, Peter also gained influence over the Caucasus Mountains and the Caspian Sea.

These new additions increased the size of the Russian empire significantly.

Peter's first son Alexis from his first marriage rebelled against him in 1716. This resulted in a long and difficult conflict between father and son, which only ended when Alexis died in 1718.

After the death of his son, Peter continued to rule Russia for several more years.

In 1721, Peter was declared the Emperor of All Russia, indicating a growing confidence and political power. 

However, his health began to decline, and he became increasingly paranoid. Then, in 1725, Peter the Great died at the age of 52.  

However, his legacy has lived on through the centuries. He is remembered as one of the most important and influential rulers in Russian history.

Thanks to his reforms, Russia emerged as a major world power during the 18th century.

Peter's reign marked a new era in Russian history and laid the foundation for the country's future development.