Peter the Great Reading

Since the death of in 1583, eight sat on the thrown in , and eight Tsars were assassinated. In 1610 the Swedes and the Poles attacked from the east; Russia was ready to fall. The head of the sent out a plea from prison for the people to rise up and save their motherland. The Russian people rose up and defeated the invaders, reclaiming the country. They searched for a man of “Royal Blood” whom they could crown and follow. Michael of Russia was a descendant of Anastasia Romanov, wife of Ivan the Terrible. Michael was put on the thrown, thus starting the Romanov : a family line of Tsars that would rule for 300 years. Early life Peter was born in Moscow on June 9, 1672. His father was Tsar Alexis. Alexis died in 1676 and was succeeded by his oldest son, Fedor. Fedor died in 1682. Peter had to share the throne at the age of 10 with his half brother Ivan V, who was weak-minded. Peter had a problem: his older half sister Sophia wanted to be the Tsar. Indeed, Sophia took charge and ruled Russia. In 1689, at the age of 17, Peter decided to take the throne for himself. Peter’s followers forced Sophia to “retire,” sending her to a convent to become a nun. Peter became the sole ruler of Russia.

Peter was a 6’7” giant who was strong willed, demanding, and had an insatiable desire to learn. He had a strong passion for boats, war, knowledge and power. He was especially interested in military matters. As a young boy, he enjoyed spending time with foreign military officers who were visiting in Moscow. Peter learned much about European civilization from them. They told him about a lifestyle that was far more advanced then how people lived in Russia.

In 1697 and 1698, Peter toured Western Europe with a group of Russian government officials. They were looking for allies to help Russia fight a war against the Ottoman Empire. Peter traveled for about 17 months, mostly in England and the Netherlands. He was always learning everywhere he went: from shipbuilding and military strategy, to dentistry, anatomy, and surgery. When observing a class on surgery, Peter’s men were acting squeamish and uncomfortable around the dead body being used in the demonstration. Peter was furious with their “weakness” and made them each go up and take a bite out of the dead body in front of the entire class. Peter used the trip to recruit Western experts to bring modern techniques of engineering, architecture, art, and science to Russia. Russia lagged far behind other European nations in these areas.

Peter’s trip was suddenly cut short when news came of trouble in Russia. Some of the Royal Guard were not happy about the changes Peter was planning and had begun a revolution to overthrow Peter. Upon hearing the news, Peter returned and crushed the revolt. This victory further cemented Peter as the unquestioned Tsar of Russia.

Foreign Policy From 1700 to 1721, Peter led Russia in a war against . When the war began, Sweden was the leading power in northern Europe. During the war, Peter created Russia’s first navy and greatly improved the army. By the end of the war, Russia had gained control over important territory along the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea, which gave Russia immediate access to the rest of Europe. Changes within Russia Peter's programs led to the expansion of industry and foreign trade, along with the construction of new roads and canals. He also did the following: founded the Russian Academy of Sciences, started Russia's first newspaper, and founded technical schools, a museum, a public library, and an art gallery. Because of his admiration for European society, Peter forced Russia's nobility to take on many Western customs. The men were forced to shave their long beards and shorten their long garments. If a man had not shaved or shortened his garments, the police would hold him down, and shorten the beard for him.

In 1703, Peter founded the city of St. Petersburg on territory taken from Sweden. St. Petersburg started as a forest by the Baltic Sea. Tens of thousands of peasants and prisoners were brought in to build the city. By 1713, St. Petersburg was the capital of Russia. Peter modeled St. Petersburg after the great cities in Western Europe, like Paris and London. St. Petersburg was a symbol to the world of Russia’s arrival in modern times.

Peter's rule also had some harmful effects. To finance his wars and reforms, Peter raised taxes on the Russian people. He also dealt harshly with those who opposed his changes. Peter forced many Russians to work against their will in the mines, in factories and on building projects. Peter also extended serfdom, a system under which the majority of Russian peasants lived in conditions little better than slavery.

Family Peter had 15 children by two wives, but only two daughters survived. Peter’s oldest son, Alexei, did not share his father’s love for knowledge, war or power. Instead Alexei was short, lazy and loved luxury. Peter gave Alexei a choice: prepare to become Tsar or depart. Alexei left Moscow and began to plot a rebellion against his father. Peter caught wind of this plot and squashed it. Alexei was tortured, and then put to death for these actions. This left him with no male heir to the throne.

Death On February 8, 1725 Peter saw a group of sailors drowning off the coast in the Baltic Sea. Peter waded out into the water to save the sailors’ lives. These heroics earned him a dreadful sickness that would claim his life. While on his deathbed, Peter began to write his will. As penned the words, “Leave all to…” death took him before he could finish. Peter the Great had rebuilt and modernized Russia, but left it in chaos without a ruler to take his place.