Peter The Great
By Katrina Smith
Personality
Peter the Great was a controlling ruler. He wanted to strengthen the military and in order to do that he brought all russian instructors and the Russian Orthodox to his control. He also brought the landowning nobles to serve the state. He made the landowning nobles shave their beards and replace their old fashion robes with western style robes.
Accomplishes
Peter imported Western technology, improved education, simplified the Russian alphabet, and set up academies to study of mathematics, science, and engineering. To pay for his reforms, Peter adopted policies, such as encouraging exports. He improved waterways and canals, developed mining and textile manufacturing, and backed new trading companies. He also created the largest standing army in europe.
Policies
Peter the Great's domestic policy was building St. Petersburg, His foreign policy was to make Russia a great power of Europe and so he went to war with his neighbors, including Sweden and Prussia. He also got warm water port to get warm water instead of the icy water that was next to Russia.
Absolute Rule
He gained power by succession to the throne and he maintained it by centralizing power in his own hands and reducing the power of the aristocracy.
Interesting Facts
- In the battle against the Turks in 1695 he fought as regular foot soldier believing that was the only way to beat the Turks.
- Peter is believed to have been six feet, seven inches in height
- He married twice and had 11 children, many of whom died in infancy.
- The eldest son from his first marriage, Czarevich Alexei, was convicted of high treason by his father and secretly executed in 1718.