Peter The Great
By Bobby Guerra
Personality
- Strict ruler
- No mercy for anyone who resisted his rule
- Valued education and set up programs for academics including mathematics, science, and engineering
Accomplishments
- Created largest standing army in Europe
- Expanded Russia's borders
- Defeated Sweden in The Great North War
- Built and constructed the city of St. Petersburg
- Signed a treaty with China to protect Russia's east border
- Gained land along the Baltic Sea
- Ended Russia's long period of isolation from the rest of the world
- Brought technical experts, teachers, and soldier to Russia from Europe
Policies
- Forced boyars to wear Westernized clothes and old-fashioned robes.
- Forced boyars to shave their beards
- Forced landowning boyars to serve the state in civilian or in the military
- He held parties for the wealthy at which women and men were expected to dance together
- Passed laws ensuring that nobles retained control over their lands
Interesting Facts
- Took throne at age 10 in 1682, but did not rule until 1689
- Not well educated but extremely curious
- When he died, many of his reforms died with him
- Died without an heir or naming a person to replace him