Peter the Great
The strongest emperor of Russia
The Westernizatation
Peter took the throne when he was 10 years old, but didn't have control until he was 17. He spent most of his time in other European countries learning about what made them powerful. He brought over teachers and technical experts to Russia, and issued a policy of westernization. Forcing his people to change was the not easy but he accommodated this by bring serfdom back to Russia.
Expanding The Borders
Wanting warm water for trade, Peter set out for the Black Sea which was the nearest body of warm water. He could not beat the Ottoman Empire and gave up on the Black Sea, but was not done. He went into a long war against the Swedish and was finally successful. Gaining new territory, he created a new capital St. Petersburg. He was also able to work with Qing China on defining their borders.