Russian History free essay sample

This was due to Peter I (Peter the Great) because of his accomplishments forced the West to take notice of his nation. Peter The Great When Peter I came into power in 1689, he had two basic goals for his country: †¢Modernize his country in the western fashion. †¢Gain warm water ports to access to the west, thus, bringing more trade, recognition, and respect by the other European powers. Dealing with the West Peter set out his plans by sending a grand embassy to the European powers in 1697 to enlist their help against Turkey. He went along too, pretending to be a ships carpenter, and worked in English and Dutch shipyards. He studied everything from anatomy and engraving to European industrial techniques in order to gain as much information as possible. He was determined to give Russia an outlet to the sea, both on the Baltic Sea and Caspian Sea. He brought European shipbuilders to Russia. We will write a custom essay sample on Russian History or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Then in 1696, with a new fleet, he was able to capture Azov, the chief Turkish fortress on the Sea of Azov. As Captain Peter Alekseevich, he commanded from the Principium – a ship built by his own hand. In 1700, he felt ready to attack Sweden. With Poland and Denmark as allies, he started the Great Northern War, which lasted until 1721. Peter defeated the Swedes and gained an outlet to the Baltic Sea. The Treaty of Nystad (1721) ended the war and gave Russia the prized Swedish provinces on the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea. Sweden became a second-rate military power, and Poland was reduced in status. As a result of the victory, the Russian Empire was formed on October 22, 1721. On that day Peter was acclaimed Father of the Fatherland, Peter the Great, and emperor of all the Russia’s, by the Russian Senate, in gratitude for victory in the war. Internal Affairs Peter was organizing and modernizing his country internally as well as externally. He was ruthless when he ruled Russia as he was so determined for his country to be recognised. He forced his subjects to conform to his ideas, founded a navy, introduced factories, and organized a modern army. He also created a new Russian capital, St Petersburg. In 1703, Peter began construction a fortress on territory that he had won – which became the new capital city of St Petersburg – and moved his imperial court there in 1712. In order to populate St Petersburg, Peter forced all upper-class Russians to move there. One problem was that the country had no proper means of transportation. What roads there were only ran east to west, and even then, they were difficult to traverse, especially during the Russian winter. Peter westernized his subjects by using taxation and implementing new laws. Some examples are: †¢He put a high tax on beards and Oriental dress to force the people to adopt Western dress. †¢He modernized the calendar, simplified the alphabet, unified the currency, and introduced universal taxation