Peter the Great earns the accolade as was instrumental in transforming Russia from a regional backwater into a continental power.
Peter the Great
source: biography.com
But before we get there. Lets look at his origin and the key events of his reign.
The House of Romanov rose from the Boyar class of feudal overlords to eventually ascend to power in the Grand Duchy of Moscow and later Russia. The first Romanov Tsar was Michael I who took the throne in 1613 after being elected to the position by the Zemsky Sobor (the Assembly of the Land – Russian parliament during the 16th and 17th centuries). Michael was succeeded by his son Alexei, who governed during difficult times. He was in turn followed by Feodor III who ruled between 1676-1682.
Rulers of the House of Romanov
Peter was the son of the Tsar Alexei. He was a very bright child who was raised in an environment that was very receptive to Western ideas. In 1682 Peter was chosen to rule jointly as Tsar with his half brother Ivan V Peter though was ten years old and Ivan V was in poor health. Ivan’s sister Sophia used her power as regent to push Peter aside. In 1689 she tried to seize power for herself but overplayed her hand and was ousted in a power struggle that served to elevate Peter to the seat of the Tsar.
One of Peter’s great fascinations was the navy. He also had a strong affection for the military and construction. Between 1697-1698 he disguised as a carpenter and toured Western Europe learning as much as possible about the latest technology available at the time. His aim throughout his rule was to modernize Russia and bring the country out of a Middle Ages mindset. In this regard he would enjoy success. Russia would built its first seaworthy ships during his reign.
After returning to Russia in 1698 Peter faced a revolt by the Streltsy – the Russian military corps that had been established in the 16th century. He would put down this revolt with tremendous brutality, executing or exiling many of the rebels. The Streltsy were liquidated. Soon after this Peter’s attention was turned toward an old regional rival – Sweden.
Between 1700-1721 Russia and Sweden locked horns in what became known as the Northern Wars. However Peter also faced a challenge on his Southern front from the Turks. In 1700 he made Peace with the Turks (Treaty of Constantinople) but it came at the expense of Russia forgoing their push forward from the Sea of Azov to the Black Sea. He then joined forces with Saxony and Denmark-Norway to take on the Swedes who were a dominant power in the Baltic States.
Russia was forced to mobilize to rebuild their military and focus their resources to confront Sweden who had been a power in Northern Europe for much of the 17th century. In the early part of the war the Russians were defeated at Narva (1700) but rebounded very successfully in defeating the Swedes nine years later at Poltava. This was a tremendous blow for Sweden and her King Charles XII.
Battle of Poltava (encyclopedia of the Ukraine source)
King Charles XII of Sweden - Great Northern rival of Peter.
source: nationaltrustcollections.org.uk
In 1714 the Russians would win their first naval victory at the Battle of Gangut. By 1721 Russia would acquire significant territory along the Baltic Sea after the signing of the Treaty of Nystadt. Swedish power was greatly curtailed and Russia could start looking westward toward Poland. At the same time Peter’s title changed from Tsar to Emperor.
However there were revolts against Peter’s rule most notably in Astrakhan (1705) and the Don Basin (1707-1708). Both were put down with a savage efficiency..
Still Peter faced other threats. He failed to shake the Turkish menace who attacked Russia during the height of the Northern War forcing Peter to sue for peace and eventually cede Azov to the Ottomans at the Treaty of Adrianople.
In retrospect Peter’s greatest success as a ruler was that he modernized Russia. He wasn’t the first monarch to undertake such a course of action. Ivan IV (aka the Terrible) had started the country down the pathway in the 16th century. However Peter greatly expedited the process. Russia’s military and naval credential were strengthened and her victory over the Swedes solidified the country as a power. Russia’s oldest university – Saint Petersburg state university - was established by Peter in 1724 with a strong focus on science and engineering. His gains would be built on by a later successor – Catherine the Great.
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