Peter the Great
- At first Peter shared the throne with his half brother
- Was known as Peter the Great because he was one of Russia's greatest reformers
- Most Russians knew little about western Europe, which was thriving
- Peter belived that Russia's future depended on having a warm water port
- In 1696 he became the sole leader of Russia
- Embarked of the "Grand Embassy," a long visit to western Europe
- Sought to westernize Russia; he saw it as a way to make Russia stronger
In attempt to westernize Russia, Peter did all of the following:
- Introduced potato’s, which became a part of the Russian diet
- Started Russia’s first newspaper
- Gave women more rights
- Ordered the nobles to dress in Western clothes
- Advanced education
- Established St. Petersburg
- Peter moved the capitol to promote education in growth
• Fought Sweden to gain a piece of the Baltic coast
• Moved the capitol to St. Petersburg, a city on the Baltic coast
- Died in 1725