Peter the Great and Catherine the Great

The reigns of Peter the Great and Catherine the Great were some of the most successful in the history of Russia. Before them, Russia had been behind the times, and not able to compete with the European powers of the late seventeenth and eighteenth century. The political and social reforms that occurred during the reigns of these two great rulers greatly influenced Russia, making it extremely powerful and very modern. When Peter became the Czar, he did many things helping Russia, including creating a powerful army. The reigns of Peter the Great and Catherine the Great sparked the extremely successful Russian reforms, giving Russia much more political power and putting it in a group with the European powers of the time.

                Peter the Great made many political changes to Russia. First of all, Peter moved the capital of Russia to St. Petersburg, a city named after him. This symbolized the changing of Russia, how it would become a new and powerful country under him. He was very determined to do the best for Russia, and would stop at nothing to meet his goal. He also greatly expanded the army. He wanted Russia to have just as powerful of an army as the leading powers in Europe did. Peasants were forced to join the army, even though joining was pretty much a death sentence. A Navy was also started for Russia. With his new military forces, Peter was able to expand Russia westward. When he died, Russia was already well on its way to becoming a great country.

                Catherine the Great also had some of the same ideas as Peter. She also had a goal in mind for the country, and would stop at nothing to get it. Building off of what Peter had started, she brought the Enlightenment to Russia. She was very interested in the arts, and introduced a lot of art into Russia. Using Peter’s armies, she continued to expand Russia to be what it is today. She did a lot for the political power of Russia, and further increased the government’s control over the provinces. Russia also had a lot more influence in European affairs during Catherine’s rule. She finished off the things that Peter could not and was a remarkable female ruler, very skilled in many areas.

                The reforms that Peter and Catherine brought upon Russia were very influential. The military expansion brought much power and land to Russia. The introduction of many arts, by Catherine, was also very helpful to the education of the people. Russia’s influence in European affairs was basically the goal of both Peter and Catherine. They wanted to bring Russia out of the dark ages and into the modern world. They wanted Russia to be able to compete in the top countries of Europe. They were strong enough rulers to make this happen.

                Russia would still be stuck in the medieval times if it were not for Peter and Catherine. Their groundbreaking decisions and actions caused Russia to rapidly move forward in the world. They set their minds to making it become powerful, and it happened. Russia became one of the most powerful countries of the time. Because the reigns of Peter the Great and Catherine the Great brought about so many reforms, Russia was grouped in with the European powers, just like they had hoped for.