Joseph‌‌Roland‌‌Ty‌
Ms.‌‌Snavely‌
Ap‌‌World‌‌History‌
February‌‌24‌‌2022‌
DBQ:‌‌Peter‌‌the‌‌Great‌‌and‌‌Russian‌‌Empire‌
Before‌‌Peter‌‌took‌‌over,‌‌Russia‌‌was‌‌an‌‌outdated‌‌nation‌‌that‌‌lagged‌‌behind‌‌its‌‌European‌
neighbors‌‌in‌‌terms‌‌of‌‌technology‌‌and‌‌customs.‌‌It‌‌was‌‌perceived‌‌as‌‌a‌‌primitive‌‌state,‌‌being‌‌more‌‌in‌
tune‌‌with‌‌the‌‌dark‌‌ages‌‌compared‌‌to‌‌the‌‌renaissance‌‌era‌‌and‌‌scientific‌‌revolution‌‌Europe‌‌was‌
experiencing.‌‌When‌‌Peter‌‌undertook‌‌the‌‌position‌‌of‌‌Emperor,‌‌he‌‌despised‌‌the‌‌state‌‌of‌‌the‌‌nation‌
and‌‌the‌‌beliefs‌‌of‌‌the‌‌people.‌‌He‌‌made‌‌it‌‌his‌‌duty‌‌to‌‌reform‌‌Russia‌‌and‌‌bring‌‌it‌‌into‌‌the‌‌modern‌
world.‌‌During‌‌his‌‌reign‌‌as‌‌Emperor,‌‌Peter‌‌the‌‌Great‌‌introduced‌‌reforms‌‌to‌‌Russia‌‌such‌‌as‌‌changing‌
their‌‌appearance,‌‌developing‌‌trade‌‌with‌‌Europe,‌‌and‌‌promoting‌‌their‌‌education.‌
In‌‌order‌‌to‌‌modernize‌‌his‌‌empire,‌‌his‌‌first‌‌step‌‌was‌‌to‌‌modernize‌‌his‌‌subject’s‌‌appearance‌‌to‌
set‌‌a‌‌tone.‌‌His‌‌goal‌‌was‌‌to‌‌get‌‌rid‌‌of‌‌their‌‌primitive‌‌and‌‌medieval‌‌appearance‌‌and‌‌introduce‌‌a‌
modern‌‌appearance‌‌similar‌‌to‌‌those‌‌of‌‌Europeans‌‌who‌‌went‌‌through‌‌a‌‌renaissance‌‌(1300-1600).‌
“Until‌‌that‌‌time‌‌the‌‌Russians‌‌had‌‌always‌‌worn‌‌long‌‌beards‌‌and‌‌(wearing‌‌their)‌‌hair‌‌very‌‌short,‌
except‌‌the‌‌ecclesiastics‌‌who‌‌wore‌‌it‌‌very‌‌long.”‌‌(Document‌‌6)‌‌In‌‌order‌‌to‌‌reform,‌‌the‌‌Tsar‌‌“ordered‌
that‌‌gentlemen,‌‌merchants,‌‌and‌‌other‌‌subjects‌‌except‌‌priests‌‌and‌‌peasants,‌‌should‌‌each‌‌pay‌‌a‌‌tax‌‌of‌
one‌‌hundred‌‌rubles‌‌a‌‌year‌‌if‌‌they‌‌wished‌‌to‌‌keep‌‌their‌‌beards.”‌‌(6)‌‌To‌‌avoid‌‌paying,‌‌the‌‌Russians‌
obeyed‌‌their‌‌Tsar’s‌‌orders‌‌and‌‌trimmed‌‌their‌‌beards,‌‌which‌‌the‌‌Russians‌‌viewed‌‌as‌‌a‌‌violation‌‌of‌
their‌‌religion‌‌especially‌‌from‌‌the‌‌priests.‌ ‌Peter‌‌also‌‌required‌‌his‌‌subjects‌‌to‌‌wear‌‌Westerning‌
clothing‌‌based‌‌on‌‌his‌‌decree,‌‌“‌‌Western‌‌dress‌‌shall‌‌be‌‌worn‌‌by‌‌all‌‌the‌‌boyars,‌‌members‌‌of‌‌our‌
councils‌‌and‌‌of‌‌our‌‌court,‌‌(etc).”‌‌(Document‌‌4)‌‌Moreover,‌‌they‌‌were‌‌all‌‌forbidden‌‌to‌‌“wear‌
Russian‌‌dress‌‌or‌‌Circassian‌‌coats,‌‌(etc).”‌‌(4)‌‌And‌‌were‌‌required‌‌to‌‌ride‌‌German‌‌saddles‌‌and‌
forbidden‌‌to‌‌ride‌‌or‌‌manufacture‌‌Russian‌‌saddles.‌‌The‌‌nobles‌‌were‌‌now‌‌wearing‌ ‌lthe‌‌lower‌‌class‌
western‌‌dresses‌‌and‌‌kept‌‌a‌‌neat‌‌appearance.‌ ‌This‌‌would‌‌lead‌‌to‌‌a‌‌trickle‌‌down‌‌effect,‌‌as‌‌the‌
peasants‌‌who‌‌looked‌‌up‌‌to‌‌the‌‌nobles‌‌would‌‌later‌‌absorb‌‌into‌‌this‌‌new‌‌trend‌‌of‌‌western‌‌fashion.‌
By‌‌forcing‌‌his‌‌subjects‌‌to‌‌get‌‌rid‌‌of‌‌their‌‌old‌‌primitive‌‌appearance,‌‌Peter‌‌would‌‌set‌‌a‌‌new‌
atmosphere‌‌reforming‌‌his‌‌country‌‌bringing‌‌Russia‌‌into‌‌a‌‌New‌‌age.‌
Even‌‌with‌‌the‌‌new‌‌modern‌‌appearance‌‌of‌‌his‌‌subjects,‌‌Peter‌‌was‌‌not‌‌satisfied‌‌with‌‌just‌
changing‌‌the‌‌fashion‌‌sense‌‌of‌‌his‌‌people,‌‌he‌‌also‌‌wanted‌‌to‌‌promote‌‌education‌‌the‌‌same‌‌way‌‌their‌
European‌‌counterparts‌‌at‌‌that‌‌time‌‌to‌‌the‌‌Russian‌‌public.‌‌To‌‌strengthen‌‌the‌‌power‌‌of‌‌his‌‌Empire,‌
Peter‌‌ordered‌‌a‌‌decree‌‌to‌‌send‌‌a‌‌person‌‌from‌‌mathematical‌‌schools‌‌to‌‌“every‌‌region…to‌‌teach‌‌the‌
children‌‌of‌‌the‌‌nobility-except‌‌those‌‌of‌‌freeholders‌‌and‌‌government‌‌clerks-mathematics‌‌and‌
geometry;‌‌as‌‌a‌‌penalty…‌‌no‌‌one‌‌will‌‌be‌‌allowed‌‌to‌‌marry‌‌unless‌‌he‌‌learns‌‌these‌‌[subjects].”‌
(Document‌‌2)‌‌Before‌‌promoting‌‌education,‌‌most‌‌of‌‌the‌‌country‌‌was‌‌uneducated,‌‌even‌‌the‌‌nobles,‌
especially‌‌compared‌‌to‌‌their‌‌neighbors‌‌in‌‌the‌‌West.‌‌With‌‌the‌‌introduction‌‌of‌‌mathematics‌‌to‌‌the‌
nobility,‌‌the‌‌other‌‌authority‌‌besides‌‌the‌‌Emperor‌‌himself,‌‌Peter‌‌was‌‌soon‌‌expanding‌‌the‌‌knowledge‌
and‌‌education‌‌of‌‌the‌‌Russian‌‌population.‌‌Since‌‌Mathematics‌‌was‌‌the‌‌basis‌‌of‌‌the‌‌scientific‌
revolution,‌‌it‌‌would‌‌prove‌‌essential‌‌to‌‌the‌‌development‌‌and‌‌promotion‌‌of‌‌schools‌‌within‌‌the‌
Empire.‌
However,‌‌Peter‌‌the‌‌Great‌‌doesn’t‌‌only‌‌want‌‌his‌‌noble‌‌class‌‌to‌‌be‌‌educated,‌‌he‌‌also‌‌wanted‌
most‌‌of‌‌his‌‌working‌‌class‌‌to‌‌be‌‌experienced‌‌in‌‌manufacturing‌‌and‌‌trade.‌‌By‌‌traveling‌‌to‌‌Western‌
Europe‌‌and‌‌spending‌‌a‌‌year‌‌and‌‌a‌‌half‌‌there,‌‌Peter‌‌the‌‌Great‌‌absorbed‌‌a‌‌myriad‌‌of‌‌skills‌‌and‌
knowledge‌‌from‌‌Europeans‌‌who‌‌were‌‌cultivated‌‌through‌‌the‌‌scientific‌‌revolution‌‌.‌‌As‌‌Bishop‌
Burnet‌‌would‌‌describe‌‌him‌‌as‌‌“desirous‌‌to‌‌understand‌‌our‌‌doctrine…resolved‌‌to‌‌encourage‌‌and‌
learn‌‌and‌‌to‌‌polish‌‌his‌‌people‌‌by‌‌sending‌‌some‌‌of‌‌them‌‌to‌‌travel‌‌in‌‌other‌‌countries‌‌and‌‌to‌‌draw‌
strangers‌‌to‌‌come‌‌and‌‌live‌‌among‌‌them.”‌‌(document‌‌1)‌‌Due‌‌to‌‌his‌‌strong‌‌ambition‌‌for‌‌development‌
and‌‌growth‌‌for‌‌his‌‌empire,‌‌he‌‌would‌‌eventually‌‌come‌‌back‌‌to‌‌“establish‌‌and‌‌develop‌‌in‌‌the‌
Russian‌‌Empire‌‌such‌‌manufacturing‌‌plants‌‌and‌‌factories‌‌found‌‌in‌‌other‌‌states.”‌‌(Document‌‌5)‌‌In‌
order‌‌to‌‌do‌‌so,‌‌Peter‌‌the‌‌Great‌‌issued‌‌“‌‌the‌‌College‌‌of‌‌Manufactures‌‌to‌‌exert‌‌itself‌‌in‌‌devising‌‌the‌
means‌‌to‌‌introduce,‌‌with‌‌the‌‌least‌‌expense,‌‌and‌‌to‌‌spread‌‌in‌‌the‌‌Russian‌‌Empire‌‌these‌‌and‌‌other‌
ingenious‌‌arts,‌‌especially‌‌those…‌‌within‌‌the‌‌empire.”‌‌(5)‌‌As‌‌he‌‌wanted‌‌his‌‌own‌‌Empire‌‌to‌‌trade‌
with‌‌European‌‌nations‌‌especially‌‌goods‌‌manufactured‌‌and‌‌found‌‌within‌‌the‌‌Empire‌‌to‌‌ensure‌‌the‌
most‌‌profit.‌‌He‌‌also‌‌wanted‌‌the‌‌factory‌‌owners‌‌to‌‌have‌‌at‌‌“their‌‌plants‌‌good‌‌and‌‌experienced‌
[foreign]‌‌master‌‌craftsmen‌‌''‌‌(5)‌‌so‌‌they‌‌can‌‌polish‌‌and‌‌train‌‌the‌‌skills‌‌of‌‌Russian‌‌craftsmen‌‌to‌
improve‌‌the‌‌quality‌‌of‌‌Russian‌‌manufacturers.‌‌Additionally,‌‌Peter‌‌the‌‌Great‌‌in‌‌his‌‌decree,”‌‌given‌
orders,‌‌made‌‌dispositions,‌‌and‌‌founded‌‌institutions‌‌indispensable‌‌for‌‌increasing‌‌trade‌‌with‌
foreigners”‌‌(document‌‌3)‌‌to‌‌further‌‌emphasize‌‌his‌‌desire‌‌to‌‌improve‌‌the‌‌state‌‌of‌‌Russia’s‌‌economy‌
and‌‌trade.‌
Peter‌‌the‌‌Great‌‌was‌‌an‌‌incredible‌‌leader,‌‌boasting‌‌strong‌‌leadership‌‌and‌‌a‌‌steadfast‌
personality.‌‌However,‌‌he‌‌was‌‌not‌‌perfect,‌‌he‌‌had‌‌faults‌‌in‌‌his‌‌character‌‌such‌‌as‌‌being‌‌too‌‌extreme‌
and‌‌cruel,‌‌putting‌‌himself‌‌and‌‌others‌‌in‌‌danger.‌‌He‌‌was‌‌viewed‌‌as‌‌a‌‌Tyrant,‌‌someone‌‌who‌
punished‌‌people‌‌with‌‌no‌‌discrimination,‌‌even‌‌if‌‌it‌‌was‌‌his‌‌own‌‌son‌‌and‌‌heir.‌‌Nevertheless,‌‌Peter‌
the‌‌Great‌‌is‌‌an‌‌Emperor‌‌who‌‌moved‌‌his‌‌Empire‌‌into‌‌a‌‌time‌‌of‌‌modernization.‌‌He‌‌established‌
Russia‌‌as‌‌a‌‌major‌‌super‌‌power‌‌by‌‌reforming‌‌their‌‌appearance,‌‌promoting‌‌education,‌‌and‌‌improving‌
trade.‌