Western Civilization II

Russian absolutism was explosive during the 17th and 18th centuries.  Russia’s commitment to drive east, which begun in the earth late 16th century, transformed the Siberia, a now natural resources haven.  By the mid-eighteenth century Russians had traveled 6,000 miles east of Moscow towards the pacific.

Peter the Great had traveled to Western Europe eraly and was deeply impressed by Western society as a whole.  Upon his return Peter created a system of bureaucratic advancement based on merit.  He reformed the military and built a gigantic professional army of 200,000 men armed with the most advanced weapons at the time.  This army would eventually destroy the Ottoman Turks, gaining his eventual victory in the Treaty of Nystad.  A legacy to his Western influence, Peter eventually built St. Petersburg, or the modern capital of Russia.

Peter the Greats expansion east