Russia is a nation of 8 million people. Alexis had two wives, who are Sophia and Natalya. Ivan is Sophia's brother and Sophia is Peter's mother. Ivan has health frailed, mind locked in simple childish stage, and 16 years old. Peter shared crown with Ivan, but they are too young to reign so Sophia ruled first. Peter is healthy, mind, active and small but stood tall at a young age. Peter turned himself in to soldier. Age of 11, he fired cannon and age of 13 he handled pistols.Tutors are foreign people to practice his army and 120 soldiers killed. Peter got role of drama boy believed that rank should be based on merit and experience not on nobility. As Peter displayed his each new display of Peter’s talent and nobility, it stabbed fear through Sophia’s heart. In 1689, Sophia stand no more , 7 years of taking power, her possession with Peter got erupted and paranoia, got influenced that Peter is going to against her. Peter has divine right, so the palace guards have no power to go against him, touch the embodiment of god. Sophia has the throne, but the palace guards abandoned her.
Whoever occupies the throne of the czar, have a great power, in Russia nature was king. Throughout the land, Russia stretched from Sweden to Pacific Ocean, he planned to make laws, imposed taxes, and change custom centuries old.95% of the population is serfs, life with little dignity and less humanity. Peter created technology.No czar called for navy, called for war at sea, but peter does. Other czar tries to master at sea, so he does. He built 5 ships to be built on a lake 85 miles from Moscow, nearest large body of water. He taught himself wood working, pride in what he learnt.Church opposed to any contact with foreigners, but using them to run country instead. There are 2 traditionalist, peter is the devil.
Tauter horsemen, from spring to summer, they burned villages in Ukraine. If he could ceased town in Aszov gained port to black sea, which leads to gateway to Mediterranean and southern Europe. He gathered 150,000 men, traveled 500 miles south for Moscow, Peter, 14 weeks bombarded Aszov so later he master water to win war. He constructed in 5 months, ship, sailed down to Aszov, bombardment was devastated, captured Aszov admiration and respect of Europe. He got a new fighting force, when he was only 24 years old.
If czar goes outside their borders, it means go for war but now another mission plundered Europe for ideas, knowledge and talented mind. March 1697, travel anonymously, Baltic coast, city of Riga, Berlin, Hanover, and go to see Amsterdam (desired destination).Amsterdam is the richest city of the world; prove by genius of the west. Amsterdam grew on swamp, wool, gold, spices, and fleet of 4000 training ships. Peter got 100 of captains and sailors and sends them back to Russia to build ship. To recruit doctors for Russia, he visited Dutch hospital, Peter learnt to dissect corpse and pulled teeth. He discovered dentistry. King William III invited him, so he sailed for London and borrowed ideas for coins and cannons from the king.Also, traveled to Vienna, and got the geity and splender, which is new European art high society. But while he was traveling palace guards in revolt.
Russian church was a guardian of tradition and life was governed. To shave was a mortal sin, because if deface the image of man created by god. He produced scissors to cut the beard and hacked off traditional long sleeves of boyars. He tries to make Russia on world map. 1700 July, Peter wanted to take Sweden and marched along Baltic coast. Charles 12, vastly outnumber, had stormed Russian positions. Victory goes to Charles. Since no raw materials for peter to rebuild army, he took bells from Russian churches and melted them down and turned bronze into new weapons. Summer of 1701, Charles turned his attention from Russia to Poland. Peter got a land on Baltic Sea, try to build city on a swamp like what the Dutch did. 30,000 men died in order to build Saint Petersburg. Saint Petersburg was built on mud and stone. It have fortress and ship yard, which is a city that launch his empire. Deminico, recruited as an architect, filled Saint Petersburg with mighty cathedral and grace.1708, spectator of Charles 12 returned to haunt Russia, but Peter was ready. If Charles thought, he could pillage supplies for soldiers on the way, he was mistaken. Peter ordered house burnt, bridge wrecked, field wasted, so Charles went south.
“No sacrifice was too great,” Peter said. 1709, Peter made a large square trench to put cannons line them. Charles wounded unable to lead his troops, so he seeked shelter in turkey. Peter got the victory. Alexis, his son, was weak and biased, religious man and addicted to alcohol, so he flees to Vienna. But got back to face his father and got imprisoned his son in Saint Petersburg. Peter tortured his son and executed him. Alexis died during the torturing process. Peter goes to a banquet to celebrate his 9 years victory against Charles after his son dead one day. 1721, he got new title, which is Father of the Fatherland, Peter the Great, Emperor of Russia. He waged war for 21 years to create a modern army and Russia first navy. He build harbors, fortresses and new capital city, changed face of Russia forever, did all of these without borrowing single gold piece from any man/nation. 1723, He got strucked down by chronic blood infection and excruciating process in removing gallstones. November 1724, drove overboard to rescue his soldiers, so he caught a chill which turns to fever returned to Saint Petersburg a weaken man. Then he begs for absolution for his sin for the good he do for his people. Morning of January 28 in 1725, he slept into coma and died. He got buried in tomb in his own cathedral in Saint Petersburg at the age of 53 years old. One question was asked. What drove peter to do what no Russian had ever done before? Engraved seal he carried everywhere with a description “I am a pupil and need to be taught.”