Casa Romanov - Petru Cel Mare

Peter the Great of Russia (9 June 1672 - 8 February 1725) may be conveniently called a bundle of contradictions. He had so many inconsistencies in his character that it is very difficult to make a proper estimate of his personality. He often burst into violent passions and committed orgies of dissipation and acts of savage cruelty. He inflicted cruel treatment even on those who were very close to him. Peter was also capable of indomitable energy and singleness of purpose. He possessed an insatiable curiosity. He had the quality of sharp observation and his mind was open to new ideas and thoughts.

His acts often bordered on barbarity, yet he was a genius in the mechanical and technical matters, and for method and organization.

Peter also possessed some sterling qualities. Under ordinary and normal circumstances, he was frank, jovial and openhearted. While he was severe and cruel with his enemies he was a loyal and sincere friend. He was also free from the vices of deceit and double-dealing, though his behavior was often barbarous.

When he ascended to the throne, Russia was no more than a backward Asiatic nation. It had no access to the sea and was practically an inland State that was surrounded by several great powers, Sweden, Poland, Turkey and Prussia. The main bond of unity that the Russians had with Europe was that of the Christian religion. Peter was able to widen his vision and mental horizon further by visiting Germany, England and Holland. He undertook all these journeys incognito and even took up the job of a carpenter in the shipyards of Holland and England. He assimilated the whole of western civilization and returned to Russia to begin a great movement of social, political and moral regeneration.
Peter knew fully well that Russia lagged far behind other European countries. He had good contacts with some foreign residents in Moscow. His talk with those people aroused in him an ambition to make his country a great power in Europe.

Peter The Great's Cruelty and it's Effect on His Power Peter the Great's reign over Russia paved the way for Russia's future as a world power. His many reforms and westernization of the country influenced millions and left a lasting legacy. The complexity of Peter is astonishing, his intellectual curiosity, combined with his hasty temper and cruelty caused a tumultuous but successful reign as Tsar. His brilliance as a ruler profoundly effected Russian society but his cruel decisions left an indelible mark on his legacy.

He established his absolute power by fiercely putting down rebellions and even in personal relations with his wife and children. His cruelty and anger shown in his decisions gave him the power that allowed him to push Russia forward and allowed him to become the influential leader that he is known as today.
Peter's influence on Russian society was remarkable. He inherited the position of Tsar in 1682 at the age of 10 but did not come to rule until 1689 when he overturned his sister Sophia's regency and took control over the country with his half-brother Ivan. He took absolute control over the country six years later when Ivan died (Duffy and Ricci 190).
His countless reforms and westernization of Russia left it a much stronger power in European society upon his Death in 1725. His expansion of the military helped Russia strengthen their position in Europe and led to Russia's acquisition of several key pieces of land. He used reforms to create a stronger, more capable military than Russia had ever possessed. Peter used his army frequently during his reign, only one of the 36 years was peaceful. Peter's cruelty influenced many of his decisions concerning the Russian Military.

He was quick to suppress any revolts and his punishments were almost always harsh to show that he was not to be betrayed. His sentences for those who betrayed him in the Streltsy Rebellion were brutal. Peter condemned thousands for execution and used torture as a means of inflicting pain on those who had dishonored him, not only as a means to acquire a confession .
His power was shown even more greatly when he brought his own sister Sophia under questioning and confined her permanently to a convent, held under watch of a hundred guards and allowed no visitors. Peter's barbarity towards those who revolted against him allowed him to obtain an even greater amount of power in Russia.

His intimidation was only elevated by his appearance. Peter was considered a giant in this time period with a towering height of 2,06 m. His dark features and massive size were very intimidating and allowed him to easily gain the control of his subordinates. During his many travels to Western Europe his attempts at anonymity were often unsuccessful because of his great height and many companions . Peter's extraordinary curiosity about western culture brought forth several trips to trips to the countries of Western Europe, often traveling incognito. He traveled in disguise so that he could learn about the aspects of Western Culture from a different viewpoint and he gained a lot of knowledge from these voyages.

Peter's frequent travels left Russia unmanned, often for months at a time. His absence often spawned revolts and rebellions among the people. When Peter returned he showed no mercy in putting down the rebellions and asserting his absolute power over the country.
This is when Peter's true cruelty was shown, his brutality in sentencing those who rebelled brought out a different man, a man who loved to see people suffer, a man we would see more often as his reign progressed. People who expressed negative thoughts about Peter's decisions were often executed before they had a chance to gain followers and rebel against the Tsar.

Peter realized how crucial it was to maintain the power in Russia if he planned to modernize and strengthen the military; he learned as a child just how important this was. By harshly putting down revolts and rebellions, Peter sent a message to those who were thinking of opposing him.
Peter's cruelty in many ways helped him hold power in Russia. Peter's complexity as a ruler and his brutality allowed him to keep such a strong grip on the nation and allowed him to radically change his country during his reign, something that might not be possible if he wasn't feared by the people.

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