The Peters
Under Peter the Great, Russia was now a strong empire, with territories spanning from the Pacific in the east to the Baltic in the west, from the North Pole in the north to the deserts of East Asia to the south. However, a threat came to Russia’s influence in the Baltic – Sweden. Sweden declared war and lost against Russia in the Great Northern War (1700 – 1721). 1703 Peter the Great founded Saint Petersburg as Russia’s new and modernized capital. Also, during his rule, significant reforms were made to modernize Russia. Peter’s daughter, Elizabeth, saw Russia win the Seven Years’ War (1756–1763). However, their gains were given back during the rule of pro-Prussian Peter III of Russia.
Catherine the Great
Catherine II, or Catherine the Great, oversaw the significant expansion of Russia. She presided over the Russian Age of Enlightenment, with advancements in the arts and sciences. She annexed the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, significantly increasing Russia’s population. In the south, after the successful Russo-Turkish Wars against the Ottoman Empire, Catherine advanced Russia to the Black Sea by annexing the Crimean Khanate. To the east, they conquered the Caucus Mountains in the Russo-Persian Wars. After a period of instability, Alexander I took Finland from Sweden and led Russia in the Napoleonic Wars. Also, Russia colonized Alaska, the first European power to do so.
Instability(?)
The now-liberal officers and army who had brought ideas back from Europe after invading it revolted in the Decembrist revolt of 1825. During the rule of Nicholas I, Russia lost in the Crimean War. His successor, Alexander II, enacted significant changes throughout the country during the emancipation reform of 1861. These reforms introduced much industrialization in Russia and allowed the movement of Serfs from farms to factories. Russia also liberated the Balkans from the Ottomans in the 1877–1878 Russo-Turkish War. Russia and Britain argued over Afghanistan and its neighboring territories in the Great Game. After this, there was much unrest and instability, and Russia started declining.
