Peter the Great

Author Note: this post was originally written on March 19th, but because of no internet access, I am just now posting it. Here it is:

I want to post. I think I want to post mainly to push yesterday’s post down on the page, so it’s not the first thing people see. (And no, that’s not screwed up). The last few posts have been a little heavy on the emotions, and I can’t take anymore. So here are some nice facts for you today.

I finished reading a book about Peter the Great today for extra credit History of Civ. The book was fascinating, the stories were fascinating, and the man was incredibly fascinating.

Four reasons why Peter the Great was (you guessed it) fascinating:
A. The man started a military school when he was 11.
His sister sent him to a country home, and sent 100 peasant boys along, in hopes of distracting Peter from his studies (she didn’t want him to realize that he was supposed to be ruling, because she was currently enjoying ruling the country), Peter was left alone with no tutors, and all of these boys, who just wanted to play all day. Peter, however, favored education so much that he organized the boys into two regiments and had them war against each other. They had costumes, and drums, and Peter taught them all the signals that were used in real battle. In the end, the tutors were called in to stop the war between the boys. Peter ordered costumes and new tutors and organized the boys so that they were learning. When he was 18, he graduated from the military academy he had established. By this time, the school had been established as one of the best well-disciplined, and well-run military schools in the country. (It continued to train boys for another 100 years).
B. He went undercover for 2 years.
He created a group of embassadors (yes, the book spells it that way) to travel to other countries, so they could observe Western culture, and traditions. But then he decided that these embassadors testimony would not be enough, so he went with them undercover. He traveled everywhere, working in the shipyards just so he could see how other countries built ships. When word got out that the Czar (Tzar) was traveling undercover, the countries began to hold great parties for the group. Peter routinely sent his embassadors to attend the gathering, and he, instead, would go to the local tavern and discuss politics and complain about work with the local people.
C. He changed his country completely.
He did. From shaving everyone’s beards off in court, to cutting off all the fabric beneath the knee. He hated the old customs so much, that he ordered the jesters to ridicule those who did not accept the new fashion. He also put in place checkpoints that required you to pay a fine if your beard was not shaved, and another fine if your robe was not short. Peter changed fashion, style, and efficiency forever. The changes were not easy, people complained and grumbled, but he would not be moved. In the end, people realized how much easier the new systems were and followed them wholeheartedly.
D. He killed his son.
This one is a little hard to call fascinating, but in a way it is. Yes, I know, he didn’t really kill his son, but he did sentence his son to death. Alexis (son) and Peter always had issues. Peter wanted his son to want the monarchy, and Alexis didn’t. Peter wanted his son to show diligence and Alexis did not. Peter wanted his son to travel with him to other countries (he forcefully took him along on trips sometimes) and to appreciate other countries habits, and want to adopt them as his own, but Alexis didn’t care. Alexis, by his own words, wanted nothing more than to indulge himself in playfulness and nothingness all day. Alexis did at one point rebel against his father, (friends convinced him it was wise) by rallying people around him, as if he was the emperor. Peter was angry, and called for the group to be dispersed, (which it was) Peter then had his son arrested and tried by the court. Peter made a point of writing to the court and telling them to not look any more or less favorably on Alexis because he was Peter’s son. The court sentenced Alexis for treason, and sentenced him to death. Alexis ended up dying in the prison before the date was reached. Peter did not once intervene.
And there is your short history lesson for the day. Fascinating, huh?

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