John Andrade

 W Europe- very accessible to water  Ports on Atlantic, Mediterranean, North Sea, etc.  Allowed for aquatic trade  Trade by water = more contact + cultural diffusion w/ outside world

 E Europe- virtually landlocked  Only large bodies of water were Baltic + Black Seas, which weren’t available to every country  Main form of trade was by land  Land trade = more difficult  less contact with outside world  ISOLATION

 Because of different levels of contact w/ outside world, two very distinct cultures emerged  Culturally separated by the Elbe-Trieste Line ◦ Imaginary line east of Italy  W Europe- much more modern society ◦ Mercantilist economy ◦ Strong CENTRALIZED government ◦ Beginnings of democracy starting to come up

 E Europe- more “behind” ◦ Still in feudalistic stage ◦ Local lords had power as opposed to national monarch  lack of centralization ◦ Leaders envied Western rulers w/ absolute power (e.g. Louis XIV)

 Hemmed into Europe ◦ Swedes controlled Baltic, Ottomans controlled Black Sea  no access to water besides rivers whatsoever ◦ Kept Russians from developing a strong economy like that of Western nations  Had a tsar, but lacked the power of a Western monarch

 Reigned  Had to deal w/ boyars and streltsy vying for power ◦ Boyars- old nobility ◦ Streltsy- palace guards  visited W Europe to see how those nations worked so well  Came back determined to make Russia a greater, modern power

 1 May 1703, during Great Northern War, Peter’s forces captured Swedish fortress on the Neva River  27 May lower downstream, made Peter and Paul Fortress = first building of new city  Built by serfs + Swedish prisoners of war ◦ Many people died building city  nicknamed “The City of Bones”  Became the capital of Russia 1712

 Peter wanted Russia to become more modernized  Founded city in the west, near the Baltic Sea to be closer to Europe  City meant to be a “window on Europe” ◦ Shed light on and bring Western ideas to Russia  St. Petersburg, throughout time = WESTERNIZATION  This goal in mind until Russian Revolution in 1917

 1. Kagan, Donald, Steven E. Ozment, and Frank M. Turner. The Western Heritage: since Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, Print.  2. "History of St. Petersburg, Russia: Peter the Great (short Biography)." St. Petersburg at Your Fingertips: City Guide and Travel Information Service. Web. 07 Nov