At the beginning of the 18th century, Russia was in need of fundamental transformations. The boyar aristocracy could not cope with the demands of our time, its conservative outlook on things hampered the development of the country. The army and navy could not participate in strategically significant wars, society lacked culture and education, and commercial and industrial relations did not develop either.
Strategically significant transformations of Peter the Great
Peter the Great understood that his military activity was hardly compatible with state administration. Therefore, it was decided to reform the state apparatus. This process began in 1712, when the Senate was created, and ended by 1723, when the reform of the regional administration was completed and the vertical of fiscal control was established. These transformations made it possible to strengthen the vertical of power, as well as lead to the strengthening of the executive power apparatus, where special bodies - collegia - were in charge of all spheres of activity. In addition, thanks to the reform of the state apparatus, the issue of equipping the army was settled, including the issue of recruitment.
The most important reform of the army and navy began during the Great Northern War (1700-1721). The European experience was taken as a model. The officer corps, consisting of foreign specialists, was replenished with officers from the nobility. This was facilitated by the start of the navigation, artillery, engineering schools. The main result of the reform is the creation of a powerful regular army and navy.
The church was also reformed: Peter eliminated its autonomy and subordinated it to the imperial hierarchy. A series of decrees began to be issued in 1701, where the main result was the abolition of the patriarchate, and the war forced Peter to withdraw all valuables from church depositories. Endless wars - first the Azov campaigns, after - the Northern War, demanded huge financial costs. The reform carried out in 1704 led to changes in the monetary currency and the introduction of the poll tax. The size of the treasury by 1725 increased by 3 times.
Russian industry also demanded reforms. The problem of the backwardness of Russian production was solved by attracting foreign craftsmen, ridding manufacturers of taxes and internal duties, as well as building large factories. Peter - the founder of the domestic heavy industry, the main result of his transformations - by the middle of the century Russia took first place in the world in the production of metals.
Social politics
Peter's social policy was aimed at the legal strengthening of estate rights and obligations. He built a new structure of society, which was of a class character. At the same time, the rights of the nobles expanded, but the peasants did not: serfdom was significantly strengthened.
The introduction of a new chronology is considered to be the starting point in cultural transformations. The Byzantine era has been replaced by a year from the birth of Christ, that is, the numbering of years has changed. An important innovation is the introduction of the nobility to education through the emergence of secular educational institutions.
Household forms have also undergone significant changes. Home decoration, way of life, food and appearance of a person began to rely on European experience. All this also formed a new system of values.
