Peter the Great's Reforms: Westernization and the Table of Ranks

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Peter the Great's sweeping reforms that transformed Russia from a medieval tsardom into a European empire. They focus on the Table of Ranks of 1722, a radical merit-based system that replaced hereditary nobility with service to the state. Learn how Peter, inspired by his Grand Embassy to the West, created a new bureaucracy, a modern army, and a navy from scratch. The conversation also covers the imposition of Western dress and beards, the founding of St. Petersburg, and the resistance from Old Believers and the old aristocracy. Along the way, they touch on Peter's ruthless methods, including the torture of his own son Alexei. This episode challenges the myth of Peter as a simple modernizer, revealing the human cost and enduring legacy of his revolution from above. #PeterTheGreat #TableOfRanks #Westernization #RussianEmpire #RomanovDynasty #GrandEmbassy #StPetersburg #OldBelievers #AlexeiPetrovich #Menshikov #TsardomOfRussia #18thCentury #Europeanization #Meritocracy #Nobility #History #FexingoHistory #EasternEurope Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo