At the end of the 17th century, Russia was isolated from the rest of Europe. By the end of the 18th century, Russia had undergone a political transformation to become one of Europe’s great powers. This course will examine the rise of Russia from the time of Peter the Great to the age of Catherine the Great. During the 17th century, the Romanov dynasty became the dominant ruling force in Russia. Despite this, Russia was not just geographically peripheral to the rest of Europe, but was also culturally, politically and economically marginal. This began to change during the reign of Peter the Great. From the 1690’s, as he consolidated his power, Peter would change the course of Russian history by directing reforms that began a process of modernisation. By the time he died in 1725, Peter had laid the basis for the establishment of Russia as one of Europe’s great powers.

Using a wide range of primary and secondary sources, this course will examine closely the personality and policies of Peter the Great and how his legacy endured throughout the 18th century. It shaped the reign of all those who followed him, Catherine I, Peter II, Anna, Elizabeth and most significantly, Catherine the Great. As a German princess, Catherine came to personally symbolise the changing nature of Russia. During her reign from 1762 to 1796, Catherine not just consolidated Peter’s legacy but increased the physical size and political importance of Russia. She became the living embodiment of an ‘enlightened despot’.