Peter the Great

Peter the Great
Absolute monarchs had negative and positive impacts on their country. One absolute monarch who had positive impacts and negative impacts was Peter the Great of Russia. Peter the Great, pushed Russia to become a great modern power.
    Peter the Great’s many positive impacts helped form the basis of Russia. One positive impact was the westernization of Russia. Also, Peter reformed the church, improved education, simplified the Russian alphabet, and made a new civil type called the garzhdaika. Another positive impact is he set up academies for the study of mathematics, science, and engineering. Next, he led the largest army in Europe. He also modernized the calendar, simplified numerals, and encouraged private industry and mining. Lastly, he created the first Russian newspaper and senate.
    Peter the Great’s negative impacts on Russia were not much but he still had a few. One negative impact was that he reduced the power of the noble’s and the Church.. Peter also set up a tax called the beard tax. This tax meant that for anyone who had a beard, and wanted to keep it, had to pay a tax and have a beard license carried around with them all the time. If this beard liscense was not carried around at all times the person with the beard would be tortured or executed. Peter had no mercy for any who resisted the new ways of Russia so when his palace guards revolted he had all of them tortured and/or executed. As an example of his power he would leave their rotting corpses outside the palace walls for months so passersby would see the power he had.
      Every country that has had an absolute monarch as their ruler has been greatly affected by it. Whether they are positive or negative impacts every ruler has changed their country. Peter the Great was one of the greatest absolute monarchs of all time. Without absolute monarchs this world would not be what it is today.