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Peter the Great


Racoon

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I watched a good documentary on 'ol Peter the Great. Ruthless Tzar of Russia.

To his credit, he learned to be ruthless to ascend and maintain his rightful throne.

 

What I thought brilliant of the giant of a man (he stood 6ft 7 inches), is that he practically modernized a medeival,backword thinking country in a single lifetime.

"Westernizing" Russia into a formidable power.

 

The battles with Sweden and his construction of St. Petersburg cemented his legacy.

But it did come at a terrible price on all the peasants and Russians. And his own agonizing personal conflict with his son who should have carried out his legacy.

 

Peter devoured new "technologies" and knowledge as opposed to being content with the traditional Catholic Orthodoxy.

 

All in all, a man who transformed a good portion the world and put Russia on the map as a global power; very quite interesting...

 

Peter I of Russia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

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Peter devoured new "technologies" and knowledge as opposed to being content with the traditional Catholic Orthodoxy.

You did mean Russian Orthodoxy?

 

Russia's main problem or dilemma during Peter's time was trying to figure out if she was a Western country or an Eastern country. Russia should have taken the best of both cultures and perhaps later she could have avoided the Soviet era and still reformed government. Peter should be given credit for his campaign to modernize Russia. The problem that Russia still faces today is if it should liberalize or remain a totalitarian nation. During Yeltsin's era liberals had great hope, but it looks like Putin has brought Russia back into the totalitarian fold. I am not surprised because as my Russian history professor says, "Russia and her people have a love hate relationship with totalitarianism."

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this draws some ideas.... didn't i post one of my papers on Peter, here...?

gotta go back and find it now :turtle:

 

Aah, rac, here's one of my papers on him: http://hypography.com/forums/history-forum/8474-peter-reformer.html#post133639

 

 

Nice paper Alex, although I might have thought him a bit more active verb.

 

Try to imagine this man in his time, at his stature, with all his ideas broiling about against traditional Russian culture!

 

His Obsession was building a sea-worthy fleet of ships,! When he/Russia was inherintly land-locked! :Glasses:

He was obsessive with his thirst for modern knowledge... Quite contrarian to the tradional medieval stuck-in-the-muds that ruled for centuries...

 

I don't think you do the man his true Justice... Its a nice college assignment..

IMO

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I do him more justice then you think. Besides the assignment was not as much on Peter's obsession with the fleet, it was more on his politics, i just happened to start the paper with a biography.

 

And also i may have missed the fleet part because i have dealt with it so much, that it becomes one of those things that you know in the back of your mind when he is mentioned, and not think on it wilst writing the paper. (I am from St.Petersburg, so yeah peter was something we studied a lot in school...)

 

Lastly the paper was written to a teacher that just finished another biography of peter, and his reforms, i wanted it to have facts that not many people know, and that are not commonly mentioned in non Russian literature (and that my friend is not something that is commonly translated). So the goal was to get a comment on the paper that would show that there was something new learned from it by the teacher, and that mission was well-accomplished. (p.s. the paper i posted here is not the full version, but i lost the original... or maybe it is in my google papers account.... gotta go look now)

 

BBL, i'll get you some more facts later on that you wont be able to find in English lit, so you can impress your history teachers too :agree:

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  • 1 month later...
You did mean Russian Orthodoxy?

 

Russia's main problem or dilemma during Peter's time was trying to figure out if she was a Western country or an Eastern country. Russia should have taken the best of both cultures and perhaps later she could have avoided the Soviet era and still reformed government. Peter should be given credit for his campaign to modernize Russia. The problem that Russia still faces today is if it should liberalize or remain a totalitarian nation. During Yeltsin's era liberals had great hope, but it looks like Putin has brought Russia back into the totalitarian fold. I am not surprised because as my Russian history professor says, "Russia and her people have a love hate relationship with totalitarianism."

 

Who would choose starvation and no economic opportunity over a full belly and economic opportunity? When economic warfare with capitalist countries destroyed the Soviet Unions economy, and therefore the USSR, it was not a good thing for the people.

 

I don't think we should be one sided in our judgement about what is good for a nation, but should perhaps open up the discussion of what it means to be a Western Country or an Eastern one.

 

When I saw the story of Peter the Great, I was appalled by the fact that men followed him with some idea that he had the right to rule. What gives one human the right to rule over others? These men would not have such power if men didn't follow them with some idea that a supreme power gives them the "right" to rule. Which brings me to the fact the USSR severly rejected religion and the power of the church. This was not necessarily atheism and a rejection of God, communism is the teachings of Jesus made into law. It was the rejection of the power of the church which was deserved because of the abuses of power.

 

My thoughts seem vague at the moment. I hope someone can pick up on them and clarify these issues.

 

We have:

What is the difference between East and West?

 

What gives a man the right to rule?

 

Why did the people rebell against the church and therefore, religion in general, instead of using Christianity to support communism?

 

The concept of technology, and resting our lives on the advancement of technology, rather than other social values such as family and religion, somehow plays into all this. The USSR is minerally the wealthiest nation on earth, and with advanced technolgy to develop this mineral wealth, it would be the wealthiest nation on earth, and that means the most powerful. The US has exhausted its mineral wealth, and is spending the last of its wealth on military conquest. What is it that prevents some nation from embrassing technlogy? This seems to be old world values verses new world values, east verse west? Orthodox means stuck in the past.

 

Orthodox-the dominant Christian communion in Eastern Europe, Asia, and Egypt. It recognizes the headship of Constantinople rather than Rome (Catholic) or secular authority (Protestant).

 

I read the paper and commented on it too soon, before checking with my encylopedia. The paper didn't say what he had done for mining, industry and the infrastructure. His interest in merit rather than nobility came from associating with the Germans in his youth, it was not his own genius. I think the man's short comings cancel out his qualities as a great man. He was an egotistical maniac who drove away his wife and killed his own son, for disagreeing with him. Besides all the people who dies needless by his command. As long as there are people who consider men like this great, the world is in trouble.

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When I saw the story of Peter the Great, I was appalled by the fact that men followed him with some idea that he had the right to rule. What gives one human the right to rule over others?

 

The same thing that makes money work, if we both agree that a granola bar is worth $1, then we have an exchange of goods, you give me one dollar, i give you granola bar. The same way with Religion and Politics, if i believe that you are a ruler, and you believe that you are a ruler, then you are a ruler.

 

Besides from that, he was a decedent of the Romanov family, the family that has by that point ruled Russia for 90 some odd years...

 

What is the difference between East and West?
they are not the same, but not dissimilar to those between north and south

 

What gives a man the right to rule?

covered the basics of that

 

Why did the people rebell against the church and therefore, religion in general, instead of using Christianity to support communism?

You my friend have not read the manuscripts.... Communism defines religion as "opium for the people", and is therefore exterminated. And i am not saying it's right, i personally hate the party for destroying millions of priceless artifacts and structures, communism was a religion, though not to be confused, Russia never became a "communist" country .... you just refer to it as such because it's easy...

 

What is it that prevents some nation from embrassing technlogy?

generally either resources to develop technology, or simply not wanting to adapt technology as a defensive strategy coming from their history

 

Oh, i don't mean to offend you if i have done such, either in this post or the one i just posted to the "Peter the Reformer" section (yes i would rather continue that discussion in this thread). I did seem to ponder about your history background, but that is only because it seems that the statements are a bit bold, so i would more then love to discuss Peter's Russia with you, it is a fascinating topic (as any historical topic generally is).

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The same thing that makes money work, if we both agree that a granola bar is worth $1, then we have an exchange of goods, you give me one dollar, i give you granola bar. The same way with Religion and Politics, if i believe that you are a ruler, and you believe that you are a ruler, then you are a ruler.

 

Besides from that, he was a decedent of the Romanov family, the family that has by that point ruled Russia for 90 some odd years...

 

they are not the same, but not dissimilar to those between north and south

 

 

covered the basics of that

 

 

You my friend have not read the manuscripts.... Communism defines religion as "opium for the people", and is therefore exterminated. And i am not saying it's right, i personally hate the party for destroying millions of priceless artifacts and structures, communism was a religion, though not to be confused, Russia never became a "communist" country .... you just refer to it as such because it's easy...

 

 

generally either resources to develop technology, or simply not wanting to adapt technology as a defensive strategy coming from their history

 

Oh, i don't mean to offend you if i have done such, either in this post or the one i just posted to the "Peter the Reformer" section (yes i would rather continue that discussion in this thread). I did seem to ponder about your history background, but that is only because it seems that the statements are a bit bold, so i would more then love to discuss Peter's Russia with you, it is a fascinating topic (as any historical topic generally is).

 

 

Okay, you gave some real meaty comments, good for discussion, and no offense taken. I don't know much and have much to learn.

 

Democracy is based on natural law, and that means rulers are the ones with the most merit, and the people decide who that is. They do not inherit power though a family line such as Peter did. What gave the Romanov family the power to rule? Why did anyone believe these people had that right? What does religion tells us about God's will and rulers? What did Martin Luther believe about masters and those who serve them and God's will? What about communism, makes it turn against religion? What did the Germans have to do with detroying the privilege of nobility and establishing getting a position based on merit? You met notice there is interesting paradox and complexity to these questions.

 

There is a very real difference between east and west that we need to identify and discuss. What is despotism and why choose it over democracy?

What made Athens incompatable with Persia? Is Christianity compatable with democracy? :):lol: Is Islam compatable with democracy? :):eek: What made Athens different? God's will or individual effort? :hihi:

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