**This class will be taught on Zoom**
This lecture examines the life and times of one of the most central figures in modern Russian history. Czar Peter the Great would devote his intense energy and autocratic power to move Russia from an isolated largely medieval state to one oriented towards Europe and a power to be reckoned with in the 18th century. Among many topics, we will examine the foundations of Czarist power, Peter's "Grand Embassy" to western Europe, his construction of Saint Petersburg, his war with the Turks and ultimately the Great Northern War with Sweden in the early 18th century.
