Below is a link to two readings from biographies on Peter the Great (Peter I) of Russia. Peter made a diplomatic mission to Western Europe in 1697-1698 with the goal to strengthen alliances with European countries against the Ottoman Empire. Bishop Gilbert Burnet was a Scottish philosopher and historian who served as the Bishop of Salisbury. He met Peter in January 1698 during Peter’s visit to England. Jean Rousset de Missy was French writer and historian.
For this assignment, please read the excepts from Bishop Burnet’s Peter the Great (1698) and Rousset de Missy’s Life of Peter the Great (c. 1730), and then answer the discussion questions below.
Link (Links to an external site.)
https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/mod/petergreat.asp
Source: “Peter the Great and the Rise of Russia, 1682-1725,” Internet History Sourcebook
Discussion Questions:
1. How does Burnet describe Peter I of Russia? How does Burnet’s account reveal Peter’s interest in western European societies?
2. According to Rousset de Missy, what reforms did Peter I institute in Russia? What do you believe was Peter’s objective in instituting reforms in hairstyling, clothing, and entertainment?
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