Compare And Contrast Frederick And Peter The Great

Jack Zhou
1/5/2014
Jason Fisher
AP European History
Frederick and Peter 18th centuries in Europe is marked by the rise of two new power, Russia and Prussia. These two countries came into power within a few generation because of two powerful and wise leaders. These two leaders reformed and expanded their empire. Peter the Great reformed the Old Russian social system and reformed the country, while Fredrick the Great of Prussia fought and won the impossible war with Austria, and reform and reorganized Prussia’s army to become Europe’s finest professional army. Although both brought their countries into greatness, their reason and policies are different in some areas, and similar in some.
Before peter’s reform, Russia have being mostly invisible in European economy and politics. Russia was a strictly an agricultural society, and was cut off from warm water ports, and the only sea port they have was frozen half the year. As the result Russia have almost no sea based trade with the rest of Europe. Also, the Russia Orthodox church is different from the rest of European, thus further alienating Russia. As the result, Russia became extreme Xenophobia, disliking foreign and new changes. Peter tackle the problem head on. He first forced the boyles, the Russian nobles, to shaven their long beards which symbolize status, and worked to make them loyal by publishing the table of ranks. While this is happening, the streltsy, the elite troop of Russia rebelled. Peter swiftly put down the rebellion, and killed more than 1200 people to discourage future attempts. He also attacked both the Ottomans and Sweden in order to secure a warm water port, a ruthless act that paid off, as the ottomans are still very powerful at that time. He conquered some areas of Finland and others, and used these lands to build St. Petersburg. It is a very westernized city that was often called “The window to the west”, as it connects Russia to the rest of Europe. In conclusion, Peter brought Russia into the 18th century, and made her both militarily and politically powerful through westernizing. Prussia, at the beginning of Fredrick’s reign, is a small country. It consist of varies lands across northern Holy Roman Empire, disconnected by Other Germanic states. Fredrick wants to modernize and unite his vulnerable lands, so he immediately waged war against Prussia’s biggest rival, Hapsburg of Austria unprovoked, and annexed Silesia. Then for the next ten years he enacted a large number of civil reform and civil projects. He gave a moderate amount of religious freedom, and liberalize the press from the government. He consolidate the economic power of Prussia, encouraging trade and enacting more taxes and tariffs. After the 7 years’ war was fought became of the shifting alliance between the French, Russian and Austrians. Although Frederick achieved some major victory, it is at the cost of the Prussian’s dwindling army. However when a Pro-Prussian czar came into power, Russian helped pressure the French and Austrian into a peace. He then continued his domestic project until his death in 1786. At first glance, both countries’ way of rising to power is similar.
They both possessed great amount of military knowledge, and expanded their empire into important territories, the warm water port that will open European trade and commerce for peter, and Silesia that can connect Prussia territories for Frederick. Both countries also improved its infrastructure by modernizing with Enlightenment ideas. But there are also many differences. While Frederick expand its power mostly on military conquest with its disciplined army, Peter the Great expanded by a mixture of extreme modernizing, commerce and fast wars. While Prussia fought almost everyone in Europe besides England for 7 straight years, Russia invaded Sweden and took St. Petersburg in a short, precise war. The two rulers also have different philosophy and ideals. Frederick focus more on physical action and powers, such as discipline and honor. While Peter focuses more on advancement in military and civil science and education. Their difference in goals may have being the cause of difference between the two rulers. While Peter have vast amount of land to build on, Frederick must carve out his empire, and then reform them later in time of
peace. So overall, while the goals and plan of the two ruler are different, they all achieved it through warfare and modernization. Frederick values honor and discipline, while peter values science and commerce. But in the end they all brought their nation into powerful positions from the ashes of the old world.