In short, the Great Embassy of Peter the Great can be described as creating the foundation for subsequent large-scale state reforms in Russia. The diplomatic mission in Europe was supposed to perform a number of tasks related to international relations, but its main result was to familiarize the young king with the technical achievements of Western civilization. During this long journey, Peter finally established his intention to make Russia an influential power with a strong navy and a combat-ready army.
Goals
The official diplomatic task of the Great Embassy of Peter the Great was to strengthen the alliance of Christian countries to fight Turkey. The victories won by the Russian army in the Azov campaigns raised the prestige of Russia in the eyes of European monarchs, which increased the chances of success in negotiations.
Another goal of the diplomatic mission was to form a coalition to confront Sweden, which at that moment was at the peak of its power and posed a real threat to both Russia and Western European countries.states.
However, the Great Embassy of Peter the Great set out on a long journey not only for the sake of negotiations. To accomplish this task, it was necessary to hire foreign specialists and purchase a large number of foreign weapons.
Start
The Great Embassy of Peter the Great to Europe set off in March 1697. The start of the diplomatic mission was overshadowed by an international scandal. The governor of Riga, which was then under the rule of Sweden, did not allow the young Russian tsar to inspect the city fortifications. This was a blatant disregard for the diplomatic norms of the time, and caused quite understandable anger on the part of Peter. This incident worried the Swedish king, who demanded an explanation from the governor of Riga.
The tsar was in the embassy incognito, using a false name, but representatives of European states knew very well that the Russian monarch personally heads the mission. The conspicuous appearance and unusually tall stature of Peter 1 did not allow the secret to remain. The Great Embassy, in short, simplified diplomatic etiquette thanks to the formal incognito of the king.
The Russian mission was solemnly received in Koenigsberg. Peter's secret negotiations with Elector Frederick III on a joint fight against the Ottoman Empire were not crowned with much success, however, the partiesentered into a series of mutually beneficial trade agreements.
Netherlands
Dutch merchants regularly visited Arkhangelsk, so contacts between the two states existed long before the reformer tsar came to power. Masters and artisans from the Netherlands were in the service of Peter's father, Alexei Mikhailovich.
The Russian monarch personally took part in the construction of ships at shipyards. In parallel, the diplomatic mission was engaged in hiring Dutch specialists who were supposed to help in the creation of the navy and the modernization of the army. However, the Great Embassy of Peter the Great managed to complete not all the assigned tasks in the Netherlands. Having briefly familiarized himself with the achievements of Dutch shipbuilding, the tsar discovered that local craftsmen were poorly versed in the art of creating drawings, and this circumstance prevented them from sharing their accumulated experience.
England
The diplomatic mission went to the shores of Foggy Albion at the personal invitation of the king. Peter, having heard that the British are able to design sea vessels much better than the Dutch, hoped to complete the development of the science of shipbuilding there. In Britain, he also worked in the royal shipyard under the guidance of experienced professionals. In addition, the young king visited arsenals, workshops, museums, observatories and universities. Despite the lack of particular interest in the political structure of European states, he was present at a meeting of parliament.
Austria
The embassy arrived in Vienna to negotiate a joint struggle with the Ottoman Empire. These efforts have brought almost no results. Austria intended to conclude a peace treaty with the Turkish sultan and did not support Russia's desire to become a full-fledged maritime power. News of the Streltsy rebellion forced the tsar to interrupt his diplomatic mission and return to Moscow.
Results
In short, the results of the Great Embassy of Peter the Great can be called positive. Despite the lack of spectacular diplomatic victories, the foundation was laid for an alliance against Sweden in the brewing Great Northern War. The tsar brought to Russia about 700 specialists, who later played a significant role in reforming and strengthening the army. Modernization of the country has become inevitable.
