B. Bullet two ways by which Peter the Great tried to westernize Russia
C. Name one territory he gained for Russia
D. Explain one reason why Catherine the Great was interested in extending her empire to the Black Sea.
A. Before Peter the Great, Russia was more of an Asian nation than a European nation.
a.i. Before Peter the Great, no Russian had the courage to even try to convert Russia into an westernized, European nation. When Peter the Great acquired power, he improved the Russian army, remodeled the social and economic structure of Russia and conquered territory towards Sweden to gain access to the Baltic Sea.
B. Peter the Great tried to westernize Russia by:
a.i. Applying European culture, including: clothing and life style and even forcing men to shave their long beards.
a.ii. Improving: industry, military, housing, trading, manufacturing and agriculture by more taxes.
C. Peter the Great gained many territories from 1700 to 1721. Peter the Great led Russia in a war against Sweden. From this war, Russia gained control over territory along the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea. This land gave Russia a direct approach by water to the rest of Europe. Peter attacked Persia and conquered territory along the Caspian Sea. These conquests helped Russia to expand its trade with other countries.
D. Catherine the Great was interested in extending her empire towards the Black Sea because:
a.i. She wanted to continue the expansionist policies of Peter the Great and conquer the black sea in order to please Russia’s demands of sought warm ports.