Russia 1789 CE
Rulers such as Peter the Great and Catherine the Great have been modernizing Russia.
Subscribe for more great content – and remove ads
What is happening in Russia in 1789CE
Tsar Alexis (1645-76) oversaw the “liberation” of large tracts of the Ukraine from Poland-Lithuania.
His son, Peter the Great (1689-1726), was determined to modernise (i.e. Europeanise) Russia, and set about doing so with enormous energy. He expelled Sweden from the Baltic coast (giving Russia much prized access to ice-free waters), actively encouraged commerce and industry, founded a navy, re-organized the army along modern lines, carried out a root-and-branch reform of the administration, forced the nobles to shave their beards and wear European dress, introduced western education and built a new capital on some marshland on the Gulf of Finland – St Petersburg, one of Europe’s most spectacular cities
After Peter the Great’s reign, factional strife at court led to a series of short, weak reigns until the empresses Elizabeth (ruled 1741-61), and Catherine II, “the Great”, (1762-96) consolidated his reforms. In particular, they called into being a loyal and competent administration, and centralised the government. Under both empresses, Russia’s borders have expanded at the expense of the Ottoman empire, Poland-Lithuania (especially in the First Partition of Poland in 1772), and the Crimean Khanate.
Subscribe for more great content – and remove ads
Subscribe for more great content – and remove ads
What else is happening in the rest of the world...

France history 750CE
The Kingdom of the Franks now covers all of the old Roman region of Gaul.

Spain and Portugal history 750CE
Muslim forces from North Africa have conquered most of present-day Spain and Portugal.

Britain history 750CE
A collection of Anglo-Saxon kingdoms now covers most of present-day England, and the rest of the British Isles is home to numerous Celtic tribes and kingdoms

Italy history 750CE
In Italy, long wars have caused massive destruction, and the peninsula is now divided between the Lombards and Byzantines
Lost your way? See a list of all maps
Subscribe for more great content – and remove ads