In the days before 1800 Russia was in a revolutionary period. They had been involved with their neighboring countries in battles for hundreds of years. In Europe militaries were becoming more mobile and Russia’s needed to do the same. The young Peter Alexievich became aware of this at a young age and his interest in naval ships grew. Russia shared the Baltic Sea with Poland, Germany and Sweden. Each of these countries could pose a threat to Russia. At the beginning of the 18th century Peter established a city on the mouth of Neva River, which emptied into the Baltic Sea. The city, St. Petersburg, would go on to be the center of the Russian Naval fleet and Russian shipbuilding. Peter was heavily invested in the military, especially the navy. Under his reign the navy would get off to a quick start and help Russia win military campaigns. Several institutions related to the navy would be established in St. Petersburg, during the reign of Peter the Great. In the years after the death of Peter the Great, the Navy would continue to flourish, but not with the same grandiose future that Peter had envisioned. Future rulers did not think it was a wise economic decision to maintain as large a fleet as Peter would have liked. They still made advancements and contributed to the navy, but not with the same vigor that Peter the Great had.
- Peter the Great's Early Shipbuilding
- Peter's Navy
- Russian Navy After Peter
- Bibliography
Course Home Page: "St. Petersburg: Miracle. Mystery. Authority!"
This course was created by an undergraduate student at St. Lawrence University.
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http://www.neva.ru/EXPO96/book/book-cont.html
last update: May 1, 2003
