At the beginning of the 18th century, Russia needed radical changes. The boyar aristocracy could not cope with the demands of our time, its conservative outlook on things hindered the development of the country. The army and navy could not participate in strategically significant wars, society lacked culture and education, and commercial and industrial relations did not work out either.
Strategically significant transformation of Peter the Great
Peter the Great understood that his military activity was hardly compatible with state administration. Therefore, it was decided to reform the state apparatus. This process began in 1712, when the Senate was created, and ended by 1723, when the reform of the regional government was completed and the vertical of fiscal control was established. These transformations helped to strengthen the vertical of power, as well as lead to the strengthening of the apparatus of the executive branch, where special bodies - colleges - were in charge of all areas of activity. In addition, thanks to the reform of the state apparatus, the issue of equipping the army was settled, including the issue of recruitment.
The most important reform of the army and navy started during the Northern War (1700-1721). The European experience was taken as a sample. The officers, consisting of foreign specialists, were replenished with officers from the nobility. This was facilitated by the beginning of the work of the navigation, artillery, and engineering schools. The main result of the reform is the creation of a powerful regular army and navy.
The church was also reformed: Peter liquidated its autonomy and subjugated the imperial hierarchy. A series of decrees began to be issued in 1701, where the main result was the abolition of the patriarchate, and the war forced Peter to remove all valuables from church vaults. Endless wars - at first the Azov campaigns, after - the Northern War, demanded huge financial costs. The reform carried out in 1704 led to changes in the currency and the introduction of a poll tax. The size of the treasury increased by 3 times by 1725.
Russian industry also required reform. The problem of the lag in Russian production was solved by attracting foreign masters, rid the manufacturers of taxes and domestic duties, as well as the construction of large factories. Peter - the founder of the domestic heavy industry, the main result of its reforms - by the middle of the century, Russia took first place in the world in metal production.
