In short, the Great Embassy of Peter the Great can be described as creating the basis for subsequent large-scale government reforms in Russia. The diplomatic mission in Europe was supposed to fulfill 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, possessing a strong navy and a fighting army.
Goals
The official diplomatic mission of the Great Embassy of Peter 1 was to strengthen the union 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 the European monarchs, which increased the chances of success in the negotiations.
Another goal of the diplomatic mission was to form a coalition to confront Sweden, which at that time was at the peak of its power and posed a real threat to both Russia and Western European states.
However, not only for the sake of negotiations, the Great Embassy of Peter the Great embarked on a long journey. The briefly hidden goal of the diplomatic mission can be described as follows: to overcome the technical backwardness of Russia from the European powers in the field of shipbuilding and industrial production. 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 on a journey in March 1697. The beginning 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 that time and caused quite understandable anger on the part of Peter. The incident disturbed the Swedish king, who demanded an explanation from the governor of Riga.
The tsar was part of the embassy incognito, using someone else's name, however, representatives of European states knew very well that the Russian monarch personally led the mission. The secret was not allowed to keep a noticeable appearance and unusually high growth of Peter 1. The great embassy, in short, simplified diplomatic etiquette thanks to the formal incognito of the king.
The Russian mission was solemnly received in Koenigsberg. The secret negotiations between Peter and Elector Frederick III on a joint struggle with the Ottoman Empire were not particularly successful, but the parties entered into a number of mutually beneficial trade agreements.
Netherlands
Dutch merchants regularly visited Arkhangelsk, so contacts between the two states existed long before the czar-reformer came to power. Masters and craftsmen from the Netherlands were in the service of Peter's father, Alexei Mikhailovich.
The Russian monarch personally participated in the construction of ships in shipyards. In parallel, the diplomatic mission was engaged in the hiring of Dutch specialists who were supposed to help in the creation of the Navy and the modernization of the army. However, not all the tasks set could be completed in the Netherlands by the Great Embassy of Peter 1. Briefly acquainted with the achievements of the Dutch shipbuilding, the king discovered that local craftsmen had a poor knowledge of the art of creating drawings and this fact prevented them from sharing their experience.
England
The diplomatic mission went to the shores of Misty Albion at the personal invitation of the king. Peter, hearing that the British were able to design ships much better than the Dutch, hoped to complete the mastery of the science of shipbuilding there. In Britain, he also worked at 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 special interest in the political structure of European states, he attended a meeting of parliament.
Austria
The embassy arrived in Vienna to negotiate a joint struggle with the Ottoman Empire. These efforts have yielded 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. The news of the Streltsy revolt forced the tsar to interrupt the 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 vivid diplomatic victories, the foundation was laid for an alliance against Sweden in the brewing 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.