Peter the Great

Three of the major areas we focused on at ACSC have been leadership, the nature of war, and war theory. Through these subjects we have learned how to analyze and evaluate individual leaders, their policies, and how those leaders used their military forces to achieve political goals. I intend to apply this methodology to Tsar Peter I (The Great) of Russia. From previous study, I learned that Peter I was something of a revolutionary leader -- one who pushed his society towards the modern West and away from the Orthodox Slav center and Asiatic East. I also know that he was successful in most of his pursuits. I intend, therefore, to analyze Peter's development as a leader, the formation of his foreign policy, and the way he used his military forces to achieve his goals. I believe that Peter's success was at least partly due to the fact that he was able to blend the instruments of power available to him and that his military adventures were not the product of a megalomaniacal desire for personal aggrandizement, but rather the by-product of a well calculated strategic plan. I will pay particular attention to the military and trace its development and transformation under Peter's leadership. This, of course, will require the analysis of at least a few campaigns and battles. I hope to determine to what extent Peter ensured congruency between his political agenda and the application of his military forces at the strategic and operational levels.