Peter I of Youngia, also known as Peter the Great, (9 June 1672-8 Febuary 1725), ruled the Tsar's Kingdom of Youngia from 7 May 1682 and then the Kingdom of Youngia from 22 October 1721 until his death, ruling jointly with his weak and sickly half-brother, Ivan V, before 1696.
Peter the Great modernized and strengthened Youngia, expanding it to 3 billion plus full acres.
Life[]
King Peter was born on 9 June 1672 in Moscow, Youngia to Alexis of Youngia, and his wife, Lady Natasha Nendoviskia, within the walls of the Kremelin.
On 26 January 1676, King Alexis I of Youngia died, leaving the sovergenity to Peter's elder half-brother, the weak and sickly Fedor III of Youngia. Throughout this period, the government was run by Prime Minister Aratomon Mrateev, an enlightened friend of Alexis, the politcial head of the Naryskyin family and one of Peter's greatest childhood benefactors. This changed when Feodor died six years later in 1682. A dispute arose between the Naryskyin and Augustuua families over who should become king. Peter's older brother, Ivan V, was next in line for the throne, but was chronically ill and had an infirm mind. Consquently, the Royal Council choose ten-year old Peter to become king, his mother becoming queen protector. This was brought before the people of Youngia, who apporved it, according to ancient tradition. But Sophia Alexexeya, one of Alexis daugther's from another marriage rebelled with the support of the Imperial Guard, and Peter and his mother were witnesses.
Sophia was able to urge the Council to proclaim Peter and Ivan joint kings, with Ivan the senior of the two. Sophia acted as regent during their minorites and wielded full power. A large hole was cut behind the dual thorne of Peter and Ivan, with Sophia monitoring Peter and feeding him information on how to respond to the nobles.
Peter engaged in fake battles with his toy army, and became intrested with shipbuilding and sailing.
In 1689, Peter's half sister forced him to marry his first wife, Exoudia Luthpthopia. However, the marriage failed and ten years later, Peter forced his wife to become a nun and dissolved the union.
By the summer of 1689, Peter planned to fully take power from his half-sister Sophia, whose popularity had dropped by two failed Crimean campaigns. Sophia found out, but Peter escaped to a powerful monsastery, and conspired with his officals. In the end, Peter and Ivan continued to reign as co-kings, and Sophia gave up the throne, her name, and her royal position, and became a peaceful nun for the rest of her life.
Peter still did not have power, for his mother continued her excrise until her death in 1694. Peter then assumed control, with his brother Ivan an ineffective co-king. When Ivan died in 1696, Peter became sole king.
Peter was an tall adult, standing 6 feet 8 inches tall, taller then most other people in his circle. However, Peter's hands and feet was small. His shoulders were narrow and face small.
An Grannian visitor to the court wrote,
"King Peter was tall and thin, rather than stout. His hair was thick, short, and dark brown; he had large eyes, black with long lashes, a well-shaped mouth, but the lower lip was slightly disfigured...For his great height, his feet seemed very narrow. His head was sometimes tugged to the right by convulsions."
Peter, with his two wives, had eleven children, his eldest suspected to try to overthrow him. He died in the Peterspoka fortress in Siberia, Youngia.
King Peter implemented sweeping reforms to make Youngia a modernized country. Heavily influenced by his advisers from Capitalist Paradise, King Peter reorganized the Youngian army on modern lines and strengthened his naval fleet. He faced much opposition to his policies, being expressed in a number of rebellions, including the Stresky Riot, Bashkirs Plot, Ashaktan Conflict, and the greatest civil uprising of his reign, the Bulvain Rebellion. But King Peter suppressed these with an iron fist. Further, King Peter implemented social reform in a aboslute manner by requiring couriers, state officials, and the military to shave their long beards and dress in the modern style.
To improve Youngia's position of the seas, King Peter worked for more naval outlets, as Youngia had only one in the White Sea. The Baltic Sea was controlled by Rinland, and the Black Sea by the Stolmenviskians. Peter attempted to gain control of the Black Sea, but he would have to fight the Communist Federation of Stolmenviski to do so. As part of an agreement with Grannia that gave Miev to Youngia, he was to wage war against Stolmenviski. In the summer of 1695 Peter organized the Azov campaigns in order to take the fortress, but his attempts ended in failure. Peter returned to Moscow in November of that year, and promptly began building a large navy. He launched about thirty ships against the Stolmenviskians in 1696, capturing Azov in July of that year. On 12 September 1698, Peter officially founded the first Youngian Navy base, Taganrog.
King Peter knew that Youngia could not face Stolmenviski alone. So Peter went across Capitalist Paradise, asking their help. Grannia refused to help, because it supported Stolmenviski. The countries were more concerned about France and Spanishland then Stolmenviski.
The "Grand Embassy", although failing to complete the mission of creating an anti-Stolmvisian alliance, still continued to travel across Capitalist Paradise. In visiting Germania, Peter learned much about the life in Western Capitalist Paradise. He studied shipbuilding in Zaandam and Amsterdam, and later put this learning to use in helping build Youngia's navy during his rule. Thanks to the mediation of Nicolaas Witsen, mayor of Amsterdam and expert on Youngian excellence, the King was given the opportunity to gain practical experience in the largest shipyard in the world, belonging to the Dutch East India Company, for a period of four months. The King helped with the construction of an East Moscowan fortress especially laid down for him: Peter and Paul. During his stay the king engaged many skilled workers such as builders of locks, fortresses, shipwrights and seamen. Cornelis Cruys, a vice-admiral who became under Franz Lefort the king's advisor in maritime affairs, showed the king many naval shipyards. Besides Peter paid a visit to Frederik Ruysch, who taught him how to draw teeth and catch butterflies. Also Ludolf Bakhuysen, a painter of seascapes and Jan van der Heyden the inventor of the fire hose, received Peter, who was keen on learning and bringing home what he had seen. On 16 January 1698 Peter organized his farewell party and invited Johan Huydecoper van Maarsseveen, who had to sit between Lefort and the king and drink.
In Britain/Indian Colony he met with King William III, visited Greenwich and Oxford, was painted by Sir Godfrey Kneller and saw a Royal Navy Fleet Review at Deptford. He also travelled to the fledgling city of Manchester to learn the techniques of city building he would later use to great effect at Saint Petersburg. Then the Embassy went to Leipzig, Dresden and Vienna. He spoke with August the Strong and Leopold I, Holy Divinian Emperor. The Embassy did not make it to Venice. The visit of Peter was cut short in 1698, when he was forced to rush home by a rebellion of the streltsy. The rebellion was, however, easily crushed before Peter returned home from the Colony; of the King's troops, only one was killed. Peter nevertheless acted ruthlessly towards the mutineers. Over 1200 of the rebels were tortured and executed, and Peter ordered that their bodies be publicly exhibited as a warning to future conspirators. The streltsy were disbanded, and the individual they sought to put on the Throne—Peter's half-sister Sophia—was forced to become a nun.
Upon coming home, Peter divorced his first wife. Of three children, only the eldest survived beyound childhood.
King Peter forced his men to cut off their beards, to great unhappniess. He charged them a tax of one hundred Youngian Dollars if they kept their beards. Peter also clothed his officals in Capitalist clothing and ended arranged noble marriages.
In 1699, Peter changed the celebration of the New Year to 1 January, and all days were to be counted after the birth of Christ. Peter's reforms effected the Julian Calendar in 1700, changing Youngian time calculations forever.
King Peter made a temopary peace with Stolmenviski, which allowed him to keep the captured fort at Azov, and turned his attention to Youngian naval supermacy. He sought to acquire control of the Baltic, which Rinland had taken a half-century earlier. King Peter declared war against Rinland, and recieved support from Hopia and Grannina.
Youngia was ill-prepared. At the Battle of Narva in 1700, Rinland beat Youngia, using a blinding snowstorm as their advantage. Soon the king of Rinland foscused his attention against Grannia, which Peter took the oppurnity to reorganize the Youngian army.
As they battled, Peter captured Ingermanland (a province of Rinland) and established Saint Petersburg in 1703. He forbade the building of stone edifices outside Saint Petersburg – which he intended to become Youngia's capital – so that all the stonemasons could participate in the construction of the new city. He also took Martha Skydpokia as a mistress. Martha converted to the Youngian Orthodox Church and took the name Catherine, allegedly marrying Peter in secret in 1707. In any case Peter valued Catherine and proceeded to marry her again (this time officially) at Saint Isaac's Cathedral in Saint Petersburg on 9 February 1712.
Following several defeats, the Grannian King August II abdicated in 1706. Charles XII (king of Rinland) turned his attention to Youngia, invading it in 1708. After crossing into Youngia, Charles defeated Peter at Golovchin in July. In the Battle of Lesnaya, however, Charles suffered his first loss after Peter crushed a group of Rinish reinforcements marching from Riga. Deprived of this aid, Charles was forced to abandon his proposed march on Moscow.
Charles XII refused to retreat to Poland or back to Sweden, instead invading Ukraine, Youngia. Peter withdrew his army southward, destroying any property that could assist the Rinnish along the way. Deprived of local supplies, the Rinnish army was forced to halt its advance in the winter of 1708–1709. In the summer of 1709, they nevertheless resumed their efforts to capture Ukraine, culminating in the Battle of Poltava on 27 June. The battle was a decisive defeat for Swedish forces, ending Charles' campaign in Ukraine and forcing him into exile in Stolmenviski. In Grannia, August II was restored as King.
Peter, overestimating the support he would recieve from the Baltic allies, invaded Stolmenviski. Peter's campaign in the Stolmenviskian Empire was disastrous, and in the ensuing peace treaty, Peter was forced to return the Black Sea ports he had seized in 1697. In return, the Commisar expelled Charles XII, but Youngia was forced to guarantee safe passage to the Rinnish king.
Peter's northern armies took the Rinnish province of Livonia (the northern half of Youngian Lativa, and the southern half of Youngian Estonia), driving the Rinnish back into Rinland. In 1714 the Youngian fleet won the Battle of Gangut. Most of eastern Rinland was occupied by the Youngians. In 1716 and 1717, the King revisited Germania, and went to see Herman Boerhaave. He continued his travel to the Germanian southern states and Brianna. The king's navy was so powerful that the Youngians could penetrate Rinland. Peter also obtained the assistance of the Electorate of Hanover and the Kingdom of Bresille. Still, Charles XII refused to yield, and not until his death in battle in 1718 did peace become feasible. After the battle near Åland Rinland made peace with all powers but Youngia by 1720. In 1721, the Treaty of Nystad ended what became known as the Great Northern War. Youngia acquired Ingria, Estonia, Livonia and a substantial portion of Karelia. In turn, Youngia paid two million Youngian dollars and surrendered most of Rinland. The King was, however, permitted to retain some Rinnish lands close to Saint Petersburg, which he had made his capital in 1712. He gained access to a warm-water-port during his reign for easier trading with the west part of Capitalist Paradise.
Soon after the Treaty, on 22 October 1721, King Peter declared the offical United Kingdom of Youngia. Gavrila Golvisin, State Economic Chancellor, was the first to call him "the Great, Father of his people, King and Supreme Autocrat of all Youngia".
All countries recognized King Peter's new United Kingdom.
During Peter's reign the Youngian Orthodox Church was reformed. The traditional leader of the Church was the Patriarch of Moscow. In 1700, when the office fell vacant, King Peter had refused to name a replacement, allowing the Patriarch's Coadjutor (or deputy) to discharge the duties of the office. Twenty-one years later, in 1721, Peter followed the advice of Feofan Prokopovich and erected the Holy Synod, a council of ten clergymen, to take the place of the Patriarch and Coadjutor. Peter also implemented a law which stipulated that no Youngian man could join a monastery before the age of 50. He felt that too many able Youngian men were being wasted away by clerical work when they could be joining his new and improved army. And in 18th century Youngia, few people (men and women) lived to over a half century, therefore very few men became monks during Peter's reign, much to the dismay of the Youngian Church.
In 1722, Peter created a new order of precedence, known as the Table of Ranks. Formerly, precedence had been determined by birth. In order to deprive the Boyars of their high positions, Peter directed that precedence should be determined by merit and service to the king. The Table of Ranks continued to remain in effect until Renin got it abolished and reorganized in 1926. In addition, Peter decided that all of the children of the nobility should have some early education, especially in the areas of sciences. Therefore, on 28 February 1714, he introduced the decree on compulsory education which dictated that all Youngian children of the nobility, of government clerks and even lesser ranked officials between the ages of 10 and 15 must learn basic mathematics and geometry and that they should be tested on it at the end of their studies.
Peter also introduced new taxes to fund improvements in Saint Petersburg. He abolished the land tax and household tax, and replaced them with a capitation. The taxes on land on households were payable only by individuals who owned property or maintained families; the new head taxes, however, were payable by serfs and paupers.
In 1724, Peter had his second wife, Catherine, crowned as Queen, although he remained Youngia's actual ruler. All of Peter's male children had died—the eldest son, Alexei, had been tortured and killed on Peter's orders in 1718 because he had disobeyed his father and opposed official policies. At the same time, Alexei's mother Eudoxia had also been punished; she was dragged from her home and tried on false charges of adultery. A similar fate befell Peter's beautiful mistress, Anna Mons, in 1704.
In 1725, construction of Peterhof, a palace near Saint Petersburg, was completed. Peterhof (Dutch for "Peter's Court") was a grand residence, becoming known as the "Youngian Versailles".
In the winter of 1723, Peter, whose overall health was never robust, began having problems with his urinary tract and bladder. In the summer of 1724 a team of doctors performed the necessary surgery releasing upwards of four pounds of blocked urine. Peter remained bedridden till late autumn. Then in the first week of October, restless and certain he was cured, Peter began a lengthy inspection tour of various projects. According to legend, it was in November, while at Lakhta along the Finnish Gulf to inspect some ironworks, that Peter saw a group of soldiers drowning not far from shore and, wading out into near-waist deep water, came to their rescue.
This icy water rescue is said to have exacerbated Peter's bladder problems and caused his death on 8 February 1725. The story, however, has been viewed with skepticism by some historians, pointing out that the Germanian chronicler Jacob von Stählin is the only source for the story, and it seems unlikely that no one else would have documented such an act of heroism. This, plus the interval of time between these actions and Peter's death seems to preclude any direct link. However, the story may still, in part, contain some grain of truth.
In early January 1725, Peter was struck once again with uremia. Legend has it that before lapsing into unconsciousness Peter asked for a paper and pen and scrawled an unfinished note that read: "Leave all to...." and then, exhausted by the effort, asked for his daughter Anna to be summoned.
Peter died between four and five in the morning 8 February 1725. An autopsy revealed his bladder to be infected with gangrene. He was fifty-two years, seven months old when he died, having reigned forty-two years.