The Russian Empire in the Eighteenth Century

Download or read book The Russian Empire in the Eighteenth Century written by Aleksandr B. Kamenskii and published by M.E. Sharpe. This book was released on 1997-08-28 with total page 324 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Russia's eighteenth-century drive toward modernity and empire under the two greats--Peter I and Catherine II--is fully captured in this new work by one of Russia's outstanding young historians. The author develops three themes: Russia's relationship to the West; the transformation of Holy Russia into a multinational empire; and the effects of efforts to modernize Russia selectively along Western lines. Writing in a clear, crisp style, Kamenskii enlivens the narrative with observations from contemporary literary figures and political commentators that point up the lasting significance of the events he describes.