Towards the end of the 17th century, Russia began undergoing dramatic, yet selective, internal changes. Peter the Great led the first westernization of Russia in history, permanently changing Russia and providing a model from which westernization attempts elsewhere were based on. Westernization was used by Peter and his successors to promote Russia's expansionist empire without intending to transform Russia into a truly Western society.
By the end of the 17th century, Russia had become one of the great land empires while maintaining a highly agriculturally based society. In the existing fr…
