How much time is needed to turn a kingdom into an empire? It depends, but Russia needed 21 years and one war, albeit a long one.
August 30, 1700, the military confrontation between Russia and Sweden began, a confrontation that would later be called the Great Northern War. Twenty-one years and 11 days later the war ended with the signing of a treaty in the Finnish city of Nystad. In that same year, 1721, Peter the Great declared Russia an empire.
Looking back on this several centuries later, this seems a bit strange. For example, why would a victory against Sweden on the northeastern outskirts of Europe be given such significance. Why would this historic episode give the Russian tsar the right to crown himself an emperor, with all the European royal courts readily agreeing?
Sweden of the 17th and 18th centuries was quite different from today’s peaceful state, which is convinced that imperial ambitions and bourgeois prosperity are mutually exclusive. At the very beginning of the 19th century, having lost its eastern territories, the Swedes decided in favor of prosperity.
And I would venture to guess that among our compatriots today, a larger percentage would prefer the Swedish model to Russian imperial model. After all, it’s better to read books and watch films about heroes while abiding in a comfortable setting with your property insured, right?
Since the time of Dmitry Donskoy, in pursuit of our habitually ambitious goals we have had to spill copious amounts of Russian and other’s blood. But the Swedes’ tranquility today also came at a high price. They had been fighting in wars constantly for 100 years prior to the Great Northern War. It was considered the most aggressive power on the European continent and had the best army.
Thus, the crushing defeat of Russian forces at the hands of Swedish army in the Battle of Narva in 1700 should not be cause for surprise. And thus, when Peter I got his revenge on Karl XII at the Battle of Poltava in 1709, the Europeans and Turks were forced to recognize that the slowly maturing state on the eastern boundary of Europe had finally fully matured into an imperial state.
Following the war of 1914-1918, the term “world war” came into use for the first time. And for now, and I hope until the end of human history, it has only been used to describe two horrible events. However, it is a surprise to me that the term “European war” has never gained traction. Such a term would be appropriate to describe a number of military conflicts on this most energetic of continents.
The Great Northern War was certainly such a war of pan-European proportions. In addition to Russia and Sweden, other players included Denmark/Norway, Saxony, Prussia, Hannover, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Britain and Turkey, together with the Crimean Tatars. The war took place not only on the territories of the abovementioned countries but also in Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Finland, Ukraine and Belarus.
After glancing at this list, it becomes apparent why the victorious Russia had the right to call itself the Russian Empire.
“But what has this given us?” we might be asked by those who would prefer to live as the Swedes.
An extraordinary amount, I would answer. The enormous territories and riches held within them that we have today. The population of the country increased from 15 million at the start of the Great Northern War to 270 million at the peak of the Soviet period. Colossal authority in the world, allowing Russia to influence many important issues over the course of nearly three centuries, particularly following 1812 and 1945. And a lot more.
Perhaps more appropriate is the question of whether we have been able to use these treasures appropriately. And how are we using what remains of them today.
The word “empire” has over time, thanks to propaganda, been tarnished with negative connotations. The Ottoman Empire, Austro-Hungarian Empire and British Empire all have negative connotations. And only the lazy fail to criticize modern American imperialism. Interestingly, the ancient Roman and Persian empires are for some reason remembered with an air of Romanticism.
An empire is an extremely complex structure that bears enormous responsibility in comparison, for example, to the more comfortable Swedish socialist state model. Empires not only have great victories in which to take pride but also bear the burden of great mistakes and tragedies. Nonetheless, it is difficult to overestimate the contribution of empires in human history.
Five years ago a new holiday was added to Russia’s calendar – National Unity Day, which is celebrated November 4. Those on the left of the political spectrum assert that this day was specially chosen to replace the former holiday on November 7, when the October Revolution was traditionally celebrated. Authorities say this is not true: the date coincides with the expulsion of Polish invaders from Moscow in the early 17th century. Others say that November 4 is the day on which the Orthodox icon Our Lady of Kazan is celebrated.
As history would have it, on October 22, 1721 (the Day of Our Lady of Kazan according to the old-style calendar), Peter the Great was declared Emperor of Russia (and Russia itself an empire). So, if the Russian Empire was declared on the Day of Our Lady of Kazan, would it not be appropriate to mark the founding of the Russian Empire on the National Unity Day?
