Foreign affairs and wars: wars with Sweden and Turkey; involvement in…

The idea

Peter the Great’s foreign policy from 1707 was dominated by the Great Northern War against Sweden, aiming to secure Russian access to the Baltic Sea. Following the decisive victory at Poltava in 1709, Russia dismantled the Swedish empire, culminating in the 1721 Treaty of Nystad which established Russia as a major European power. Conversely, the war with Turkey resulted in the disastrous Pruth Campaign of 1711, forcing Peter to surrender Azov and temporarily abandon his Black Sea ambitions. Beyond these primary theatres, Peter increased Russia's involvement in wider European conflicts, utilising dynastic marriages and diplomatic missions to integrate Russia into European alliance systems and project influence into northern Germany.

What earns the marks

• Assess the strategic significance of the Battle of Poltava in 1709 in turning the tide of the Great Northern War against Sweden.
• Evaluate the terms of the Treaty of Nystad in 1721 and its role in confirming Russian dominance in the Baltic region.
• Analyse the causes and consequences of the Pruth Campaign in 1711, noting the loss of Azov and the setback to Peter's southern expansion against Turkey.
• Explain Peter's methods for integrating Russia into European conflicts, including the use of dynastic marriages in German states and naval pressure in the Baltic.

Common mistakes and how to put them right

• Stating that Russia gained access to the Black Sea during this period.

  Put it right: Specify that while Peter initially took Azov, it was lost back to Turkey in 1711 at the Pruth, meaning Black Sea access was not secured.

• Viewing the Great Northern War as a continuous series of Russian victories.

  Put it right: Recognise the fluctuating fortunes of the war, noting that victory required extensive military reforms and alliances after early defeats.

• Ignoring Russia's diplomatic integration into Europe.

  Put it right: Include Peter's use of diplomacy, such as marrying his nieces into German ducal families, to secure influence in European conflicts beyond direct warfare.

Exam tips

• Contrast Peter's overwhelming success in the Baltic against Sweden with his significant strategic failures against Turkey in the south.
• Link foreign policy directly to domestic reforms, demonstrating how the demands of the Great Northern War drove Peter's military and economic changes.
• Use the Treaty of Nystad as a definitive turning point to argue when Russia formally replaced Sweden as the dominant power in northern Europe.