Russian Empire in the Eighteenth Century: Tradition and Modernization

Russia''s 18th-century drive toward modernity and empire under the two "greats" - Peter I and Catherine II - is captured in this 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. W...