Peter the Great's Grand Embassy
In 1697, Tsar Peter the Great set out on one of history's most unusual diplomatic missions. Traveling across Europe under the alias "Peter Mikhailov," the towering Russian ruler attempted to remain anonymous while studying the technologies, industries, and military innovations that had made Western Europe so powerful. Unsurprisingly, almost no one believed his disguise. Rather than simply meeting kings and diplomats, Peter worked in Dutch shipyards as a carpenter, studied naval architecture in England, toured factories and arsenals, and absorbed ideas he believed could transform Russia. His…
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