Peter founded a navy that became critical to Russia's wars and introduced governing institutions such as the Senate. His reforms also carried a weakness: systems intended to help people advance could harden into barriers under his successors. The Table of Ranks illustrates this danger of institutions becoming instruments of stratification. The comparison extends to the fictional Imperium of Man in Warhammer 40,000 and to a German constitution organised around having Bismarck as chancellor. Each example concerns a system whose operation depends too heavily on a particular person remaining in charge. After making peace with the Ottoman Empire, Peter turned toward Baltic domination and attacked Sweden under the mistaken assumption that its young king would be weak.
Chapter · 13:09-17:40
Peter the Great builds a navy around personal rule
Peter I founded the Russian Navy and modernized the state, but many of his institutions depended dangerously on a ruler of his own energy and authority.