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... inked. Perhaps he truly expressed his thoughts on power when he pronounced, "Moscow, would be saved not by pity, but by cruelty" (Massie 255). Peter sought out all that had any negative feelings about his power and everyone was under suspicion. He believed that someone had to have influenced the rebellion of the Streltsy and looked to his half-sister Sophia for an answer. The Streltsy, had their revolt been successful, would have allowed Sophia to gain power again as regent.
Peter brought his sister under questioning but she refused to confess to any charges. He spared her life but confined her to a convent where she was held under tight watch and allowed no visitors (Troyat 53). Peter now moved to the sentencing of the Streltsy who had betrayed him. The Streltsy that were captured as prisoners were tortured unbearably up until their executions for two reasons. Peter wanted to gain as much information as possible on the uprising and the cause for it but he also wanted those men to suffer for the acts that they had committed and assert his power to prevent further rebellions. The men would be tortured in a variety of different ways but mainly with the blog, the knight, and fire (Massie 256).
Upon arriving to their executions, many of these men could not walk as a result of the inhumane torture that they had been forced to endure. The men went quietly; perhaps because they saw it as an end to the countless hours of pain they had experienced. Every few days, more of the Streltsy were executed and the bodies of all were hung from beams and gibbets, reminding those opposed to Peter to keep silent (Massie 258). Peter almost ridiculed some of those in their executions, he had the leaders of the rebellion hung right outside of Sophia's room, holding a piece of paper representing the very same petition in which they had asked for Sophia to rule.
They remained outside her room for the duration of the winter (Duffy and Ricci 208). Not all of those who were among the revolting Streltsy were executed though. Men under the age of 20 were branded on the right cheek and exiled from Russia while some had their ears or noses cut off. These men served as constant reminders of the rebellion and how harshly it was put down (Duffy and Ricci 208). It is possible that Peter himself served as an executioner as some sources stated (Massie 260). Peter used this rebellion to strengthen his grip on Russia, asserting his power and shutting down this revolt sent a strong message to his opposition.
Peter realized how crucial it was to maintain the power in Russia if he planned to modernize and strengthen the military; he learned as a child just how important this was. By harshly putting down revolts and rebellions, Peter sent a message to those who were thinking of opposing him. Peter's cruelty in many ways helped him hold power in Russia. Peter's complexity as a ruler and his brutality allowed him to keep such a strong grip on the nation and allowed him to radically change his country during his reign, something that might not be possible if he wasn't feared by the people. In his later life, Peter once again showed his extreme cruelty by allowing his own son to be sentenced to execution. Peter married a shy girl named Eudoxia when he was 17 years old in 1789 (Duffy and Ricci 196).
Their marriage was a disaster because Eudoxia was uneducated and shared little of Peter's interest of Western Society (Massie 76). Before their marriage would end in 1800, Eudoxia had given birth to two children, Alexis and Alexander. Alexander would die during his infancy but Alexis led a tragic life that haunted Peter (Massie 76) Alexis, the Tsarevich, and heir to the throne, feared his father enormously throughout his life and was not at all interested in many of the things associated with his father (Hosking 93). Peter struggled to educate Alexis on the things he would need to know in order to become Tsar but Alexis seemed to have no interest. Alexis even questioned his father's reforms and angered him greatly. Alexis' hate for his father grew to the point where he would take medicines to make himself ill so he wouldn't have to make public appearances or duties (Massie 670).
As Alexis' interests drifted further and further away from Peter's, he looked for an escape. Alexis worried that his father would deny him of the throne or perhaps even send him to a monastery (Massie 681). In a frantic state, Alexis fled his father's grasp to the castle of Ehrenberg in the remote Tyrolean valley (Massie 682). He traveled with a few servants and his mistress; a peasant girl named Afrosina. Peter heard of Alexis' flight while traveling in Amsterdam and was furious about the embarrassment that Alexis was causing him. Peter worried about a cause for rebellion and saw this incident as a possible spark for revolt.
It was essential for Peter to locate his son and reconcile to prevent any further plans of rebellion. Alexis was content with his surroundings however, and still cowered at the thought of returning to his father. When Alexis learned of his father's pursuit, he fled once again. Alexis and his party arrived in Naples in Southern Italy in early May of 1717 (Troyat 215). Peter had since learned of his son's whereabouts and made plans to have him followed. He was humiliated by his son's disobedience and planned on actions he could take to bring him back.
Peter sent Peter Tolstoy, one of his best diplomats to Naples with the mission of returning his son to Russia by any means necessary. Tolstoy was given a letter, which informed Alexis that his father would pardon him if he returned and that if he did not, he would be deemed a traitor, and Peter would use force in order to bring him back (Massie 686). Alexis first refused to return but quickly reconsidered when Tolstoy lied, telling him that Peter was coming himself to seize him. Alexis agreed to return to Russia if he was granted two requests, to be allowed to live a simple life in a country house and that he be allowed to marry Afrosina. Tolstoy told Alexis that he would grant the demands, later writing to Peter, telling him that Alexis' disappearance would be explained by Alexis running away with a mistress and not because of problems with his father Bibliography:
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