Towards the end of the 17th century, Russia began undergoing dramatic, yet selective, internal changes. Peter the Great led the first westernization of Russia in history, permanently changing Russia and providing a model from which westernization attempts elsewhere were based on. Westernization was used by Peter and his successors to promote Russia's expansionist empire without intending to transform Russia into a truly Western society. By the end of the 17th century, Russia had become one …showed first 75 words of 475 total…

…showed last 75 words of 475 total…popular in the west. Though she encouraged Western nobles to send their children to St. Petersburg for education, she avoided cultural influence from the West. By the end of the 18th century, Russia had experienced major internal changes. Its military and bureaucracy was modified to fit a more Western model. Economically, Russia also experienced some changes, though it still remained highly agricultural. Its social changes were selective and tended to be more superficial than deepseated.