Government reform of Peter the Great

The government reforms of Peter I aimed to modernize the Tsardom of Russia (later the Russian Empire) based on Western European models.

Peter ascended to the throne at the age of 10 in 1682; he ruled jointly with his half-brother Ivan V. After Ivan's death in 1696, Peter started his series of sweeping reforms. At first he intended these reforms to support the Great Northern War of 1700-1721; later, more systematic reforms significantly changed the internal structure and administration of the state.