Russia's Rise as a European Power, 1650-1750

Whilst the Western European powers founded great trading and colonial empires in the early-modern period the states of central and eastern Europe were involved in a bitter fight for survival. The struggle between European society and the powers to their east has been a major theme in the history of the last millennium. The century between 1650 and 1750 was a crucial one in this struggle. It saw the definitive stemming of the Ottoman tide, and the establishment of Russian hegemony in eastern Europe. By altering the political situation in eastern Europe the Russian victory served to change the nature of the European international system. The consequences of this success are still with us today.