Лекция: Achievements of Peter I in the Far East
After the Amur was closed for the Russians they continued their movement to the north of the Far East. The era of geographic discoveries was changed by the era of economic and State development. During that period Russia was establishing its right of ownership. Russian settlements were spreading from the North of Russia to the north of American Continent, to California, and even to Hawaii. Great Empires of the planet, England and France, pretending to the new lands in the Pacific, lost them completely and forever.
Peter’s age was marked with sea expeditions, the intensive study of sea and land, and development of the Far East.
The Amur River played a great role in the development of the Far East. It was the most convenient way to trade with China, Japan and other countries of the Pacific region and to supply the north of the Far East with provision and necessary goods. The most convenient border delimitation between Russia and Manchuria could also pass along the current of this river. So, growing needs of the Russian industry, and interests of the state, dictated the necessity to solve “the Amur question”.
In the 18th century a number of expeditions with the purpose to study the opportunities of the Russian-Chinese trade expansion and returning of the lands, located along the Amur River, was organized by Peter I. He tried to negotiate with the Manchurians, but negotiations were deadlocked. So he decided to protect the territory of Trans-Baikal, which bordered with Manchuria, and sent there a part of Strelets* troops. Impossibility to use the Amur River as water highway forced the Russian government and administration of Siberia to rely only on the settlements, located along the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk. Overland roads laid there were too long, almost impassable and dangerous. But Russia did not have any choice and Peter I did everything he could to develop the Far East.
He ordered to work up the Atlas of the whole Russian Empire. Its first volume was published in 1732. So Peter I was the first Russian Tzar who had the full map of his possessions.
He started searches of iron and copper ores, coal, oil deposits, gold and silver in the Ural Mountains and in Siberia. He did not let the Far East out of his mind, continuing the researches of its lands and ways across the sea. Three weeks prior to the death, in January, 1725, Peter had signed the decree to organize the first Kamchatka sea expedition under V. I. Bering’s and A. L. Chirikov’s command to find out where Kamchatka converged with America.
6. Answer the following questions:
•What era replaced the period of geographic discoveries in the Far East?
•How can we characterize that time?
•Why was the Amur River important for Russia?
•What were the aims of expeditions organized by Peter I?
•Why did he send Strelets* troops to Trans-Baikalia?
•What factor made the Russian government to rely only on the settlements located in the north of the Far East?
•Whe did Peter I order to work up the Atlas of the whole Russian Empire?
•Why did Peter I want to find the way to America?