Peter the Great did many things during his life, but he was best known for the Westernization of Russia. Peter arrived in Russia in 1682, Peter wanted to turn Russia into a more modernized country, and he had his own way of doing it. It was Peter's way, or it wasn't. He thought the best way to get the European powers was to become just like them. When he began his process of Westernizing Russia, he sent fifty nobles to Western Europe and made them learn the culture and way of life. There were many ways in which Peter could have changed Russia, but he looked for his own path, which was also a very independent path. Peter not only wanted to change Russia, but he also wanted total control. Peter insisted that everyone, including people of the nobility, change their lifestyle according to that of the Western world. Peter gained control and power through his army, which helped him gain complete control of Russia. So what exactly is Westernization? Westernization is incorporating the culture and technology of the modernized Western world. Peter wanted all of Russia to convert and change forever, not just temporarily. Subjecting a country to this type of change was not an easy task and required a lot of hard work, study and communication. The purpose of doing these things also made Peter more money in the long run. Peter sought to reform the way the world perceived Russia by increasing the power of the church and army, raising educational standards, and imposing taxes that would ultimately lead to the Westernization of Russia. Education and churches played an important role in the Westernization of Russia. . Peter was determined to push Russia into the modern era by reforming the church. One of the main reasons Pete...is the focus of the card...is for taxes to be paid and all rules to be followed. The way the tax worked was that if someone ran away without paying the tax, the village they came from was responsible for refunding the tax. Many villagers kept an eye on the male residents around the time the soul tax was due, so that they wouldn't have to pay anything extra when the time came. The army was responsible for compiling a list of all males in Russia to keep track of how many were to be charged at tax time. The list was so difficult to complete that it was completed only in 1724, the year before Peter the Great's death. Peter went to great lengths to make sure his taxes were paid and he earned his share. The military not only financed with taxes such as the soul tax, but also with individual taxes such as the beard tax and other items such as horse collars.