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The Rest Is History

563. Peter the Great: Bloodbath in the Kremlin (Part 2)

Wed, 07 May 2025

Description

What abominable mischief and hedonism did the seventeen year old Peter the Great revel in during his strange and remarkable travels through Europe, before truly stepping into the role of Tsar of all the Russias? Did it serve a secret political purpose? What was the outcome of the first war he chose to wage against the Ottoman Empire? Why did he go on a crucial and possibly dangerous diplomatic mission disguised as a member of his own staff? And, when news reached him from Russia, of a mutiny that directly challenged his rule, what gruesome revenge did he wreak…? Join Dominic and Tom as they discuss in lurid technicolour, Peter the Great’s early life and rule: his flamboyant “gap year” and foreign travels, his early military conquests, his drastic reforms to Russia, and the outbreak of the Great Northern War, which would see Europe transformed forever. The Rest Is History Club: Become a member for exclusive bonus content, early access to full series and live show tickets, ad-free listening, our exclusive newsletter, discount book prices on titles mentioned on the pod, and our members’ chatroom on Discord. Just head to therestishistory.com to sign up, or start a free trial today on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/therestishistory. For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Producer: Theo Young-Smith Assistant Producer: Tabby Syrett + Aaliyah Akude Executive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Audio
Transcription

Chapter 1: What is the background of Peter the Great's travels?

0.149 - 15.604 Dominic Sandbrook

Thank you for listening to The Rest Is History. For weekly bonus episodes, ad-free listening, early access to series, and membership of our much-loved chat community, go to therestishistory.com and join the club. That is therestishistory.com.

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18.51 - 40.923 Tom Holland

Did you know that our Sunday Times bestselling book, The Rest Is History Returns, is now out in paperback? From finding out who British history's biggest lad was to tracing the admittedly hazy ancient origins of Raiders of the Lost Ark, it's filled cover to cover with more curious historical moments than you can crack a lasso at, plus puzzles and a pub quiz.

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41.183 - 80.86 Tom Holland

The Rest Is History Returns, available now in all good bookshops. The Tsar is a man of very hot temper, soon inflamed, and very brutal in his passion. He erases his natural heat by drinking much brandy, which he rectified himself with great application. He is subject to convulsive motions all over his body, and his head seems to be afflicted with these. He was desirous to understand our doctrine.

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81.974 - 105.159 Tom Holland

He was indeed resolved to encourage learning and to polish his people by sending some of them to travel in other countries and to draw strangers to come and live among them. He seemed apprehensive still of his sister's intrigues. After I had seen him often and had conversed much with him, I could not but adore the depth of the providence of God.

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106.087 - 120.964 Tom Holland

that had raised up such a furious man to so absolute authority over so great a part of the world. So there we have a Scotsman, Dominic, as you could tell from my magnificent impression of a Scotsman.

121.344 - 121.504 Dominic Sandbrook

Yeah.

122.239 - 148.457 Tom Holland

An uncle, Gilbert Burnett, who met with Peter the Great in London in 1698. But by far the most significant and interesting thing about Gilbert Burnett is that he was the Bishop of Salisbury. He was. And how wonderful it is. We are doing this series about Peter the Great, who we left as Master of Moscow. He'd crushed his sister Sophia's resistance. He'd secured the loyalty of the Streltsy. These...

149.738 - 174.274 Tom Holland

frankly sinister and faintly grotesque soldiers who wear yellow boots and caftans and who have a great fondness for jumping on the body parts of people that they've chopped and sliced into little bits. Yeah. But here he is in England. Yeah. He's twitching uncontrollably. He's drinking brandy. He's chatting about Protestant doctrine and he's doing it with a man who

175.134 - 180.499 Tom Holland

From my neck of the woods, from Wiltshire, from Salisbury. From the Salisbury area? Yes.

Chapter 2: Why did Peter the Great visit London and who was Gilbert Burnett?

1817.191 - 1826.239 Anthony Scaramucci

And I've been inside the eye of the storm, 11 wild days in Trump's White House. I have seen how the sausage gets made and who's holding the knife.

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1826.707 - 1836.114 Cathy Kay

Yeah, that's not a nice image. But on The Rest Is Politics U.S., we break down the stories that are behind the headlines, and we actually look at what they mean to America and the rest of the world as well.

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1836.314 - 1839.436 Anthony Scaramucci

We're not just talking politics. We're talking about power.

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1839.556 - 1849.003 Cathy Kay

We've got both of us, access, experience, and just enough cynicism to know when something smells a little off and how to trace it back to the source.

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1849.483 - 1854.447 Anthony Scaramucci

No spin, no filter, reporting the stories you won't hear anywhere else.

1854.815 - 1861.742 Cathy Kay

If you want smart analysis, global context, and a front row seat to the world's loudest democracy, this is the show.

1862.102 - 1872.032 Anthony Scaramucci

It's from two people that have ringside seats, occasionally center stage, in a country where court cases and campaign rallies share the same parking lot.

1872.212 - 1875.676 Cathy Kay

The rest is politics, U.S. New episodes every week.

1882.517 - 1904.283 Tom Holland

Hello, everyone. Welcome back to The Rest Is History. Peter the Great is sailing across the channel up the Thames Estuary. And on the morning of the 11th of January, 1698, he arrives in London. And Dominic, he is rowed ashore to a landing key on the Strand, joining the city of London to Westminster.

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