Like Father Like Son: Alexei emulates Peter the Great

Alexei Petrovich, heir to Tsar Peter the Great, was essentially everything his father wasn't. Lazy, bookish, disinclined to anything military and raised by his mother and reactionary boyars to be against everything his father liked. However, what if instead of growing up hating/fearing his father, Alexei instead tried to be like Peter? The idea being that if he was into the same things his father was, then said father would want to spend time with him.

Remember that Alexei was OTL tortured to death for supposedly (or even likely) being involved in a plot to overthrow Peter and undo everything he'd done to modernize Russia. How does Peter the Great having a loyal heir dedicated to his style of rule affect the course of Russian history?
 
Alexei Petrovich, heir to Tsar Peter the Great, was essentially everything his father wasn't. Lazy, bookish, disinclined to anything military and raised by his mother and reactionary boyars to be against everything his father liked. However, what if instead of growing up hating/fearing his father, Alexei instead tried to be like Peter? The idea being that if he was into the same things his father was, then said father would want to spend time with him.

Remember that Alexei was OTL tortured to death for supposedly (or even likely) being involved in a plot to overthrow Peter and undo everything he'd done to modernize Russia. How does Peter the Great having a loyal heir dedicated to his style of rule affect the course of Russian history?

It could be fun to see. I personally don't think it'll necessarily make Petya spend any more time with Alexei than he did with his sons by Marta Skavronska (Ekaterina I), since Petya's picture is next to the dictionary's definition of "man-child" or frat boy as much as Ludwig II of Bavaria's is next to "role-playing geek" (no offense to man-child(ren?) or role-playing intended). But if Alexei is less repulsive to his dad, (although I could see Petya being overly critical because Alexei can't drink as much as he can, or something like that), maybe more a relationship like between Friedrich Wilhelm I of Prussia and Friedrich the Great
 
If Alexei was more like his dad I’m positive we’d see stability in Russia for a long while to come. The only reason Russia went through five monarchs in 25 years was because Peter the Great left no heir and because of that there were many claims to the throne. We’d see an even stronger Russia than in history by time the Seven Years War rolls around. Because of this Frederick the Great might even be defeated in the Seven Years War.
 
Peter the Great left no heir

Uh...no, it was because Petya decided to say "screw this shit, I wanna choose who's gonna be my successor" and then died before he could name one. If he hadn't screwed with the laws (which he only did because he and Alexei didn't get on, AFAIK - although Alexei did offer to abdicate his rights in favour of his half-brother IIRC) then Russia would've calmly picked itself up when Pete died and said, "right, Long live Peter II!"
 
well, if Alexei is a strong Tsar it will change most of 18th century history, which will be fun, but it will be BUTTERFLIES RUN AMOCK and not waiting til the non-existent Seven Years War for them to strike
 
Uh...no, it was because Petya decided to say "screw this shit, I wanna choose who's gonna be my successor" and then died before he could name one. If he hadn't screwed with the laws (which he only did because he and Alexei didn't get on, AFAIK - although Alexei did offer to abdicate his rights in favour of his half-brother IIRC) then Russia would've calmly picked itself up when Pete died and said, "right, Long live Peter II!"
That’s pretty much what I meant when I said he left no heir.
 
Alexei Petrovich, heir to Tsar Peter the Great, was essentially everything his father wasn't. Lazy, bookish, disinclined to anything military and raised by his mother and reactionary boyars to be against everything his father liked. However, what if instead of growing up hating/fearing his father, Alexei instead tried to be like Peter? The idea being that if he was into the same things his father was, then said father would want to spend time with him.

Remember that Alexei was OTL tortured to death for supposedly (or even likely) being involved in a plot to overthrow Peter and undo everything he'd done to modernize Russia. How does Peter the Great having a loyal heir dedicated to his style of rule affect the course of Russian history?


Sorry, but this is how Alexei had been portrayed by the people who first removed him from succession line and then killed. Hardly the most objective source of information.

Not to rain on your parade but at the age of 8 he was transferred to the care of his aunt, Natalia, sister of Peter and presumably one of the most "westernized" people in Peter's entourage. The "reactionary boyars" by that time would be rather hard to find anywhere close to power. His 1st teacher was Neugebauer from University of Leipszig. The next was baron Heinrich Freiherr von Hüyssen (education in unjiversities of Duisburg, Köln, Leipzig and work in University of Vienna). In the age of 18 (during the Poltava campaign) he was in charge of raising the new troops and building fortifications of Moscow. In 1709 he was studying geometry, fortification, French and German in Dresden. Married to the German princess. Hardly such a retrograde fixed on the "old ways".

He was doomed due to the influence of Peter's mistress and then wife Catherine and her supporters (Menshikov & Co), especially after the birth of the 1st Peter's child from Catherine. The "plot" was a fake to provide a convenient excuse for his removal and execution.
 
Uh...no, it was because Petya decided to say "screw this shit, I wanna choose who's gonna be my successor" and then died before he could name one. If he hadn't screwed with the laws (which he only did because he and Alexei didn't get on, AFAIK - although Alexei did offer to abdicate his rights in favour of his half-brother IIRC) then Russia would've calmly picked itself up when Pete died and said, "right, Long live Peter II!"

Which it did after the short reign of Catherine I. ;)
 
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