Daily globe., 1879-06-01
WILL OF PETER THE GREAT.
His scheme For Selling All Europe.

WILL OF PETER THE GREAT.
His scheme For SEEKING All Europe.
We present to our readers (for the first
time, we believe, published in any Ameri
can Newspaper) an authentic copy Of the
will of Peter the Great, the first Emperor
Of Russia, This will is the supreme
foundation and law Of Russian politics,
since his time, and was contidentially de-
posted in, the hands of the Able de
Bervis, Minister of Foreign Affairs, in
1857, and also in those of Louis XIV. A
copy is also to be found in the diplomatic
archives of France, from which we de-
rive our translation.
..sa s' THE WILL.
PRELIMINARY CONSIDERATIONS.
In the name of the most Holy and In
divisible Trinity, we, Peter, the First
Emperor and Autocrat of all the Russias,
&C., to all our descendants and successors
to the throne and government of the Rus
sian nation:
God, from whom we derive our exist
ence, and to whom we owe our crown,
having constantly enlightened us by His
spirit, and sustained us by His Divine
help, allow me to look on the Russian
people as called upon hereafter to hold
s.oay over Europe. My reason for thus
thinking is, that the European nations
have mostly reached a stage
Of old age, bordering upon i'm
becility, or they are rapidly ap-
preaching it; naturally, then they will be
easily and sndubita5ly conquered by a
people strong in youth and vigor, espec-
tally when this latter shall have attained
its full strength and power. I look on
the future invasion OF the Eastern and
Western countries by the North as a
periodical movement ordained by Provi-
dence, who, in like, manner, regenerated
the Russian nation by barbarian invasion.
These emigrations of men from the North
are as the refux of the Nile, which, at
certain periods, comes to fertilize the
impoverished lands Of Egypt by its de-
post. found Russia as ripulet, leave
it river; my successors will make it a
large sea, destined to fertilize the impov-
erished lands of Europe, and its
waters will overflow, in spite Of ofimposing
dams erected by weak hands, if our de-
scendants only know how to direct its
course. This is the reason / leave them
the following instructions. l give those
countries to their watchfulness and care,
as Moses gave the Tables of the Law to
the Jewish people:
Keep the Russian nation in STATE OF
CONTINUAL WAR: so as to have the soldier
always under arms, and ready for action,
excepting when the finances of the State
will not allow of it., Keep up the forces;
choose the best moments for attack. By
these means you will he ready for war
even in the time Of peace. This is for
the interest of the future aggrandizement
| of Russia.
Endeavor by every possible means to
bring in from the neighboring civilized
countries of Europe officers In times of
war, and learned men in times of peace;
thus giving the Russian people the advan-
tages enjoyed by other countries, without
allowing them to lose any of their own
self-respect.
On every occasion take part in the af-
fairs and quarrels Of Europe; above all, in
those of Ger many, which country, being
the nearest, more Immediately concerns
us. ,s.t5
4 Dipide Poland, exciting civil discord
there; win over the nobility, corrupt ttt
diets, so as to have influence on the elec.
ton of Kings, get partisans into office
protect them, bring to sojourn there Mus.
covite troops, until such time as they car
be permanently established there. If the
neighboring powers start difficulties, ap
pease them for time by parceling out the
country until you can retake IN detail al
that has been ceded.
Take as muoh ds you can from Sa1eden
and cause yourself to be attacked by her
90 az to haoe a pretert for subduing her
To accomplish this sever Denmark from
Sweden, and Sweden from Denn ark
carefully keeping up their rivalrles.
vi.
Al.oaYs choose, as wives for. Russia,
princes, German princesses, SO as to in
crease family alliances, to draw mutua
interests closer, and by propagating on,
principles in Germang, to enlist her in ou
cause.
England, requiring us for her navy, ant
she being the only power that can al,
in the development Of ours, seek con,
mercial alliance with her, in preferenc
to any other Exchange our wood and tn
productions of our land for her gold, AM
establish between her merchants, her sal
lors and ours continental intercourse
this will aid in perfecting the Russia
fleet for navigation and commerce.
VIII.
Egtend your possessions toward tn
North, along the Baltic, and toward til
South By the Black Sea.
approach as near as possible to C0nstaz
e tinople and its outskirts. He WHO sHAL
7 REIGN THERE, WILL BE THE TRUE SO,
t ERE1GN OF THE WORLD. Consequent,
be continually at war-sometimes wit
;, the Turks, sometimes with Persia. E
g tablish dock yards on the Black sea, g,
d entire possession of it by degrees, also I
t: the Baltic Sea; this being necessary to II
d accomplishment Of the plan. Hasten Il
decline Of Persia; penetrate to the Pc
g sian Gulf; re-establish, if possible, Il
!. ancient commerce of the Levant throue
II Syria, and make your soay to the indies
they are the emporium of the worl
q Once there, you can do without the gol
J, Of England.
2, X.
..
Seek and carefully keep up an all
lt ance with Austria; acquiesce, apparentl
L in her ideas of dominating over German,