During the 1700s,  the Russian Tsars became obsessed with Europe. They thought that by being European the country would become modernized. It did not work much. Only the main cities fell into the European craze. The rest of the country felt alienated from the ruling class. Whenever the Tsar had to deal with the local elders, he was always on pins and needles. He just did not look like them. He was like a foreigner in his own country. He wanted them to change, but the traditional locals were stubborn. They did not see the reason to be European. They...

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