XVII. Early Years of Peter the Great (Peter Alexievitch) 145 XVIII. Peter the Great and His Reign 153 XIX. Peter the Great and His Time 162 XX. The Successors of Peter the Great 173 XXI. Russia Under Catherine II (the Great) 183 XXII. Russia During the Wars of Napoleon 194 XXIII. An Eventful Period 208 XXIV. Alexander II, the Liberator 219 XXV. Great Events During Alexander's Reign Nihilism 229 XXVI. Alexander III, the Peasants' Friend 241 XXVII. Russia Methods: The War with Japan 251 XXVIII. The Origin and Growth of The Asiatic Empire 259 XXIX. Russian Methods. The War with Japan 267 XXX. Russia Loses her Prestige 277 THE STORY OF RUSSIA. I--THE REALM OF THE CZAR. (p. 013) When we think of our country, we feel proud of it for other and better reasons than its great size. We know how its extent compares with that of other nations; we know that the United States covers an area almost equal to that of Europe, and, more favored than that Grand Division, is situated on the two great highways of commerce, the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Europe is as far from the latter, as Asia is from the former; and these highways, powerful means toward creating prosperity, remain at the same time barriers whereby nations that find greater delight in the arts of war than in those of peace, are restrained from disturbing our national progress. At the beginning of this twentieth century the nations upon which depends the world's peace or war, happiness or misfortune, are the United States, Great Britain, Germany, France, Austria-Hungary, Italy, Russia, Japan, and in the near future China. Here we see that Europe, although little larger in area than the United States, is represented by seven nations, Asia by two, and the Western Hemisphere by one which by its institutions stands for peace and progress, for law and (p. 014) order. Hence we, its citizens, are known all over the world as Americans.