Mohammed VI of Morocco vs Peter the Great

Mohammed VI became King of Morocco upon the death of his father, Hassan II. He inherited a country with a history of authoritarian rule and immediately signaled a shift towards reform and modernization.

Mohammed VI oversaw a major reform of the Moudawana, Morocco's family code. The new law granted women greater rights in marriage, divorce, and child custody, and raised the minimum marriage age. It was a landmark for women's rights in the Arab world.

Mohammed VI launched the INDH, a large-scale program to combat poverty, unemployment, and social exclusion. It funded thousands of local development projects across Morocco, aiming to improve living conditions in marginalized areas.

In response to the Arab Spring protests, Mohammed VI proposed a new constitution. It was approved by referendum, granting the prime minister and parliament more powers while the king remained head of state and military commander.

Mohammed VI agreed to normalize diplomatic relations with Israel as part of the Abraham Accords, brokered by the United States. In exchange, the US recognized Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara. This was a major shift in Moroccan foreign policy.

Peter the Great traveled incognito to Western Europe as part of a diplomatic mission. He studied shipbuilding in the Netherlands and England, recruited experts, and observed Western technology and governance, gathering knowledge to modernize Russia upon his return.

While Peter was abroad, the Streltsy (elite musketeers) rebelled in Moscow, seeking to place his half-sister Sophia on the throne. Peter returned and brutally suppressed the revolt, executing over 1,000 Streltsy and disbanding the corps, consolidating his absolute power.

As part of his Westernization campaign, Peter the Great imposed a tax on beards, requiring nobles and merchants to pay a fee to keep their facial hair. Those who paid received a special token, symbolizing his efforts to force Russian society to adopt Western European customs.

Peter the Great led Russia into a war against Sweden for access to the Baltic Sea. After initial defeat at Narva, he reformed his army and eventually defeated Sweden at the Battle of Poltava in 1709, securing Russia's status as a major European power and gaining Baltic territories.

Peter the Great founded the city of Saint Petersburg on the Neva River after capturing the area from Sweden. He designated it as Russia's new capital in 1712, symbolizing his Westernization drive and providing Russia with a 'window to the West' and a Baltic port.

Peter the Great introduced the Table of Ranks, a system of civil, military, and court ranks based on merit rather than birth. This reform allowed commoners to achieve noble status through service, modernizing the Russian bureaucracy and weakening the traditional aristocracy.