Final answer:
Peter the Great, Atatürk, and Shah Pahlavi each worked toward modernizing their nations by implementing Western-style reforms in government, economy, and society. Atatürk focused on establishing a secular Turkish republic, Peter the Great on Westernizing Russia, and Shah Pahlavi on modernizing Iran with a focus on maintaining oil interests.
Step-by-step explanation:
Peter the Great of Russia, Kemal Atatürk of Turkey, and Shah Pahlavi of Iran were similar in that their actions helped to modernize their respective nations. They sought to introduce reforms that would bring their countries closer to Western standards of government, economy, and society. Both Peter the Great and Shah Pahlavi implemented a series of Westernization efforts, while Atatürk focused on transforming the remnants of the Ottoman Empire into a secular, modern Turkish nation-state.
Atatürk led a nationalist movement against Allied occupations and set the groundwork for a new, secular Turkey with Europeanized legal and social systems. He introduced dramatic changes such as the adoption of the Latin alphabet, the granting of equal civil rights to women, and the prohibition of religious-based attire. These moves significantly altered the nation's direction to align more closely with Western countries.
Similarly, Peter the Great is known for his extensive efforts to Westernize Russia by bringing in European experts, sending Russians to study in Europe, modernizing the military, and even moving the Russian capital to the newly built city of St. Petersburg which was designed to resemble European cities. Shah Pahlavi's regime in Iran also pushed for modernization along Western lines, albeit with greater emphasis on maintaining control over oil resources and fostering relations with Western powers, especially the United States, until his downfall with the Iranian Revolution.
Despite their different time periods and specific approaches, these leaders shared a common goal of modernizing their countries through reforms and innovations influenced by Western advancements.