Final answer:
Peter the Great implemented a comprehensive policy of Westernization to modernize Russia upon his return from Europe, which shaped the country's development and established the Russian Empire.
Step-by-step explanation:
Peter the Great implemented several reforms upon his return from Europe aimed at modernizing Russia and establishing the Russian Empire. While traveling in Europe, Peter was attracted to new administrative techniques and the sophisticated shipbuilding technologies, which he sought to adopt in his own country. Among the most significant changes was a comprehensive program of Westernization and modernization that touched on nearly every aspect of Russian society.
These efforts to modernize Russia stemmed from a desire to elevate the nation to be on par economically and militarily with European powers of the time. Although these reforms were extensive, challenges persisted, and by the 1800s, efforts by subsequent tsars to further modernize the country often stumbled due to resistance against undermining absolute rule, leaving Russia somewhat economically underdeveloped. The policy of Westernization spurred the transformation of the Russian tsardom into an empire and marked the beginning of a major shift in the political, cultural, and economic life of Russia.