417 peacetime, and this was a problem that had become a pressing matter for Peter at the time of these reforms. Thus, it is especially important to note that the Russians used the Swedish administrative structure that had existed prior to the Great Northern War as the prototype for their collegial reform and ignored the extraordinary administrative organs created as a result of the war.® An interesting document in this context is the description of the Swedish kanslikolleginm which Heinrich Pick wrote in 1718. In the section of this description entitled “Concerning the Swedish administration after the introduction of absolutism,” Pick described what he considered to be the well-organized state apparatus that had emerged since Charles XI had become an absolute ruler. Among other things, he wrote that: ® it is known that there was great disorder in Sweden two hundered years ago and, although that state has since become a hereditary one, the Swedes were unable for many reasons to put it into good shape and good order until King Charles XI was given absolute power through public agreements in 1680 and 1682. The legal and administrative development which took place during the reign of Charles XI is described here as the work of the monarch himself. The examples Pick cited of the king’s contributions are very Impressive, and one gets the impression that he was trying to portray Charles XI as a good model for Peter’s own reign. Thus, one can read the following passage about Charles XI’s accomplishments: From that time good order has spread in Sweden to a great degree; naval regulations, military articles, the administration of the royal household, church regulations, academies, schools, the very best organization of the state colleges, instructions for governors and other officials, codes of law and the whole judicial system, including both high courts and lowcourts, an indelning (allotment) of the land and sea militia, revenues, commerce, customs and manufacturing affairs, the best order, and whatever else can be mentioned—all of this was brought to ultimate perfection during the king’s reign, as many solid institutions demonstrate. And while that king was not taught much during his youth, he remedied that by his common sense and his interest. The parallels between Pick’s description of Charles XI’s measures to create an effective administration for the needs of the absolutist state and the administrative and judicial reforms carried out by Peter the Great are striking. Peter’s goal seems to have been to create a state apparatus corresponding for all practical purposes to that of Charles XI’s Sweden. ** Concerning the development of the Swedish administration during tlie reign of Charles XII, see Erik Naumann, “Om centralförvaltningen under Karl XII:s tid,” in Samuel E. Bring, ed., Karl XII. Till 200-årsdagen av bans död (Stockholm, 1918), 533—566. » ZA (no. 414), 546. Ibid., 546—547. c’T - Peterson
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