5. Peter the Great, Emperor of Russia, enticed his fleeing son back to Russia whereupon he was tortured, charged with treason, and left to die in prison
Peter I, also known as Peter the Great, reigned as Tsar, and later Emperor, of Russia between 1682 until his death in 1725. An immensely proficient military leader, Peter successfully expanded his territory, capturing ports on the Baltic Sea that would prove strategically important in subsequent centuries, and under his rule ensured Russia emerged as a major European power. Imparting a legacy beyond militarism, Peter also oversaw the modernization of Russia. Ushering in a cultural revolution, the Russian state embraced the Enlightenment, scientific theory, and, if only for a time, Western values and traditions.
However, as with all rulers, even great ones, Peter was plagued with palace intrigues and threats to his authority. After having fled to Vienna in 1716, seeking sanctuary under the protection of his brother-in-law, the Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI, Peter’s son, Alexei, was eventually persuaded to return to Russia in 1718 with a promise of safety. Suspected by his father of conspiring against the throne, Alexei was instead tortured whereupon he allegedly confessed his guilt. Charged with treason, Alexei was convicted at trial and sentenced to death. Requiring his father’s assent to his execution, whilst Peter deliberated Alexei died in prison from the injuries he had sustained under torture.