Russo-Persian War (1722–1723)

Imagine your toys are stolen! That's kind of what happened to Russian merchants in a city called Shamakhi. Bad guys from a group called Lezgins attacked the city and took their stuff.

Russia's leader, Tsar Peter the Great, was very angry because Persia, the country where this happened, promised to keep everyone safe. Persia was also getting weaker, like a balloon losing air, and Russia saw a chance to get bigger.

Tsar Peter the Great gathered a HUGE army, with lots of soldiers and even horse riders called Cossacks. He built a special fleet of boats on the Caspian Sea to carry his soldiers and supplies. Some soldiers marched a long way on land, while others sailed on the boats.

They were heading to a place called Derbent, which was like a big door to Persia. But the sea was stormy, and many boats got wrecked!

The main players were the Russian Empire, led by the powerful Tsar Peter the Great, and Safavid Iran (which is like ancient Persia). Peter the Great was a super important leader who wanted Russia to be strong and big. The Safavid rulers were in charge of Iran, but their country was having a tough time.

There were also other groups like the Lezgins who caused trouble, and leaders in places like Georgia who tried to pick sides.

Russia won this war and took control of some important cities and lands around the Caspian Sea, like Derbent and Baku. But they didn't keep them for long! After a few years, Russia gave most of the land back to Persia. It was like borrowing a toy and then giving it back. Russia lost many soldiers, not just from fighting, but also from getting sick.