Western History 141: Who was Catherine the Great and what were the key events of her reign?

Catherine the Great was a German-born Empress who ruled over Russia between 1762 and 1796. Her reign is associated with the further modernization of Russia on both a political and cultural level. At age 14 Catherine married the grand duke Peter (later Peter III), the grandson of Peter the Great. However her husband’s difficult nature, eccentric personality and infatuation with Frederick II of Prussia made him an unpopular figure in the court.

                                              Catherine the Great source: historyextra.com

With the backing of a lover Grigory Orlov (she would have several of these) and other nobles she was involved in a palace coup that forced the abdication of Peter and his later assassination. Catherine  would then ascend to the throne in September 1762 almost twenty years after her ill-fated marriage to Peter.

Catherine II (or Ekaterina II) was somewhat of an idealist as a rule who longed to create a fairer justice system in Russia and a court that would rival that of the French Versailles. She was extremely motivated in her ambition but had to be careful of her position in the country in light of the fact that she had taken the throne in so dubious a manner.

Property was seized from the clergy to replenish the state coffers (that were weakened as a result of the Seven Years War).  She improved relations with Prussia and solidified her alliance with France and Austria. A puppet government loyal to Russia was installed in Poland. However she struggled to reform the constitution and was met by a resilient push back from the old orders.

In 1768 Russia went to war against Turkey and two years later secured a victory at the battle of  Çeşme, which they unfortunately failed to transform into immediate political gains. However the situation would be rectified when the conflict ended in 1774, with Russia  gaining a stronger foothold in the  Black sea as a result of the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca.

In 1773 a plague broke out in Russia and events were further complicated by a rebellion led by the Don Cossack, Yemeylan Pugachev. The rebels marched on Moscow before their aspirations were put down by elite troops loyal to Catherine. Pugachev was beheaded but he left behind him regions that had been reduced to turmoil by the chaos.

                                                   Yemelyan Pugachev source: agefotostock.com

Catherine tried to emancipate the Russian serfs bur resistance from the aristocrats forced her to make an about face. She then strengthened the idea of serfdom further extending it into the Ukraine. This policy was the antithesis of the enlightened monarch ideal that she served to cultivate at her royal court (where she seemed sympathetic to the ideals of Montesquieu and Rousseau)

From 1774 onward Grigory Potemkin played an important role in her court, He was an accomplished military figure, minor noble and above all else her lover. Potemkin would serve politically as a chief minister to her where he advocated for territorial expansion  and helped further the splendour associated with Catherine's  reign. In 1783 Russia annexed the Crimea, a move that would threaten the Ottoman Empire and strain relations with both Prussia and England.

                                            Grigory Potemkin source: smarthistories.com

At home Catherine encouraged a certain degree of free thought but paradoxically clamped down on dissent or criticism of her rule. Poland, which had been dominated by Russia agitated for a Liberal constitution and were led in this regard by Tadeusz Kościuszko, a Polish nationalist who had fought in the American Revolution. His 1794 revolution was thwarted by Catherine who used a partition plan in 1795 to divide Poland between Russia, Prussia and Austria thus effectively removing the country from the map.

                    1795 Marked the Third Time that Poland was partitioned in the 18th century.

                          Source: europecentenary.eu  (Other partitions were in 1772 and 1793)

                         

In 1796 Catherine passed away. She was succeeded by her son Paul I who early life had been very much overshadowed by his mother.

                                            Paul I (1796-1801) source: unofficialroyalty.com

So how was Catherine as a monarch? 

Well she certainly strengthened Russia’s hand at the expense of Poland, Turkey and the Ukraine. Her court demonstrated a facade that appeared to be forward thinking but in many respects she was just more of an enlightened despot than a true reformer.  When she had leverage she would appear to take on the nobility but all too often defaulted and extended the regressive framework of serfdom.  Her personal life was straddled with ex-lovers and although she had an incredible intelligence and curiosity she at times demonstrated a poor judge of character. Nevertheless she left Russia in a stronger position than that which she inherited so that the nation had the foundation to play a vital role in the forthcoming Napoleonic wars.