Catherine the Great: Empress of Russia (1762-1796)

Catherine was born Sophia Augusta Frederika of Anhalt-Zerbst on April 21, 1729 in Stettin, then Germany, now Poland. Her father, Prince Christian Augustus of Anhalt-Zerbst, was a high-ranking officer in the Prussian Army and a minor prince among the principalities in Germany. He married the much younger Princess Johanna of Holstein-Gottorp. Years before, Johanna's brother Karl August of Holstein-Gottorp had gone to Russia to marry the Princess Elizabeth Petrovna. However the Prince died of small pox, leaving Elizabeth heart-broken. Elizabeth's sister, Anna gave birth to a son named Peter Ulrich, however tragedy once again struck as Anna's died of tuberculosis three months after givin

With this help she formed a greater alliance with Prussia. This alliance was established to stop Austrian and French influence on Russia's borders and to keep Poland and Sweden as weak countries. Catherine conducted much of her Foreign Policy by letter, writing to her fellow Sovereigns, most notably Frederick of Prussia. When Catherine met the Senate for the first time at the Summer Palace, she was stunned by the realities of the country's financial and social situation. The country was in debt. Everywhere people complained about corruption, extortion and injustice. Catherine left the sheltered world of a civilized court and stepped into an ignorant, disorganized, unruly, and often diseased Russia. She decided to concentrate on increasing Russia's wealth, and since Russia was primarily agricultural, she began with the land.

It was her great regret during her long reign that she was unable to abolish serfdom. She realized that she would alienate the nobility with such an act, who depended on the labor of the serfs for their great estates. She did, however, issue several decrees for the humane treatment of the serfs. Catherine hoped that her grandson Alexander would be in a stronger position to free the people. After she had distanced herself from Gregory Orlov, another important public figure appeared on the scene. Gregory Potemkin was a man of exceptional ability, and she soon entrusted him with important affairs of State.

Catherine took the oath as Empress and Sole Autocrat. Peter was with his mistress Elizabeth Vorontsova, the Prussian Ambassador Baron von Goltz, and the Chancellor when a secret messenger had arrived from St. Petersburg with the news that Catherine had been proclaimed Empress. By order of the Empress, Peter was taken to a nearby estate in the village of Ropsha and was to be under surveillance. Six days later she received the news that Peter had died after an apparent argument with his guards. However, Peter was murdered by Catherine's lover, Gregory Orlov. Catherine did not attend the funeral. Not many people at European courts believed that Catherine would last long. Another German without a drop of Russian blood in her veins, and the true heir, Peter the Great's grandson murdered. Catherine herself knew how fragile her position really was. She kept the statesmen who had been active under Elizabeth and under Peter.

g birth to Peter. Peter, who eventually became Tsar Peter III, was the only surviving male descendent and the potentially heir to the throne of Russia after his father died. In November 1741, Elizabeth seized the throne with the help of the Imperial Guards, and formally declared her nephew Peter heir to the throne.

In 1796 the peasantry - private serfs and state peasants - compromised one million privately owned serfs under the control of the state. Catherine began to attack the Orthodox Church, just as Peter the Great had done. Catherine seized its wealth and turned its prelates and priests into state employees under her control. As the church became more dependent on the state, the clergy declined in great numbers. The government began to close many monasteries; Catherine made the church subservient to the state. Catherine, however, granted a toleration law to Old Believers and revoked their double taxation law. Catherine wanted to bring the Russian people back to Russia. To attract colonists and improve her image, she granted the freedom of worship to Protestants and Catholics. When her son Paul was old enough, she arranged a marriage to a German princess. Paul's wife died in childbirth, but her son Alexander survived. In 1776, he married Princess Dorothea of Wuertemberg, who was re-named Maria Federovna. Catherine raised Alexander, just as Elizabeth had done with Paul. The succession of her family line was never a worry for Catherine.

Peter was now 14 years old, and it was time for him to find a bride. Elizabeth had always remembered the family of her dead fiancée, and chose S

Some topics in this essay:
St Petersburg, Russia Peter, Peter Catherine, Peter III, Economic Society, Admiral Knowles, Summer Palace, Grand Duchess, Cathedral Kazan, Elizabeth Paul, st petersburg, gregory orlov, heir throne, black sea, peter iii, elizabeth vorontsova, russian army, partition poland occurred, english ambassador, partition poland, serfs catherine, st petersburg catherine,