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Catherine the Great – Empress and Autocrat of 18th Century Russia

Empress Catherine II of Russia (1729-86), commonly known as Catherine the Great, was one of Russia’s greatest and most energetic rulers. Following in the footsteps of her predecessor Peter I (Peter the Great), she pursued the Westernization and territorial expansion of Russia.

Born into a German royal family, she married the heir to the Russian throne, the future Peter III. As an intelligent and energetic woman, she wanted to be accepted into her adopted land of Russia and so learned its history and language.

Portrait of Catherine the Great
Catherine II of Russia, the Lawgiver

After Peter III became an unpopular ruler, was forced to abdicate and a few days later was murdered, Catherine became the ruler (Empress) of Russia.

In 1767 Catherine issued a famous edict known as the “Instruction” in which she advocated social and economic reforms. However, she also insisted in it that Russia’s vast territory needed a strong central government and that she as Empress should, therefore, have absolute power.

As she stated in the “Instruction”: “The sovereign is absolute; for, in a state whose expanse is so vast, there can be no other appropriate authority except that which is concentrated in him.”

She further stated in the “Instruction” that “the landlords’ serfs and peasants… owe their landlords proper submission and absolute obedience in all matters, according to the laws that have been enacted from time immemorial by the autocratic forefathers of Her Imperial Majesty… and which provide that all persons who dare to incite serfs and peasants to disobey their landlords shall be arrested and… punished forthwith as disturbers of the public tranquillity, according to the laws and without leniency.” (A Source Book for Russian History, G. Vernadsky, trans. (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1972).

In her court at St. Petersburg, she promoted the culture and ideas of Western European countries, such as France, England, and Italy. She patronized Italian opera and fine arts, French literature, philosophy and etiquette, and English ideas.

She built sumptuous palaces and other buildings in her capital, St Petersburg, mostly designed by foreign architects that she admired. One of these buildings, the Hermitage, was built to house her collection of magnificent European art treasures and it survives to this day as one of the world’s greatest art museums.

Young Catherine II
Young Catherine after arrival in Russia

She corresponded with French writers and Enlightenment philosophers (philosophes), such as Voltaire. She attempted to be, like Frederick the Great of Prussia, an “enlightened despot”, and to bring in social reforms inspired by Locke, Montesquieu, and Beccaria. She drew up a new legal code, built schools (though these were to be mostly for the children of the aristocracy), constructed hospitals, promoted women’s education, and introduced smallpox vaccination. She encouraged Russian trade, industry, and the exploitation of the country’s natural resources in order to increase the country’s wealth. At the same time, in 1774-75 she faced and suppressed a popular rebellion led by the Cossack Pugachov. She decided that she needed the support of the nobility in order to control the country. To this end, she gave up any Enlightenment ideas of abolishing serfdom in Russia and, instead, signed a Charter to the Nobility actually allowing the nobles to increase the number of serfs that they could own, and giving the nobles a number of further generous privileges to win their support.

Catherine tried her utmost to win glory and power for Russia. Under Catherine’s leadership, Russia’s armed forces seized Byelorussia (modern-day Belarus) from Poland (in and after 1772), Crimea and other parts of Turkey (1774; 1792), and the Baltic territory of Courland from Sweden (1790).

Statue of Catherine the Great in Hermitage
Statue of Catherine the Great in the Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg

In the latter part of her reign, Catherine, like many other sovereigns of Europe, became frightened by the excesses of the French Revolution, such as its execution of King Louis XVI of France, and she turned her back on many of the Enlightenment ideas that she had formerly wished to espouse. She became more conservative, ceased trying to be an “enlightened despot” and instead she became a pragmatic autocrat. (Photo Credit: reibai/Flickr)On her death bed, Catherine the Great is reported to have said: “I shall be an autocrat: that’s my trade. And the good Lord will forgive me: that’s His.”When Catherine died, Russia’s territories had greatly expanded, having acquired the Crimea and the northern shore of the Black Sea, as well as land that is in today’s Ukraine, Belarus, Poland and Lithuania.

Some social reforms had, it is true, occurred; but the life, rights and status of the serfs — the great majority of Russia’s population — had greatly worsened. Her policy of imitating the culture of Western Europe led to even further widening of the gap between the privileged ruling classes and the millions of down-trodden peasants.

About the Author

By David Paul Wagner

For more on   Catherine the Great and her life, her achievements, and her misdeeds, read the extensive and colorful article at http://www.1902encyclopedia.com/C/CAT/catherine-ii-the-great.html

Article Source: Catherine the Great – Empress and Autocrat of 18th Century Russia

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Comments ( 1 )

  1. Olga says

    Under Catherine Russia:
    – Was invaded by Zionist masons and so the sovereignty was lost and the true rulers had become a foreign dynasty;
    – Moscow occupied the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (not to be mistaken for the modern country with this name);
    – The history of the Duchy of Moscow and the Duchy of Lithuania were drastically falsified and the fake Russian history, as we know it, was designed. Major part of medieval chronicles of the Grand Duchy, which might contain the true history of the countries, was taken away and perhaps destroyed. Russian Empire needed to create a history myth that would excuse the expansion and create a fake European identity.
    – The old nobility (служилые люди) were completely destroyed as a class who still could maintain old values and threaten the new regime. The new nobility were mostly made as a class from the loyal minor part of nobility. Most part of ancient families of boyars and royal families (kniazia-princes/dukes) were massacred long before her rule. She just triggered the process by giving much freedom to then nobility and finally making them from a class of people serving for the ruler a class of lazy parasites. While a major part of old nobility were downgraded to the peasants. Same was done to the nobility of the former Grand Duchy. Those of them who didn’t prove their loyalty were deprived of the noble status.
    – The list of losses can be continued…

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