CATHERINE II: The Great Empress of Russia

Catherine II or Catherine the Great is a very intriguing figure when looking at European history.  Most of European history, as stated previously is very male-dominated and sometimes misogynistic.  This is especially true of Russia, so a woman rising the throne of Russia seems very unlikely, and it was not easy for Catherine to gain the power that she eventually had.


Catherine was born Sophie Friederike Auguste von Anhalt-Zerbst-Dornburg in 1879 and in Prussia.  She was the daughter of a noble, but she was not a princess.  By any event, her husband started Russia's involvement in the Seven Years War, and that proved to be his political downfall.  He was immensely unpopular after this decision, and Catherine took advantage.  Knowing that she could rule better, she organized a coup of Peter's government and took the throne to herself.


Catherine was a strong-willed leader.  She was diplomatic, but she often got her way.  She was also convinced (rightly so) that Russia needed a warm-water port.  Thus, she waged a campaign to expand Russia south to the Black Sea.  This gave them a port that could be used year round (most other ports were in the north where frozen waters often delayed if not stalled commerce).  She pulled Russia into becoming one of the Great Powers at the time, and Russia has been a major part of world diplomacy since then.  Thus, she was one of the most important figures in European history.


Opinions on Catherine differ greatly.  Some say she was a power-hungry tyrant, and others say she did what was necessary to guide Russia into being a world power.  Either way, it is generally agreed that she presided over a Russian golden age.  The Russian aristocracy, military, and people were pretty much on par with others around the world for the first time in history really.  She was an effective, if a little tyrannical ruler.


Because she presided over such a golden age, she is very important to history.  She is also one of the few Russian rulers to which the epitaph "The Great" was added to their name.  That is an elite pantheon, and Catherine is firmly planted in it.


Her Wikipedia Page


Alexander Palace Time Machine Page: Catherine II

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