Catherine II of Russia

Catherine II ({{lang-ru|?????????? II ???????????}}, tr.: Yekaterina II Alexeyevna; April 21, 1729—November 6, 1796 (O.S.)), born Sophie Augusta Fredericka, known as Catherine the Great, reigned as empress of Russia from June 28, 1762, to her death on November 6, 1796. A cousin to Gustav III of Sweden and Charles XIII of Sweden, Catherine exemplified an "enlightened monarch."

Foreign affairs

Catherine's foreign minister, Nikita Panin, exercised considerable influence from the beginning of her reign. Though a shrewd statesman, Panin dedicated much effort and millions of rubles to the creation of a "Northern Accord" between Russia, Prussia, Poland, Sweden, and perhaps Great Britain, to counter the power of the Bourbon-Habsburg League. When it became apparent that his plan could not succeed, Panin fell out of favor and in 1781 was dismissed.

Related Topics:
Nikita Panin - Ruble - Bourbon - Habsburg - 1781

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In 1764 Catherine placed Stanislaw Poniatowski, a former lover, on the Polish throne. Although the idea came from the Prussian king, Russia gained the largest part of Poland through repeated partitions among Russia, Austria and Prussia (1772, 1793 and 1795).

Related Topics:
1764 - Stanislaw Poniatowski - Polish throne - Poland - Partitions - Austria - Prussia

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Catherine made Russia the dominant power in the Middle East after her first Russo-Turkish War against the Ottoman Empire (1768-1774). She attempted to partition the Ottoman Empire's European holdings after the Polish example, but achieved far less success. She annexed Crimea in 1783, a mere nine years after it had gained independence from the Ottoman Empire as a result of her first war with it. The Ottomans started a second Russo-Turkish War during Catherine's reign. This war (1787-1792) ended with the Treaty of Jassy, which legitimated the Russian claim to Crimea.

Related Topics:
Middle East - First Russo-Turkish War - Ottoman Empire - 1768 - 1774 - Crimea - 1783 - Second Russo-Turkish War - 1787 - 1792 - Treaty of Jassy

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In the European political theater Catherine played an important role, acting as mediator in the War of the Bavarian Succession (1778-1779) between Prussia and Austria. In 1780 she set up a group designed to defend neutral shipping against Great Britain during the American Revolution. In foreign affairs, she was ever conscious of her legacy, and longed to be perceived as an enlightened sovereign. She pioneered for Russia the role that England was later to play with aplomb throughout most of the nineteenth and early twentieth century, that of international mediator in disputes that could, or did, lead to war.

Related Topics:
War of the Bavarian Succession - 1778 - 1779 - 1780 - Great Britain - American Revolution

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From 1788 to 1790 Russia was engaged in a war with Sweden, led by Catherine's cousin, the Swedish King Gustav III. Gustav began the war to reclaim the Baltic territories lost to Russia in 1720. Expecting to soundly defeat the Russians, the Swedes were faced with mounting human and territory losses. After Denmark declared war in 1789, things looked bleak for the Swedes. However, in 1790 they mounted a counteroffensive. After the Battle of Svensksund a treaty was signed August 14, 1790, returning all conquered territories to their respective nations, and peace reigned for 20 years.

Related Topics:
War with Sweden - Gustav III - Baltic - Denmark - 1789 - 1790 - Battle of Svensksund - August 14

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Catherine took a leading role in the partitions of Poland in 1790s, afraid that the May Constitution of Poland might bring a renaissance of the Commonwealth power and the growing democratic movements inside the Commonwealth might became a threat to the European monarchies. After the French Revolution, Catherine rejected many of the principles of the Enlightenment that she had once paid at least lip service to. If this was the end result of such ideas, she thought in horror, then the world was far better off with benevolent Autocrats such as herself. Catherine took advantage of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth impotent government, before the May Constitutions could be fully implemented, providing aide to the Targowica Confederation. After defeating Polish loyalist forces in the War in Defense of the Constitution, Russia divided all of the Commonwealth territory with Prussia and Austria. The destruction of Poland helped maintain the absolute monarchies and a balance of power in 18th-century Eastern Europe for another century.

Related Topics:
Partitions of Poland - 1790s - May Constitution of Poland - French Revolution - Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth - Targowica Confederation - War in Defense of the Constitution

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All told, she added some 200,000 mile² (518,000 km²) to Russian territory, and further, she shaped the Russian destiny to a greater extent than almost anyone before or since, with the possible exceptions of Lenin, Stalin, and Peter the Great.

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