Catherine The Great Influence

Catherine the Great was born May 2, 1729 to her father Christian August (1690-1747), Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst and Johanna Elizabeth (1712-1760) Princess of Holstein-Gottorp. Her official coronation as Empress of the Russian Empire was on September 22, 1762 and her reign lasted to her death on November 17, 1796. Her reign has been referred to as The Golden Age.

Catherine inherited an atmosphere of resentment and mistrust toward the royalty in power. She was neither liked nor disliked by her constituents when she first took power. The political climate was uneasy and kept the citizens uncomfortable. The method by which the royalty was selected proved very damaging in that relatives both descendants and ancestors were caught in a struggle for

She promoted the western culture and ideals, respecting the manner of dress and appearance. She was interested in preserving the German culture and encouraged migration to farm lands in the Volga Region.

Catherine the Great was known for her success in The Second Russo-Turkish War which spanned six years between 1768 and 1774. At the conclusion of this war The Treaty of Kucuk Kaynarca of July 10, 1774 provided access to the Black Sea and the Azov Sea which were original goals of Peter the Great. In addition to these trade concessions Russia acquired southern portion of the Ukraine and Crimea became a protectorate of the Russian Empire. A later uprising in 1792 cost Persia Crimea in the Treaty of Jassy.

August, 1774. Through his crushing defeat his comrades’ in arms suffered heavy losses and in order to gain amnesty they betrayed Pugachev on September 14, 1774. He was arrested and beheaded in the public square and his body was drawn and quartered on January 21, 1775. The harsh treatment was meant to inform the public that insurrection would not be tolerated. The Cossacks who betrayed their leader were exiled into Siberia to work at hard labor in the

Catherine reaffirmed the Manifesto on the Freedom of the Nobility and presented the Charter of the Nobility. The new regulations provided the opportunity for serfs to file complaints with their governor against their owners for excessive harsh treatment. They could appeal the decision to the autocrats but no longer to the crown. Her Manifesto of March 17, 1775 freed the Nobles from mandatory military or state service. It allowed the serfs to gain freedom if they were illegally held. No serf could become a serf again once they were freed. The income they were provided by working in the fields could be used to buy their