Catherine The Great Research Paper

600 Words3 Pages

Catherine the Great, also known as Catherine II, was an empress of Russia from 1762-1796. She was born on May 2, 1729, in Stettin, Prussia which later became Szczecin, Poland. She was the longest-ruling leader of Russia revitalizing the nation increasing its size and strength making it on of the great European powers. Catherine the Great’s royal roots were as a German princess. Her birth name was Sophie Friederike Auguste. She grew up in Stettin in a small state called Anhalt-Zebst. Her father was the prince of this area. Catherine the Great was not close with her mother. Her mother’s relations to members of royalty gave Catherine the ability to rise to power. Catherine was brought to consider many suitors. Catherine progressed in her relationship …show more content…

She got on the good side of the military and recalled troops that Peter III had sent to Denmark. She also returned the Church their land. She modeled her approach to leading Russia after Peter the Great. Peter the Great made accomplishments in Russia’s foreign policy and made significant territorial gains. Catherine extended the borders of Russia southward and westward. She took control over New Russia, Crimea, Northern Caucasus, Right-bank Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania and Courland. This added 200,000 square miles to Russian territory. Soon after, Catherine founded a relationship with Great Britain with a commercial treaty in 1766. In 1764, Catherine the Great placed her former lover, Stanislaw Poniatowski, on the Polish throne. This allowed Catherine to take lead in partitioning off Poland. After Catherine officially became protector of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, there was an anti-Russian uprising in Poland. After Poland had drafted the May Constitution of Poland, Catherine became involved to prevent possible recovery in the Commonwealth and defeated Polish loyalist forces in the Polish-Russian War of 1792. She then completed the partitioning of Poland having divided it with Prussia and Austria in