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Catherine The Great's Influence On Russia

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The central 18th century Russian ruler, Catherine II, also known as Catherine the Great, has retained a place in the pages of history as one of the brightest and most influential women of not only her time, but of more recent history altogether. Catherine the Great’s accomplishments had effectively transformed Russia and led to its so-called golden age, touching upon nearly every aspect of Russian society. This resulted in praise and admiration from many central figures of the time, including renowned philosophe Voltaire, who had once described her as the “first of all women, who is putting so many men to shame,” (Dixon 196). However, why is it that Catherine’s accomplishments and reforms have seemingly failed to make a lasting impact on Russia …show more content…

She had corresponded with enlightened philosophes such as Diderot, wishing to get their opinions and their feedback regarding the Nakaz: the statement of legal principles conceived by Catherine. “On the trip home from Russia, Diderot began to make comments on a copy of the Nakaz that Catherine had given him.” (Clure 889). These actions reflect how much importance the principles of the enlightenment were to Catherine II during her rule. They guided her and inspired her, assisting her in transforming Russia. Unfortunately, Catherine’s successor and son, Paul I, did not share many of these views. His personal relationship with Catherine was poor. “-the difficult relationship with Catherine II, his disgust with the inefficiency and corruption of Catherine 's court,” are several main aspects behind Paul’s motivations and beliefs as a ruler (Mcgrew 770). As Catherine the Great looked towards the future as a basis for building her nation, being guided by enlightened principles, Paul I was quite the opposite. His governing approach had, inadvertently, overridden that of Catherine’s. “Paul emerges from the book as an early example of an 'anti-modernist ' ruler whose authoritarian, military and hierarchical values shaped much of Russia 's system of government during the nineteenth century.” (Mcgrew 770). Where Catherine had been modernist, Paul had been

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