Catherine Empress of All the Russias, Vincent Cronin, William Morrow
and Co. Inc., New York, 1968

Preface (13-15): Catherine was a remarkable person of particular
present interest as a female leader, the leader of a developing country
and a person assessing which Western concepts had lasting merrit and
which were ephemeral.

1. A General's Daughter (17-26): She was born at Stettin, a Baltic
port, on May 2, 1729 and named Sophie. She was taught French, Bible,
geography and history. She responded to reason and resisted force. Her
mother brought her visiting German courts. Sophie saw the importance of
ruling with practical efficiency and popular affection.

2. Invitation for Two (27-34): In 1742 her father became the beloved
ruler of the people of Anhalt-Zerbst. Naturally, Sophie's various
marriage possibilities were considered. In 1744 she was invited to
Russia.

3. All the Russias (35-40): An autocrat ruled the numerous peoples of
immense Russia. Until 1682 the Orthodox Church had preached unchanging
unworldliness to an illiterate populace, relying on foreigners for
modern technology. Peter the Great transformed the Empire. Sophie was
married with thoughts of marrying Peter's grandson.

4. Journey to Moscow (41-47): Sophie's reluctant father allowed her to
go. In Berlin, she met Frederick II. It was a rough journey in cold
weather.

5. Becoming Catherine (48-60): Russia's climate and anguish concerning
conversion to Orthodoxy, or possibly poison, caused severe illness. She
recovered, converted (taking the name Catherine) and learned Russian.
She travelled with Empress Elizabeth through Ukraine and saw Russian
acceptance of female rulership.

6. The Married Prisoners (61-69): Catherine's husband was more
interested in playing with toy soldiers than fathering an heir.

7. Humiliation (70-78): Those Catherine liked were dismissed. She was
permitted only to sign letters composed by the foreign ministry to her
mother. Catherine suffered headaches and toothaches.

8. Motherhood by Command (79-94): Catherine selected charming furniture
for her appartments. She read widely. Montesquieu's "Cause of the
Romans' Greatness and Decadence," "attributes the greatness to a
division of political power, just laws and a citizen army, the
decadence to monarchy and mercenaries." Voltaire's support for reason
and wise monarchs impressed her. On September 19, 1754 her son Paul was
born.

9. Indiscretions (95-107): The Empress took the baby at birth. Peter
came closer to his wife. She helped him administer his duchy of
Holstein. She studied Russian history. Her opposition to France's
influence drew intrigues against her from supporters of France.

10. Disgrace (108-120): Catherine, worried about the succession,
intrigued. Her daughter Anna born on December 7, 1757 was removed by
the Empress. Feeling overwhelmed by various intrigues, Catherine
offerred to leave Russia. Hearing of Peter's inattention to his wife,
the Empress restored Catherine to favour.

11. Preparing to Rule (121-130): Catherine became friendly with Peter's
mistress and regained his acceptance. Catherine encouraged Peter to act
so as to gain support for his accession. She let it be known that she
did not support Peter's Prussian style ambitions, thereby gaining
personal support, including the admiration of the young bibliophile
Catherine Dashkova. The Empress passed away in December 1761. Peter
succeeded her.

12. Peter's Reign (131-143): Peter's actions offended the Church, his
elite regiments and general Russian sensitivities. On August 11, 1762,
Catherine's third child, Alexei Grigoryevich Bobrinsky, was born. She
publically indicated her support for Austria and the Church. Peter
publically berated her. She agreed to lead a coup.

13. Oak Leaves and Poison (144-158): Catherine, hailed sovereign by
Church and the army, replaced Peter who abdicated. Peter was imprisoned
for some days and then killed by his jailors. On September 23, 1762
Catherine was crowned in Moscow.

14. Reforming Russia (159-170): Catherine promoted agriculture,
encouraging immigration to cultivate unused fertile land. She increased
mining, especially of silver. She fostered the fur trade as far as the
Aleutians. She ended manufacturing monopolies. She vastly increased
trade to Russia's advantage. Trade with China became significant during
her reign. She paid off Elizabeth's debt and turned the budget deficit
to a surplus.

She organized provincial administration and saw to the construction of
safer, more regularly built towns. She impressively enhanced basic
education and health care throughout the country. In 1768, Catherine
herself became the leading example in a smallpox innoculation campaign.

15. The Move to Compassion (171-182): Catherine by example and decree
sought to reduce harsh treatment in Russia. She considered abolishing
serfdom and accepted advice that this would be going too far. She
summoned elected representatives and on July 31, 1767, shared with them
her transformative vision of a more humane Russia:

   The government did not intend to force change, its role was to
   prepare and educate the people so that they themselves could
   introduce change. In a series of quotations, mainly from Montesquieu
   and Beccaria, Catherine set out the need for complete religious
   toleration, for freedom of the press within limits, above all for
   just and humane laws. Punishment should be for deeds only, never for
   thoughts or intentions: it should never outrage human dignity and
   generally speaking capital punishment should be avoided. p. 176

In 1768 Turkish declaration of war drew most representatives into the
army. In 1773 Pugachev's rebellion broke out. He was repulsed at
Orenburg. He seized and Burnt Kazan. He caused great havoc before his
capture on September 15, 1774. He was executed. Catherine continued
encouraging Russian humanity.

16. Victories Abroad (183-195): Catherine favoured peaceful progress
and vigorously pursued wars thrust upon her. She built up Russia's
fleet and on Turkey's declaration of war sent it from the Baltic to the
eastern Mediterranean. On July 7-8, 1770, at Chesme the Russians scored
a stunning victory. In 1773 Suvorov was sent to the Balkans where he
won battles against larger Turkish armies. The treaty of 1774
strengthened Russia in the Black Sea and on the Danube and opened the
Dardanelles to Russian merchant vessels. In the 1773 First Partition of
Poland Russia gained Poland's Orthodox lands.

17. Portrait of the Empress (196-209): Catherine was energetic, adept
at choosing capable people for responsible positions, prone to use
praise to rouse better results and lived simply without wigs, make up,
military guard for her carriage or expensive book covers. She ate
lightly, retired at ten and, after a full night's sleep, rose early.

18. Enter Potemkin (210-221): The handsome scion of a family rendering
service to Russia, Potemkin distinguished himself in war and peace. He
studied the country's religious minorities. Catherine appointed him
Protector of the Tartars, etc. He returned from the Turkish War to her
favour. When his insistence on policies she considered against national
interest led to quarrels, she utilized his energy as imperial viceroy
conciliating religious minorities, building Black Sea ports, etc.

19. The Literary Scene (222-234): Catherine became ruler of a land the
Renaissance had missed. She commissioned the translation of the Greek
and Latin Classics. She had Enlightenment works translated. She urged
original Russian works, including Gabriel Derzhavin's poetry, history,
travelogues from as far away as Alaska, magazines and plays. She liked
Voltaire. When Voltaire declined her invitation, Diderot spent six
months as her guest. On the death of each she received a library:

   These two acquisitions and her private purchases increased the
   imperial library from a few hundred volumes to 38,000. p. 228

Catherine appointed Catherine Dashkova director of the Academy of
Sciences and president of a Russian literary academy. The Empress
herself wrote: children's stories, plays, historical notes, a three
hundred page Antidote to a French travellor's criticism of Russia, work
on comparative linguistics, letters and a memoir.

20. Of Palaces and Paintings (235-245): Catherine had buildings
constructed for herself and others. She commissioned the magnificent
equestrian statue of Peter the Great. She acquired several thousand
paintings. She encouraged European opera and traditional Russian folk
music.

21. Potemkin Predominant (246-259): Potemkin through immigration built
up Black Sea towns and farms. In 1773 Catherine added Crimea to her
Empire and asked Potemkin to develop it. He added immigrants, Polish
timber and a major port at Sevastopol. In 1787 Catherine travelled
south meeting Poland's King Stanislaus and Austria's Emperor Joseph II.
Potemkin showed her his spectacular achievements, including on Crimea.

22. The Later Achievements (260-272): Her later concerns included her
grandsons' education, state organization and religious tolerance.
England encouraged Turkey and Sweden to fight Russia. Sweden made peace
accepting prewar borders, Turkey ceded land to Russia. Inspired by
French and American revolutions, Poles asserted themselves. They lost
and Poland disappeared in the Third Partition. Catherine asserted
Russian strength in Asia and Alaska. She began trade with Japan.

23. Like a Fly in Spring (273-279): Potemkin, failing to convince
Catherine to give up her latest young favourite, held a spectacular
dinner. She thanked him and retained the favourite. Duty called
Potemkin south where he fell ill and died, aged fifty two.

24. Criticism and Sedition (280-288): Catherine became more tolerant of
personal criticism and less of revolutionary writing. Alexander
Radishchev's "Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow" got him banishment
to Siberia. Nicholas Novikov, leading Freemason as French revolutionary
excesses caused imperial apprehension, was sentenced to fifteen years
imprisonment. Catherine ridiculed some preaching revolution, consigning
them to the insane asylum.

25. The Dream of a Russian Europe (289-301): Catherine had transformed
Russia, increasing the population of the now orderly Empire from
nineteen to twenty nine million. Her granddaughter Alexandra's
impending betrothal to Sweden's Gustavus IV allowed Catherine to
envision a Russian led restoration of the French monarchy and Russian
pre-eminence in Europe. Gustavus' deal breaking refusal to sign a
pledge his bride could remain Orthodox caused the Empress a stroke. On
November 5, 1796, she had another, more severe, passing away the next
night.

26. Catherine the Great (302-313): Catherine's successful coup and her
retention of power are remarkable. She was a pragmatic ruler seeking
Russia's best interests. When her successor Paul sought to reverse what
she had done, he was deposed in a coup and his successor, Alexander,
became Emperor with the promise to follow Catherine's example. She is
the only woman ruler to whom posterity has awarded the honour "Great."

Michael McKenny, December 22-25, 2008 C.E.


Solarguard Russia and Eastern Europe



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