Catherine the Great was born and Germany but she died a true Russian. She ruled for 34 years from 1762 to 1996 and during her reign there were many advances to Russia but there were also a lot of troubles (McGuire 104). Catherine was full of contrasts; she could be tyrannical but also tolerant, she could be extremely wise or wildly reckless, and she could be generous but other times ruthless (McGuire 25). Catherine threw herself into her job with great enthusiasm. She loved Russia and adored being empress (McGuire 71). She also found a lot of interest a new philosophy that just started and soon this turned into the Enlightenment. Catherine the Great along with two other men pushed the ideas of the Enlightenment, she stopped a rebellion, and
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During her reign she made a lot of improvements to Russia that have improved the government and the country for a long time. Then in 1772 she came together with Frederick William II of Prussia and Maria Theresa, the three of them divided a large section of Poland between their three states so Russia grew much bigger than it was before (McGuire 86). Under Catherine’s rule they defeated the Turks so Russia also spread southward to the Black Sea (Spielvogel 410). Many people have said that during Catherine’s reign not only did Russia expand but European culture was also greatly encouraged in Russia (The World Book Encyclopedia). Her main goal of promoting European culture was to modernize and westernize Russia and she thought that this would be the best way to do that (Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia). During her reign, she wrote a book called “The Instruction” and in this book it spells out Catherine’s views on the social, political, judicial and economic issues that were going on in Russia and in that book she claimed the nation to be European (Henderson 16). Her greatest achievements consist of modernizing the administration, extending the frontiers of Russia, and her successful wars on the Ottoman Empire (The World Book …show more content…
Not only did she spread the ideas of the Enlightenment, she looked out for peasants and serfs and made many improvements to Russia. Many people looked up to her back then as a role model and today some historians have dedicated their lives to learning about her and her life. I found a quote from her that I think sums everything that she was trying to do for Russia. She said, “My only desire, my only wish is for the good of this country in which God has placed me…. The glory of the country is my own glory” (McGuire
During her reign she made a lot of improvements to Russia that have improved the government and the country for a long time. Then in 1772 she came together with Frederick William II of Prussia and Maria Theresa, the three of them divided a large section of Poland between their three states so Russia grew much bigger than it was before (McGuire 86). Under Catherine’s rule they defeated the Turks so Russia also spread southward to the Black Sea (Spielvogel 410). Many people have said that during Catherine’s reign not only did Russia expand but European culture was also greatly encouraged in Russia (The World Book Encyclopedia). Her main goal of promoting European culture was to modernize and westernize Russia and she thought that this would be the best way to do that (Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia). During her reign, she wrote a book called “The Instruction” and in this book it spells out Catherine’s views on the social, political, judicial and economic issues that were going on in Russia and in that book she claimed the nation to be European (Henderson 16). Her greatest achievements consist of modernizing the administration, extending the frontiers of Russia, and her successful wars on the Ottoman Empire (The World Book …show more content…
Not only did she spread the ideas of the Enlightenment, she looked out for peasants and serfs and made many improvements to Russia. Many people looked up to her back then as a role model and today some historians have dedicated their lives to learning about her and her life. I found a quote from her that I think sums everything that she was trying to do for Russia. She said, “My only desire, my only wish is for the good of this country in which God has placed me…. The glory of the country is my own glory” (McGuire