Russia is the largest country in Europe and it is a multiethnic and multinational country; the geography has affected the development of Russia economically, politically, and socially. Geographically Russia is disadvantaged; because “Russia was poor in natural resources.” Sophia Anhalt Zerbst, born to German Prince in Prussia, became the empress of Russia. She drastically changed Russia’s policies, colonized the country, and improved lives of the Russian people. Isabel de Madariaga wrote Catherine the Great: A Short History. Madariaga focuses on the social and economic reforms during Catherine’s reign. Madariaga discusses the policies and reforms Catherine organized during her reign in Russia. Various other authors such as Simon Dixon, John
…show more content…
The first edition (Russia in the Age of Catherine the Great) was first written in the United States and published by Phoenix. The second edition (Catherine the Great: A Short History) was published by Yale University press. Madariaga’s second edition was written mainly to ease the complex text and length for students found in the first publication. The book was published after the USSR diminished. The information on Catherine was unattainable during the USSR time, making biographies about the Russian history hard to write accurately Many authors before Madariaga mainly focused Catherine’s relationships but after the USSR ended information was easy and it influenced Madariaga to focus more content on the empress’s reign.. The book remarkably displayed not only Catherine’s love life, but “also of the Russian and international context of what she operated.” This brought out the great reign of Catherine to be known publicly. Madariaga changed the perceptions of how historians viewed Catherine the Great by portraying her as a successful ruler. Madariaga’s analysis of Catherine refined the empress’s reign. As a professor and analyzer of Russian history, she is well qualified to write this biography. The theme of the book showed Catherine as a ruler and a woman who made many reforms in Russia, rather than merely discussing about her many lovers during her lifetime. This book justifies Catherine’s reign the Great by showing that like any other leader she was a great empress that deserves to be studied. The author’s perspective of Catherine is that many historians overlook her political achievement and pay much attention to her social and love life. Therefore, Madariaga was trying to prove that Catherine was a successful ruler who improved Russia politically, economically, socially, and
The first edition (Russia in the Age of Catherine the Great) was first written in the United States and published by Phoenix. The second edition (Catherine the Great: A Short History) was published by Yale University press. Madariaga’s second edition was written mainly to ease the complex text and length for students found in the first publication. The book was published after the USSR diminished. The information on Catherine was unattainable during the USSR time, making biographies about the Russian history hard to write accurately Many authors before Madariaga mainly focused Catherine’s relationships but after the USSR ended information was easy and it influenced Madariaga to focus more content on the empress’s reign.. The book remarkably displayed not only Catherine’s love life, but “also of the Russian and international context of what she operated.” This brought out the great reign of Catherine to be known publicly. Madariaga changed the perceptions of how historians viewed Catherine the Great by portraying her as a successful ruler. Madariaga’s analysis of Catherine refined the empress’s reign. As a professor and analyzer of Russian history, she is well qualified to write this biography. The theme of the book showed Catherine as a ruler and a woman who made many reforms in Russia, rather than merely discussing about her many lovers during her lifetime. This book justifies Catherine’s reign the Great by showing that like any other leader she was a great empress that deserves to be studied. The author’s perspective of Catherine is that many historians overlook her political achievement and pay much attention to her social and love life. Therefore, Madariaga was trying to prove that Catherine was a successful ruler who improved Russia politically, economically, socially, and