Catherine II of Russia

opinions of all the citizens. Thus, if they made an unpopular decision, the people would harshly react. In her speech, Catherine II, Czarina of Russia, claimed that subservience to the people was far more dismal than absolutism. The efficiency of absolutism was exemplified in its rulers, such as Peter the Great. Because of his absolute rule, Peter reformed every aspect of Russia in only forty-three years. This great ruler was able to modernize an entire empire by enforcing a centralized…

doing. I personally believe that the Enlightenment was actually not all the Enlightened. There were three rulers who were known most for their “Enlightened” methods of ruling. They were called the Enlightened Despots. The first being King Friedrich II of Prussia. He actually didn't get off to such a great start. He came to power five years early by convincing Prussia that his father, Freidrich I, was crazy and didn't deserve…

intellectual movement that emphasized reason rather than tradition. The philosophies heavily influenced many leaders and were even taken on by absolutists. Frederick the Great and Catherine of Russia, despite their despotism, were truly enlightened rulers who implemented the ideals of Enlightenment philosophers. Frederick II and Catherine II were absolute rulers who ruled during 17th century enlightenment, as the enlightenment brought major change to European society. Three precursor societal…

By definition, an empire is: “a major political unit having a territory of great extent or a number of territories or peoples under a single sovereign authority.” Throughout history, there have been hundreds, if not thousands of empires that have risen and fallen over millennia. Some of them stand out more than others. In this paper, three of some of the most powerful empires will be discussed: the Mongol empire, the Byzantine Empire, and the Russian Empire. When one hears the term “Mongol…

Peter the Great, Czar of Russia, was in the process of modernizing and reforming Russia. So, to encourage development and education, he desired a faster method of transit to the West. He achieved this by war with Sweden for twenty-one years to get a seaport next to the Baltic Sea. To be more precise, Peter had already obtained the port before Sweden had formally yielded it and began to build on it. Although the marshy location was detrimental, Peter considered it perfect because ships could…

Emerging from the ashes of The War of Austrian Succession and the Seven Years War, the people of Europe wanted more from life then they possessed. They wanted the rights, liberties, and freedoms that the absolute monarchs of their states held captive. Looking at Great Britain as a model for a successful government without an absolute monarch, peasants, serfs, and the bourgeoisie wanted power to be in their own hands. The growing sentiment was proclaimed by philosophes such as John Locke, Baron…

a is a monarchical form of government in which the monarch has absolute power among his or her people. An absolute monarch wields unrestricted political power over the sovereign state and its people. Absolutism was used in France with Louis XIV, Russia, Prussia, and Austria. Although all of these countries were quite different they mostly believed that absolute monarchy was necessary and justified. During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in Europe, absolute monarchy was considered by…

subsequent Russian monarchs found it difficult to adapt to the realities of Constitutionalism and the fact that the absolute power did not prove to be relevant anymore, particularly in Europe. Therefore, what was left for Alexander III and Nicholas II was to degenerate and retreat to the Muscovite doctrines justifying the existence of the absolute and omnipotent monarch, while almost patiently awaiting the dissatisfaction of their more progressive and visionary contemporaries to take precedence…

were more elaborate steps, moves, and techniques added. After a while the dance became more theatrical and more of a performance on a stage with sets and a story line. In the sixteenth century ballet was brought to France by Catherine de’Medici, the Italian wife of King Henry II. The dance of ballet was expanding and becoming more and more extravagant. Dancing masters would teach the…

those famous caves. The origin of Ballet dance can be traced to the 15th century Italian Renaissance courts, and later developed into a concert dance style in France, Russia, Britain, and Italy. Ballet was brought to France by Catherine de Medici, who was an Italian noble woman, a patron of the arts, and the wife of King Henry II, but it was later popularized and standardized…