What was Catherine the Great Enlightenment ideas?
She was a staunch advocate of the Enlightenment values of truth, justice and the desire for a modern and efficient government. So supportive was Catherine of these ideas that she planned to apply them to Russia.
Was Catherine the Great an enlightened ruler?
Some regard Catherine as a socially enlightened ruler; she exchanged correspondence with the French philosopher Voltaire. She was a patron of the arts; the Hermitage Museum opened during her reign, beginning as part of her personal collection.
What is Catherine the Great most known for?
Catherine II, called Catherine the Great, reigned over Russia for 34 years—longer than any other female in Russian history. She championed the arts and reorganized the Russian law code. She also significantly expanded Russian territory. Today Catherine is a source of national pride for many Russians.
What did Catherine the Great believe in?
Moving forward with her relationship with Grand Duke Peter, Catherine converted to the Russian Orthodox faith, despite her deeply Lutheran father’s objections. Along with her new religion, she also received a new name—Yekaterina, or Catherine.
How was Catherine enlightened?
Catherine the Great considered herself an enlightened despot. She read the most prominent philosophes of the day, including Montesquieu and Voltaire and tried to adhere to Enlightenment ideas. Russia produced more goods, and enlisted thousands of troops during Catherine’s reign.
How did Catherine the Great take power?
Catherine came to power in a bloodless coup that later turned deadly. Elizabeth died in January 1762, and her nephew succeeded to the throne as Peter III, with Catherine as his consort. On July 9, just six months after becoming czar, Peter abdicated, and Catherine was proclaimed sole ruler.
How did Catherine the Great gain power?
What made Catherine the Great so great?
As empress, Catherine westernized Russia. She led her country into full participation in the political and cultural life of Europe. She championed the arts and reorganized the Russian law code. She also significantly expanded Russian territory.
When was Catherine the Great in power?
Ruler of Russia from 1762 to 1796, Catherine championed Enlightenment ideals, expanded her empire’s borders, spearheaded judicial and administrative reforms, dabbled in vaccination, curated a vast art collection that formed the foundation of one of the world’s greatest museums, exchanged correspondence with such …
What is Catherine the Great known for?
Catherine II, called Catherine the Great, reigned over Russia for 34 years—longer than any other female in Russian history. As empress, Catherine westernized Russia. She led her country into full participation in the political and cultural life of Europe. She championed the arts and reorganized the Russian law code.
How did Catherine the Great lose power?
On June 28, 1762, with the aid of her lover Gregory Orlov, she rallied the troops of St. Petersburg to her support and declared herself Catherine II, the sole ruler of Russia. She had Peter arrested and required him to abdicate, or step down from, power.
How did Catherine the Great treat peasants?
Not wishing to antagonize the nobility, Catherine increased the privileges of the nobility and decreased the freedom of peasants. The reforms of Peter and Catherine had little effect on the peasants—except to bind them to the land as serfs.
What did Catherine the Great do during the Enlightenment?
From Enlightenment Revolution. Catherine II, the Great (1729-96): Empress of Russia. Catherine II ruled Russia from 1762-96, during a period of unprecedented growth of empire. Astute and autocratic, she expanded Russian dominions, overhauled administrative structures, and vigorously pursued Westernization policies.
Why was Catherine the Great called an enlightened despot?
Catherine the Great was known as an enlightened despot. She came to believe that a wise and compassionate ruler, acting according to the dictates of reason, could assure the well-being of her subjects. She was an absolute ruler with total control, yet she allowed many freedoms Russians didn’t previously have.
How did Catherine II of Russia practice enlightened despotism?
In this struggle, Catherine II of Russia was among the leaders who practiced what has been called enlightened despotism (1). Although Catherine did not strive to realize an Enlightenment utopia, she and her advisers used whatever Enlightenment ideas would help in achieving her goal of modernizing Russia (2).
What reforms did Catherine the Great make during her reign?
As an “enlightened despot,” motivated by the ideas of the Enlightenment, Catherine came to believe that a wise and benevolent ruler, acting according to the dictates of reason, could ensure the well-being of her subjects. In this spirit, Catherine undertook the first major reform, that of Russia’s legal system,…