What made Catherine the Great, a great and influential queen?
Catherine the Great, born as Sophie Friederike Auguste, was the longest-reigning empress of Russia, ruling from 1762 until her death in 1796. Her reign is often considered the Golden Age of the Russian Empire due to her significant contributions in various fields[1][5].
One of Catherine's most notable achievements was her extensive territorial expansion. She extended Russia's borders in the largest territorial gain since Ivan the Terrible, absorbing new territories from the Ottoman Empires and the Commonwealth of Poland-Lithuania. Under her rule, some 200,000 square miles were added to Russian territory[1][3].
Catherine was also a champion of the arts and education. She established educational reform, supported the ideals of the Enlightenment, and presided over the age of the Russian Enlightenment. She also established the Smolny Institute of Noble Maidens, the first educational establishment for women in Russia[1][5][10].
In terms of religious reforms, Catherine introduced the Toleration of Faiths Edict in 1773, which allowed Muslims to build mosques and freely practice their religion. She also treated Judaism as a separate legal and administrative system[2].
Catherine's administrative reforms included dividing the country into provinces and districts, increasing the power of the landed oligarchs, and issuing the Charter of the Towns, which distributed all people into six groups as a way to limit the power of nobles and create a meritocracy[5].
Despite her achievements, Catherine's reign was not without controversy. Her expansionist policies came at a great cost to the conquered nations and her own people. Additionally, while she made some improvements to the conditions of the serfs, she was wary of making too many radical changes, and the serfs remained unhappy during her reign[2][6].
In conclusion, Catherine the Great's influence and greatness as a queen stemmed from her significant contributions to territorial expansion, arts, education, religious tolerance, and administrative reforms. However, her reign was also marked by controversies and challenges, particularly in relation to her expansionist policies and her treatment of serfs.
Citations:
[1] Catherine the Great - https://awpc.cattcenter.iastate.edu/directory/catherine-the-great/
[2] Reforms of Catherine the Great https://www.worldhistory.org/article/2342/reforms-of-catherine-the-great/
[3] History of Western Civilization II https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-hccc-worldhistory2/chapter/france-under-louis-xv/
[4] Catherine the Great | Biography, Facts, Children, & Accomplishments https://www.britannica.com/biography/Catherine-the-Great
[5] Catherine’s Domestic Policies https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-hccc-worldhistory2/chapter/catherines-domestic-policies/
[6] The True Story of Catherine the Great https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/true-story-catherine-great-180974863/
[7] Catherine the Great | Biography & Accomplishments - Study.com https://study.com/learn/lesson/catherine-great-biography-accomplishments.html
[8] Russia - Catherine II, Enlightenment, Expansion https://www.britannica.com/place/Russia/The-reign-of-Catherine-II-the-Great-1762-96
[9] Idealistic and tough, Catherine the Great sought to modernize Russia https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/who-was-catherine-great
[10] Catherine the Great - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_the_Great
[11] Main project site https://blogs.kent.ac.uk/ageofrevolution/revolutionary-figures/catherine-the-great/
[12] How did Catherine the Great’s reign shape Imperial Russian history? https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/blog/how-did-catherine-the-great-reign-shape-imperial-russian-history/
[13] Catherine the Great: An Enlightened Despot? https://www.thecollector.com/catherine-the-great-enlightened-despot/
[14] Catherine the Great: Biography, Accomplishments & Death https://www.livescience.com/42006-catherine-the-great.html
[15] Catherine the Great | Russia's Most Iconic Empress https://www.travelallrussia.com/blog/catherine-the-great
[16] Catherine the Great - Empress, Reforms, Legacy https://www.britannica.com/biography/Catherine-the-Great/Legacy
