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Catherine II [a] (born Princess Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst; 2 May 1729 – 17 November 1796), [b] most commonly known as Catherine the Great, [c] was the reigning empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796. She came to power after overthrowing her husband, Peter III .
Enlightened monarchs distinguished themselves from ordinary rulers by claiming to rule for their subjects' well-being. John Stuart Mill stated that despotism is a legitimate mode of government in dealing with barbarians, provided the end be their improvement.
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. [3] She wished to bring Russia up to par with its neighbors not only in a military sense, but also politically, culturally, and intellectually.
History of Russia (1721–96) is the history of Russia during the Era of Russian palace revolutions and the Age of Catherine the Great.It began with creation of Russian Empire in 1721, the rule of Catherine I in 1725, and ended with the short rule of Peter III of Russia.
The title page of the Nakaz French translation of the Instructions, 1769. Nakaz, or Instruction, of Catherine the Great (Russian: Наказ Екатерины II Комиссии о составлении проекта нового Уложения, transliteration: Nakaz Jekateriny II Komissiji o sostavleniji projekta novogo Uloženija), was a statement of legal principles written by ...
1794 portrait of Catherine the Great by Dmitry Levitzky. Born in 1754, [1] Paul was the son of Emperor Peter III and Catherine the Great. [2] Six months after Peter's accession, Catherine participated in a successful coup d'état against her husband; Peter was deposed and killed in prison. [3] During Catherine's reign, Russia was revitalized.
Portrait of Ivan Ivanovich Betskoi by Alexander Roslin (1777) Saint Petersburg, Hermitage Museum Ivan Ivanovich Betskoi or Betskoy (Russian: Ива́н Ива́нович Бе́цкой; 14 February [O.S. 3 February] 1704 – 11 September [O.S. 31 August] 1795) was an educational reformer in the Russian Empire who served as Catherine II's advisor on education and President of the Imperial ...
Like other enlightened despots, Catherine the Great played a key role in fostering the arts, sciences and education. She used her own interpretation of Enlightenment ideals, assisted by notable international experts such as Voltaire (by correspondence) and in residence world class scientists such as Leonhard Euler and Peter Simon Pallas .