Catherine the Great, also known as Catherine II, born Princess Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst, seized the throne in 1762. When Russia was an absolute monarchy that was placed at the despotic end of the spectrum which extended through the Prussia to the France and only abstained in 1796 upon her death. Catherine was known as a 'Cultural Minerva', according to one of Catherines early biographers, Alexander Briickner, “She liked to be called Minerva. ... She greatly needed to be praised all the time. ... The thought of failure was most difficult for her." It was from this that she erected the Hermitage in 1764, also in this year she became the the founder and patron of the Russian Academy of Arts. Each of these both show her to be a woman of great pride, and authority, if it was not for her 'personal vanity' she would not have aimed for these titles. Though this may seem overtly pessimistic Catherine lost interest quickly in the Academy of Arts after she became its patron. Falconet, a contemporary writer, criticized the Russian Minerva for neglecting the institution founded under her auspices. Though she did neglect the Academy of Arts due to her vanity, she was a true collector of antiquities, as the Hermitage was her personal gallery to demonstrate her wealth. It was the Hermitage which imbued power throughout Russia, the museum was what Foucault would call the perfect "other" place, or "heterotopia," "a kind of effectively enacted utopia in which the real sites, all the other real sites that can be found within the culture, are simultaneously represented, contested, and inverted.' Other academics such as Karen Dovey, refers to different forms of power; 'power over' and the 'power under.' Catherine uses the 'power over' as it is the power over one agent (or group) over another, the power to ensure compliance over the other one's will. This is how Catherine ran her authoritarian state. Dovey, also speaks about ways in which the 'power over' can be implemented; such as seduction, authority, or domination, which Catherine was guilty of employing all of those tactics, many of them were just using the Hermitage to intimidate the society by showing her grandeur. The architecture was a key part in the control over
Eloquent, brilliant, unorthodox, poise, and loyal – all of these unique characteristics allowed Dashkova to gain the highest regard among the members of the elite society and more importantly, to earn the respect of Catherine the Great. Dashkova is a peculiar female character. She’s fully narcissistic, but at the same time, rejects her recognition and claims herself as unworthy of the credits Catherine II had given her. In her autobiography The Memoirs of Princess Dashkova, Dashkova justifies her role as a noble woman, her early-life contribution in helping Catherine rise to the throne, and the frugal life she bore as a widow and a mother of two. Dashkova voiced her significance in a society where
Recognized worldwide as a noteworthy historical figure, Catherine the Great was one of the most prominent rulers of Russia and a figure deserving of admiration. During her rule from 1762 to 1796 the Russian Empress Catherine II made such progress in political power that it is hard to find similar examples in world history. Catherine II was Empress of Russia for more than 30 years and one of the country’s most influential rulers .
Both Peter the Great and Catherine the Great were the former Emperors of Russia. They were the Russians ruler before the 17th century and also they were followers of Ivan IV. They used mysteries, dishonesty, etc for the foundation of their time, and they never thought that the Russia will have modernization. Mostly, the change came when Peter the Great and Catherine the Great came to power. Also, She expanded the territory of the Russian Empire and had improved as time pass by, and policy was following from the Westernization.
Empress Catherine the Great ruled Russia for approximately thirty years from 1762 to 1796 when she died. She was known throughout the world as an unusual ruler, having taken over the throne after the brutal death of her husband Peter the third. There she was made Empress of all Russia, this was unusual because instead of being made regent for her son they circumnavigated the rules and she was made Empress Regnant. During her time on the throne she made many radical and life changing decisions. She was a voracious reader and writer, often helping to translate others works into Russian. She herself was inspired by Voltaire, Diderot, and Montesquieu. All of which culminated in her greatest work “Great Instruction”, which was the beginning of basically all her future endeavors. Catherine the Great was an enlightened ruler who tried to bring about a new way of life in Russia, by allowing certain freedoms and educating the public.
Until philosophers are kings, or the kings and princes of this world have the spirit and power of philosophy, and political greatness and wisdom meet in one, and those commoner natures who pursue either to the exclusion of the other are compelled to stand aside, cities will never have rest from their evils … and then only will this our State have a possibility of life and behold the light of day. (Plato)
Catherine the Great is a absolute monarchy the reason why Catherine the Great is a absolute monarchy is because she intended on modernizing her country. She had ruled as the Empress of Russia more than thirty years after Peter III (husband) had been murdered but however Peter the Great had been using force. But Catherine decided to establish reforms that would improve the Russians society that wouldn't require her to use force on her people. She had improved education for the middle class and nobles but she had also modern agriculture. But while under her leadership the Russians had gained military success and territory. Russian was brought to the modern age but not only that it was also retaining an absolute monarchy by the time she had died in 1796.
Catherine was one of Russia's greatest Rulers. She built numerous buildings, wrote the “Nakaz”, brought the arts, religious tolerance to Russia; she conquered huge amounts of land, won numerous wars and took a throne she had no right to. She ruled for 34 years, all the time making Russia a better place, she was no power hungry dictator, but an enlightened despot that only worked to help Russia. Many people say and want to believe Catherine the Great was just a power hungry dictator because of things like a lowered a serf status, for taking her husband's throne or for being a woman with a reputation with men. She was a woman who wasn't power hungry; if she was wouldn't she have tried to conquer all of Europe.
Catherine read some philosophes’ works and exchanged many letters with Voltaire. She made a command to review Russia's’ laws in 1767 and based on the ideas of Montesquieu and Beccaria she had a few goals which sadly never were accomplished. Some
Catherine de’ Medici was the Queen of France. She was Italian, but she lived in Paris France and even taught some of the French how to properly eat with a fork. Some foods such as artichokes, baby peas, candied vegetables puff pastry, and truffles would have never been introduced to the French cuisine without her. The fork was used in Italy when the rest of Europe looked at it as strange, but with her as royalty using it encouraged everyone else around her to try it as well. Her mother was a French princess making her royalty from the beginning although she did not start opening up with her ideas about food until after her marriage as some people think she did it to fit in. Catherine did her part to leave her mark during the renaissance in culinary history. Even in questionable times as when she could not conceive a child, it was thought to have been cured from her dietary style. Though she struggled with fertility, her dietary changes helped her to conceive nine children. When she moved, she brought a handful of reliable chefs with her to encourage this special diet to improve
Catherine de' Medici was a French lady who was married into the royal family at the age of fourteen in the sixteenth century. She was different than other women during this time period, and she enjoyed studying astrology and the arts. She was also the one who ordered the Tuileries to be built. She formed a very close relationship with the King and her father-in-law, King Francis I, and even named one of her children after him. However, her husband and the King's son, Henry, despised Catherine, and openly had an affair with another mistress named Diane. Despite this, he and Catherine still tried to have children, yet failed the first few years of their marriage. Catherine was shamed by the people for not having children at this point, and some
Elizabeth I, monarch of England, and Marie de l’Incarnation, a French nun, both invoked God and other forms of religious power to stake their claims to authority. Elizabeth’s role as a queen came at a time when her country was going through political turmoil. Marie’s role as a missionary in New France was to civilize the indigenous people. Although working to better their countries, both of these writers are vastly different due to their social positions. While Elizabeth had the substantial task of ruling over her country, Marie was serving her country as a missionary; however, both writers utilize religion to accomplish their various duties.
For centuries there has been hostility between all different forms of religion. The Catholics and the Protestants are no exception. For many years these two branches of religion have been at each other’s throats defending their respective beliefs. Although in hindsight it is definitely wrong what these two groups did to one another, at the time they felt they were doing what was right. The question now was raised. Why did anyone need to die for their own religious beliefs? One thing lead to another and many people were put under scrutiny when the death tolls began to rise. No one was under more fire than Catherine de Medici. She became the scapegoat for what happened on Saint Bartholomew’s Day.
Surprisingly, there is a ramp leading to the upper galleries that overlook the nave. The central part of the Upper Imperial gallery was, during Byzantine rule, reserved for the Empress and the ladies of her court and was known as the Loge of the Empress. It was there that the Empress would sit and watch the proceedings; the place where the throne of the Empress stood is marked by a round, green stone. Other parts of the galleries contained meeting rooms and in later years a library.
Catherine the Great was the German wife of Peter III. She corresponded actively with Voltaire and other prominent eighteenth-century thinkers, and paid lip service to their liberal ideas; but she did little to reform or modernize Russia. She introduced such western ideas as pleased her, at the same time increasing Russian autocracy and military power. In addition, she extended Russia's boundaries southward and westward. Catherine joined with Austria and Prussia in three partitions that completely eliminated independent Poland.
Catherine is known as one of the most cultured rulers of Russian history. He read constantly and was always informed about the political events of both Russia and the rest of Europe. He spoke fluently several languages and corresponded with many of the most lucid minds of the time, such as Voltaire or Denis Diderot, whose ideas influenced the political thinking of the monarch. With that his diplomatic sagacity allowed him to attract favorable opinions of the western European courts towards its reign.