the Dark Ages meditate the ill consequences. However, a certain individual has had a great influence in the Middle Ages. Catherine of Siena is one of the many reasons the Middle Ages should not be referred to as the “Dark Age”. Catherine of Siena also known as Catherine Benincasa, was known
Catherine the Great: An Abundance of Influence Catherine II, Russia’s longest-reigning female monarch, was neither born Russian nor originally named Catherine. Nor, despite the general consensus, was she just an overly ambitious fornicatress, although she did have many lovers, many of whom helped her on her quest to greatness. Rather, she was a complex and extremely powerful Tsarina whose legacy rightly goes far beyond a promiscuous woman with expensive tastes. During her reign, Catherine became
Catherine the Great reigned as Empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796. In her four years of rule she made very important changes to both Russia and Europe as a whole. She was born in the small domain of Anhalt-Zerbst where she grew up in modest but cultured surroundings. She was strongly influenced by French culture. At the age of fifteen she came to Russia to marry Peter of Holstein-Gottorp. When she was thirty-three years old she took over the Russian throne. Politically, foreign policies were
a successful one? Some could argue the accumulation of land and wealth are the defining factors. Others would assert that population size and control over it maketh a great ruler. All these factors are quite obviously good indicators of an empire on the rise, but not necessarily indicators of good ruling. It appears to me that great rulers build their empire like a sports franchise builds their team; around a centralized figure. The centralized figure in regards to empire is the ruler of said empire
Isabella acting selfish and deceitful toward Catherine, and they show how Catherine responds to the realities surrounding her. When Catherine makes plans with Miss Tilney Isabella tries to selfishly convince Catherine to cancel her plans due to her controlling and jealous nature, which to Catherine, “[appears] to her ungenerous and selfish, regardless of everything but her own gratification (67).” This quote is important because this is the first time Catherine really acknowledges the downfalls and incredibly
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.
Squires Page One The book Catherine the Great: Life and Legend is an illuminating piece of work by John T. Alexander a renowned historian whom dedicated over twenty years to this biography. Alexander ushers the reader into Catherine’s life during the Russian Golden Age of Peace and Virtue. Alexander focuses on the German princess transforming from a princess into Catherine the Great through a coup d’état ushering her into the position to rule the largest empire the world had seen at the time until
ability. Many throughout history have claimed that Catherine the Great of Russia was an enlightened monarch, however, I do not believe this was the case. Catherine attempted to make it seem as though she would reform laws and move Russia in a more progressive direction. Her need to cater to the nobility shaped her policies, which ultimately worsened the condition of her people.
Catherine the Great In the midst of the Enlightenment of the 1700s emerged one of the greatest rulers in European history: Catherine the Great. Before her reign, Russia was a sluggish country and deemed behind in modernization compared to Western Europe. However, during Catherine’s lifetime from 1729 to 1796, this empress of Russia integrated new ideas that expanded her country in both scope and size (“Catherine the Great”). As a strong supporter of the arts and education, Catherine innovated Russia
Yekaterina: Russia’s Golden Empress From a small German principality to the very forefront of European politics, and from Sophie Friederike of Anhalt-Zerbst to Empress Yekaterina Alekseyevna, Catherine the Great became one of Russia’s most influential rulers in history. She is regarded as one of the most powerful women the world has ever seen (Massie, 2011). Marked by political, societal, and cultural reforms, her reign, proclaimed the Catherinian Age and the golden age of the Russian Empire, changed