Catherine the Great                                      LM

Where did Catherine rule? The dark green is all the Russian land and the area where the arrow is pointing to was added by Catherine the Great !

A bump along the road… One conflict the Catherine Great faced was from 1788 to 1790, Russia fought the Russo-Swedish War against Sweden. Catherine and her Russian troops responded to the Swedes with a great force and teamed up with Denmark to defeat the Swedes. The Russian fleet before the Battle of Hogland. After the battle began…

Another bump… Catherine was a afraid that the May Constitution of Poland might lead to a regained power for the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and that the growth of democracy inside Poland would threaten the European monarchies. So Catherine took the lead in the partitions of Poland in the 1790’s so that she and other European monarchs could control the Polish threat. This map shows the three partitions of Poland.

What did Cathy have in common with all the other monarchs? Like all of the other monarch’s we studied, Catherine the Great of Russia ruled as a monarch. Also like all of the other rulers, Catherine the Great tried to expand Russia’s borders, increase it’s power as a dominant European nation, and fought many wars. Also like all the other monarchs, Catherine the Great did not please everyone. Although she would make great strides for some groups of people, like nobles and her government officials, the lower classes were usually condemned to a life of poverty. This is the same for many of the other monarchs as well.

What did Cathy have in common with at least two of the other monarchs? Peter the Great of Russia Frederick The Great of Prussia Ironically enough three of the monarchs that have a lot in common are all considered “Great”! Catherine, Peter, and Frederick are all from similar areas so they have some cultural and geographic similarities. All three also fought many wars to protect and promote the growth of their respective countries. They are all “greats” and I think this name is fitting, they all did great things for their country’s government, people, and power. Although they were all dictators they were, great!! Peter! Frederick!

Friend or Foe? The monarch that would get along the best with Catherine the Great is Peter the Great. They were both rulers of Russia and both believed in westernization. Peter the Great improved education and encouraged trade while Catherine the Great set up schools for boys and girls and won a warm-water port on the Black Sea. These two monarchs would have gotten along very well.

Cant we all just get along? Charles I and Catherine The Great would not get along. Catherine The Great would not have agreed with the way Charles I decided to rule. Charles I would put his enemies in prison without a trail, collected very high taxes and angered the puritans. He also dissolved the Parliament for 11 years because they tried to stop him. Charles I was then beheaded in 1649 by Parliament. He was the first European king to be tried and executed by his own Parliament.

Has Russia changed?? Modern Russia Russia in 1762 Yes, Russia has changed a lot. Catherine the Great really worked on expanding Russia’s borders and as you can see on the map, it has expanding even more since her reign.

Modern Government vs. Back in the Day Today, Russia has a federation government. It is based on civil law system. The judicial branch reviews the legislative acts. When Catherine the Great ruled, it was a monarchy government type. There was a Parliament but Catherine the Great was the overall ruler.

Which monarch would you choose? I would want to live under the rule of Louis XIV of France because during his rule life was good in France. Even though he spent all the countries money, it improved life. He also spent a lot of time renewing the arts in France. He seemed like a great ruler!

Which country would I move to?.... If I had to move to one of the countries that we learned about, I would have to choose England. England is very similar to the United States in its government views, culture, and there is no language barrier! Plus who wouldn’t love to have an English accent and eat fish n’ chips?! =