Catherine II, Empress of Russia (Catherine the Great) Catherine II, or Catherine the Great, empress of Russia (1762-96), did much to transform Russia into a modern country. Originally named Sophie Fredericke Augusta, she was born in Stettin (now Szczecin, Poland), on May 2, 1729, the daughter of the German prince of Anhalt-Zerbst. At the age of 15 she went to Russia to become the wife of Peter, nephew and heir of Empress ELIZABETH. Elizabeth died on Dec. 25, 1761, and Catherine's husband succeeded as PETER III. The new ruler soon made himself unpopular, especially with certain army officers. Led by Aleksei ORLOV (whose brother Grigori was Catherine's lover), the officers staged a coup in June 1762. Peter was deposed (and subsequentle murdered), and Catherine became absolute ruler of the largest European empire, whose language she nev....

Number Of Pages: 3

Number Of Words: 760

Got a term paper due soon and need some help quick? You have come to the right place. Essay Galaxy has over 50,000 essays, papers, and reports available for download right now! Get ideas from thousands students just like you to help make that essay perfect. Don't hesitate. Join today and get instant access to our enormous database.

Membership Options Price Savings   1 month subscription    $19.95 recurring * 3 months subscription    $39.95 recurring $19.90 6 months subscription    $69.95 non-recurring $49.75