Princess Sophie Friederike Auguste von Anhalt-Zerbst-Dornburg, also known to history as Catherine II but better known as Catherine the Great, was without doubt Russia’s most significant female ruler, not to mention one of Russia’s most successful rulers of either gender. Given her important place in Russia’s history, it is a little surprising to discover that Catherine was not Russian by birth.
Sophie (she did not become Catherine until 1744) was born in 1729 in the Polish town Alt-Stettin (modern Szczecin), but she was not Polish either. In fact, she was born into a family of German nobility, and her father Christian August, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst, held the rank of general within the Prussian government.
Despite their high status, Sophie’s family was not affluent, so, like many people of that time, they sought to improve their situation by marrying a child to someone of both stature and wealth. With Sophie, they succeeded admirably. As a result of political maneuvering by others and her own personal charm with the Russian empress Elizabeth, Sophie converted to Eastern (Russian) Orthodoxy, took the name Catherine, and, in 1745 married Charles Peter Ulrich, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp.
Catherine’s husband Peter was not merely the grandson of Peter the Great through his mother Anna Petrovna; he was also the nephew and designated heir to Empress Elizabeth. Therefore when Elizabeth died in January 1762, Peter (III) became tsar over all Russia.
Unfortunately for Peter, his rule was short-lived. Peter and Catherine’s relationship had never been close or intimate, and both partners had been regularly unfaithful. To make matters worse, Peter was by most accounts unpleasant and demanding, if not outright mean. Seeing an opportunity, Catherine and her loyalists executed a coup and forced Peter to sign abdication papers; conveniently, Peter died eight days later while in the custody of Catherine’s guards.
Catherine was now firmly in control of Russia. Regardless of what one might think of her tactics in seizing power or her personal morality throughout her life, one cannot dispute the fact that during her reign the Russian Empire was at its height. This was, in fact, the golden age of imperial Russia, a time of peace at home and power abroad, a period during which the application of Enlightenment ideals led to legal reform, economic growth, and state-sponsored expansion of education and the arts.
Catherine’s reign was also a period of steadily expanding international influence, which is where her significance for our family and other Mennonites comes most into play. We could write a great deal about Catherine’s achievements in this area, but we will limit our attention to only a few.
First, in 1768, just six years into her reign, Catherine took advantage of growing instability within the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth to assume control over the land and people of that kingdom. Her control was technically a protectorate, which means that she allowed some level of independence and local governance; the Commonwealth did not cease to exist. Nevertheless, Catherine maintained ultimate power and served as the final authority in any and all matters of import.
Not long after, in 1772, Catherine exercised that power by cooperating with the Prussians and the Austrians to take permanent control of certain areas of Poland-Lithuania. This First Partition of Poland allowed Russia to seize a significant amount of territory (36,000 square miles) from Poland’s eastern flank; Austria’s share was somewhat smaller in size but held a larger population than Russia’s acquisition. Prussia received the smallest portion but secured the greatest benefit. Not only was its new territory, which became the province West Prussia, more highly developed than the other areas; it also connected Prussia proper with its holdings in East Prussia.
While Catherine was carving up Poland, she was also in the process of expanding her territory to the southwest. Over the course of the Russo-Turkish War of 1768–1774 Catherine’s forces inflicted decisive defeats on the Ottoman Empire, so much so that the latter had to accede to Russia’s terms of peace. In addition to paying a hefty sum in reparations, the Ottoman Empire gave up control of the Crimean Khanate (not only Crimea but also land on the continent immediately to the north), the seaports Azov and Kerch, and the land between the Dnieper River and the Southern Bug (a major Ukrainian river west of the Dnieper), among other territories.
Finally, Catherine also played a crucial role in the Second and Third Partitions of Poland in 1793 and 1795, respectively. The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth continued to experience unrest after the First Partition, and Polish troops engaged the Russian army at the outset of the Russo-Turkish War and then again in 1792. Frederick II of Prussia exploited the opportunity to propose another land grab at the expense of Poland; Russia agreed. As a result, Prussia seized 22,000 square miles, and Russia took another 97,000 square miles. Two years later, Russia, Prussia, and Austria agreed to dissolve the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth entirely and to divide the remaining land among themselves.
In November of the following year Catherine suffered what was diagnosed as a stroke; she passed away the following day, on the evening of 17 November 1796. Her thirty-four-year reign was the longest of any of Russia’s female rulers. Her influence on Russia’s domestic life and the international balance of power are obvious, but Catherine’s actions also affected the Mennonite community at large and our own ancestors. We will briefly detail Catherine’s importance for both in a subsequent post.
Despite their high status, Sophie’s family was not affluent, so, like many people of that time, they sought to improve their situation by marrying a child to someone of both stature and wealth. With Sophie, they succeeded admirably. As a result of political maneuvering by others and her own personal charm with the Russian empress Elizabeth, Sophie converted to Eastern (Russian) Orthodoxy, took the name Catherine, and, in 1745 married Charles Peter Ulrich, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp.
Catherine’s husband Peter was not merely the grandson of Peter the Great through his mother Anna Petrovna; he was also the nephew and designated heir to Empress Elizabeth. Therefore when Elizabeth died in January 1762, Peter (III) became tsar over all Russia.
Unfortunately for Peter, his rule was short-lived. Peter and Catherine’s relationship had never been close or intimate, and both partners had been regularly unfaithful. To make matters worse, Peter was by most accounts unpleasant and demanding, if not outright mean. Seeing an opportunity, Catherine and her loyalists executed a coup and forced Peter to sign abdication papers; conveniently, Peter died eight days later while in the custody of Catherine’s guards.
Catherine’s reign was also a period of steadily expanding international influence, which is where her significance for our family and other Mennonites comes most into play. We could write a great deal about Catherine’s achievements in this area, but we will limit our attention to only a few.
First, in 1768, just six years into her reign, Catherine took advantage of growing instability within the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth to assume control over the land and people of that kingdom. Her control was technically a protectorate, which means that she allowed some level of independence and local governance; the Commonwealth did not cease to exist. Nevertheless, Catherine maintained ultimate power and served as the final authority in any and all matters of import.
Not long after, in 1772, Catherine exercised that power by cooperating with the Prussians and the Austrians to take permanent control of certain areas of Poland-Lithuania. This First Partition of Poland allowed Russia to seize a significant amount of territory (36,000 square miles) from Poland’s eastern flank; Austria’s share was somewhat smaller in size but held a larger population than Russia’s acquisition. Prussia received the smallest portion but secured the greatest benefit. Not only was its new territory, which became the province West Prussia, more highly developed than the other areas; it also connected Prussia proper with its holdings in East Prussia.
While Catherine was carving up Poland, she was also in the process of expanding her territory to the southwest. Over the course of the Russo-Turkish War of 1768–1774 Catherine’s forces inflicted decisive defeats on the Ottoman Empire, so much so that the latter had to accede to Russia’s terms of peace. In addition to paying a hefty sum in reparations, the Ottoman Empire gave up control of the Crimean Khanate (not only Crimea but also land on the continent immediately to the north), the seaports Azov and Kerch, and the land between the Dnieper River and the Southern Bug (a major Ukrainian river west of the Dnieper), among other territories.
Finally, Catherine also played a crucial role in the Second and Third Partitions of Poland in 1793 and 1795, respectively. The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth continued to experience unrest after the First Partition, and Polish troops engaged the Russian army at the outset of the Russo-Turkish War and then again in 1792. Frederick II of Prussia exploited the opportunity to propose another land grab at the expense of Poland; Russia agreed. As a result, Prussia seized 22,000 square miles, and Russia took another 97,000 square miles. Two years later, Russia, Prussia, and Austria agreed to dissolve the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth entirely and to divide the remaining land among themselves.
In November of the following year Catherine suffered what was diagnosed as a stroke; she passed away the following day, on the evening of 17 November 1796. Her thirty-four-year reign was the longest of any of Russia’s female rulers. Her influence on Russia’s domestic life and the international balance of power are obvious, but Catherine’s actions also affected the Mennonite community at large and our own ancestors. We will briefly detail Catherine’s importance for both in a subsequent post.
For Further Reading
Alexander, John T. 1989. Catherine the Great: Life and Legend. New York: Oxford University Press.
Catherine, Empress of Russia. 2006. The Memoirs of Catherine the Great. Translated by Mark Cruse and Hilde Hoogenboom. New York: Modern Library.
Madariaga, Isabel de. 1990. Catherine the Great: A Short History. Haven: Yale University Press.
O’Neill, Kelly. 2017. Claiming Crimea: A History of Catherine the Great’s Southern Empire. New Haven: Yale University Press.
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