This Day in History: 9 July 2020
9 July 1762
258 years ago, today, Catherine the Great assumed power after rallying the army regiments of St. Petersburg against her husband. She would stay on the throne for the next 34 years, longer than any other female ruler in Russian history. Peter III and Catherine's marriage had been unhappy from the beginning, and neither one was faithful. Catherine later hinted in her memoirs that her husband had not fathered any of her four children, but many historians believe that he did father her first son, Paul. Once Peter had ascended to the throne, his many enemies plotted to overthrow him and replace him with Paul, but instead Catherine seized the advantage for herself. Peter was assassinated eight days later by Catherine's supporters.
Catherine's reign would be remembered in Russia's history as a time of significant progress and great achievement for the nation, despite the unsteady beginning. Like the historic Peter the Great, she aimed to westernise the country, making it strong enough to stand its own ground against the great powers of Europe. Under Catherine, the borders of Russia expanded to the west and south, encompassing Crimea and much of Poland. On a personal level, Catherine was notorious for her many lovers. She also was in favour of her grandson, Alexander, becoming heir instead of her own son, Paul, but she died of a stroke in 1796 before she could act upon this. Paul inherited the Russian throne, but was assassinated five years later, allowing Alexander to become the next ruler in the Romanov dynasty.
Want to find out more about Catherine the Great? Click here for more information, or here for more about Catherine's variety of lovers.
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