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Birth
Catherine the Great is born to Christian Augustus, prince of Anhalt-Zerbst and Johanna Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp. Her parents had wanted a boy and didn't pay much attention to her. Catherine the Great's parents did not show a great deal of affection toward their daughter either. Her name at birth was Sophia Augusta Frederica. -
Catherine the Great's marriage
Catherine the Great got married to Peter III of Rome. This marriage was arranged by Empress Elisabeth so her nephew Peter III could produce an heir. Their marriage was not very happy because neither of them liked each other. Shortly after her husband ascended to the throne as Peter III, Catherine the Great orchestrated a coup to become empress of Russia in 1762. -
Seven Years War
French expansion into the Ohio River valley repeatedly brought France into armed conflict with the British colonies. The British suffered a series of defeats against the French and their broad network of Native American alliances. Britain and Prussia, who emerged in the ascendant against France and Austria resulted from a commercial and colonial rivalry between Britain and France. The conflict happened in Germany between Prussia and Austria. -
Empress Elisabeth dies
Elisabeth Petrovna, also known as Yelisaveta or Elisaveta, was the Empress of Russia from 1741 until her death. She led the country during the two major European conflicts of her time, the War of Austrian Succession and the Seven Years War. On the eve of her death Russia spanned almost 16,200,000 square kilometres. Elisabeth was assassinated and brought her rather unsettled life to a tragic end. -
Catherine the Great becomes Empress
Catherine the Great declared herself Catherine II and Empress of Russia. She captured her husband Peter and planned to imprison him for his life. She learned about Peter III, her husband ending the reign of coup d'état. Peter ended up dying in a fight with his captors. -
Paul III becomes Emperor of Russia
Peter III reigned for a few months before being overthrown by his wife, who became Catherine II. When he turned 18, Paul hoped for a role in government but was given little responsibility by his mother. As Paul grew older, Catherine the Great consistently kept him from rising to power. -
Improving towns and cities
Russia was viewed as backward and provincial by many in Europe. She sought to change this negative opinion through expanding educational opportunities and the arts. Catherine the Great had a boarding school established for girls from noble families in St. Petersburg. She later called for free schools to be created in towns across Russia. Catherine the Great made governor-generals take census, map provinces and report on agriculture and trade. They also had to build roads and bridges. -
The Great Instruction
A statement of legal principles written by Catherine II of Russia, and permeated with the ideas of the French Enlightenment. Catherine the Great put together a document, known as the "Nakaz," on how the country's legal system should run, with a push for capital punishment and torture to be outlawed and calling for every man to be declared equal. She created the Legislative Commission to revise the old laws to meet the instructions requirements. -
Marked Poland’s border
The strategic importance of Poland also made it a ripe target for Russia. Catherine the Great’s desire to orient her empire towards the West was another contributing factor in her decision to expand into the Polish realm. She expanded the Russian Empire, improved administration, and strongly pursued the policy of Westernization. -
Smallpox vaccination
Catherine the Great herself was spared but she saw the horrors of smallpox first hand and probably decided to make efforts to spare her people from the kind of suffering she saw when ascending the throne. She met Dr. Thomas Dimsdale who had come up with a vaccination for smallpox. Catherine tried the vaccination herself to make sure it worked and it did. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was a street fight that happened in Boston, Massachusetts between British soldiers and a "patriot" mob. The patriot mob threw snowballs, rocks and sticks at the British soldiers. And the British soldiers killed many citizens during the fight. This was one of the main events that led to the Revolutionary War. -
Pugachev Rebellion
The principal revolt in a series of popular rebellions that took place in the Russian Empire after Catherine II seized power in 1762. Pugachev assumed leadership of an alternative government in the name of the assassinated Tsar Peter III and proclaimed an end to serfdom. The rebellion managed to consolidate support from various groups including the peasants, the Cossacks, and Old Believers priesthood. -
The Charter of the Nobility
The Russian empress Catherine the Great that recognized the corps of nobles in each province as a legal corporate body and stated the rights and privileges granted upon its members. Charter for the Rights, Freedoms, and Privileges of the Noble Russian Gentry also called Charter to the Gentry or Charter to the Nobility was a charter issued by the Russian empress Catherine II. -
The French Revolution
An uprising in France against the monarchy from 1789 to 1799 which resulted in the establishment of France as a republic. An example of the French Revolution is the storming of the Bastille by the French citizens. The French Revolution was influenced by Enlightenment, and the concepts of popular sovereignty and inalienable rights. -
Builds Smolny Institute
Catherine the Great builds the Smolny Institute. It is an institute for wealthy girls. Catherine the Great wanted more people to get educations. The building was commissioned from Giacomo Quarenghi by the Society for Education of Noble Maidens and constructed in 1806-1808 to house the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens, established at the urging of Ivan Betskoy and in accordance with a decree of Catherine the Great in 1764. -
Death
In mid-November of 1796, Catherine the Great was found unconscious on the floor of her bathroom. It was thought at the time that she suffered a stroke she died about 12 hours later. Catherine the Great, Russia's great empress, lingered on until the following night, but never regained consciousness. There have been many myths about her death but that is the truth.
