-
Period: to
Her Childhood
Catherine grew up in Germany under a very strict, religious home. Her father was a commanding officer of a regiment of the Prussian army on top of being a prince, so his dedicated manner made him very stern with Catherine. Her mother, on top of that, was just as abusive, if not more. It's said that Catherine was always ready to be slapped around her mother. -
Period: to
Educating Herself
Her motivation to educate herself through books was the same reason she was going through men: she was bored. She read constantly, making her a very wise woman by the time she became a ruler. -
Married Peter III
Catherine married Peter III, known at the time as Karl Peter Ulrich, at age 15 in an arranged marriage and resumed the title of Grand Duchess Catherine Alekseyevna. -
Period: to
Bored Affairs
During her marriage, Catherine was humiliated and bored with her husband. She contrasted with Peter greatly and disagreed with his mentally unstable personality. So, during her time with him, she's said to have AT LEAST three other lovers, one being the military officer, Grigory Orlov who helped get the army to support her rule. -
Birth of Catherine's son
Because of Catherine's many affairs, it's rumored that her son, Pavel Petrovich, is not of her husband's. -
Death of the empress Elizabeth
The rule of Elizabeth had been stable and luxurious. Her death meant that Catherine's husband, Peter, would be emperor. -
Peter III is Assassinated
Although Catherine didn't kill him directly, many blamed her for her husband's death. She and Peter had contrasting beliefs concerning the governing of Russia during their 18 years of marriage and since the act was committed by her supporters, many believe her to be the root cause. -
A Grandson's Birth
Catherine absolutely adored her grandson, Aleksandr Pavlovich (Alexander I). She had wanted him to take after the thrown as the heir and wrote a manifesto to give him the rights, but died before Alex could disclose it. -
Death of Grigory Potemkin
Grigory was Catherine's love interest from 1774 to about 1776, she being particularly interested in both his ambition and understanding. She usually kept her personal and political life separate, but Potemkin was her exception. Even after their romantic period, Catherine continuously respected him and treated him as an equal up until his death.
