Catherine the Great
LM
Where did Catherine rule?
The dark green is all the
Russian land and the area
where the arrow is
pointing to was added by
Catherine the Great !
A bump along the road…
• One conflict the Catherine
Great faced was from 1788 to
1790, Russia fought the RussoSwedish War against Sweden.
• Catherine and her Russian
troops responded to the
Swedes with a great force and
teamed up with Denmark to
defeat the Swedes.
The Russian fleet before the
Battle of Hogland.
After the battle began…
Another bump…
• Catherine was a afraid that the May
Constitution of Poland might lead to a
regained power for the PolishLithuanian Commonwealth and that
the growth of democracy inside Poland
would threaten the European
monarchies.
• So Catherine took the lead in the
partitions of Poland in the 1790’s so
that she and other European monarchs
could control the Polish threat.
This map shows the three
partitions of Poland.
What did Cathy have in common
with all the other monarchs?
• Like all of the other monarch’s we studied,
Catherine the Great of Russia ruled as a
monarch. Also like all of the other rulers,
Catherine the Great tried to expand Russia’s
borders, increase it’s power as a dominant
European nation, and fought many wars.
• Also like all the other monarchs, Catherine the
Great did not please everyone. Although she
would make great strides for some groups of
people, like nobles and her government officials,
the lower classes were usually condemned to a
life of poverty. This is the same for many of the
other monarchs as well.
What did Cathy have in common
with at least two of the other monarchs?
• Peter the Great of Russia
• Frederick The Great of Prussia
• Ironically enough three of the monarchs that have a lot in
common are all considered “Great”!
• Catherine, Peter, and Frederick are all from similar areas
so they have some cultural and geographic similarities.
• All three also fought many wars to protect and promote
the growth of their respective countries.
• They are all “greats” and I think this name is fitting, they
all did great things for their country’s government, people,
and power. Although they were all dictators they were,
great!!
Friend or Foe?
The monarch that would get along the best with Catherine the Great is Peter the
Great. They were both rulers of Russia and both believed in westernization. Peter the
Great improved education and encouraged trade while Catherine the Great set up
schools for boys and girls and won a warm-water port on the Black Sea. These two
monarchs would have gotten along very well.
Cant we all just get along?
Charles I and Catherine The Great would not get along. Catherine The Great would not have agreed
with the way Charles I decided to rule. Charles I would put his enemies in prison without a trail,
collected very high taxes and angered the puritans. He also dissolved the Parliament for 11 years because
they tried to stop him. Charles I was then beheaded in 1649 by Parliament. He was the first European
king to be tried and executed by his own Parliament.
Has Russia changed??
Modern Russia
Russia in 1762
Yes, Russia has changed a lot. Catherine the Great really worked
on expanding Russia’s borders and as you can see on the map,
it has expanding even more since her reign.
Modern Government vs. Back in the Day
• Today, Russia has a federation government. It is based on civil
law system. The judicial branch reviews the legislative acts.
• When Catherine the Great ruled, it was a monarchy government
type. There was a Parliament but Catherine the Great was the
overall ruler.
Which monarch would you choose?
• I would want to live under the
rule of Louis XIV of France
because during his rule life was
good in France. Even though he
spent all the countries money, it
improved life. He also spent a lot
of time renewing the arts in
France. He seemed like a great
ruler!
Which country would I move to?....
• If I had to move to one of the
countries that we learned about, I
would have to choose England.
• England is very similar to the United
States in its government views,
culture, and there is no language
barrier!
• Plus who wouldn’t love to have an
English accent and eat fish n’ chips?!
=