Catherine The Great'S Military Leadership And Political Influence

Throughout history, the most powerful and influential leaders have been male monarchs who have conquered new lands, however, Catherine the Great had contributed to the expansion of most of Russia’s territory during the 18th century. Sophie von Anhalt-Zerbst, a Prussian princess married Peter III of Russia in 1745, resulting in her becoming the empress consort. Sophie received the title of Grand Duchess Catherine Alekseyevna and had overthrown her husband resulting in her becoming the longest ruling female monarch of Russia.

The citizens of Russia admired Catherine for her dedication and achievements as a leader. Firstly, her military leadership demonstrated through the vast lands that she had conquered had contributed to her being given the title as the great. Secondly, Catherine is recognized as a notable monarch because of her personal achievements and accomplishments for her country, Russia. Thirdly, her political and educational passion had assisted with her becoming an influential ruler. Finally, the benefits that Catherine had devised for education in Russia had contributed to her become a powerful leader. The Enlightened Monarch, Catherine Alekseyevna, was the ruler during the Golden Era of Russia and had received the distinction of the Great as a result of the impact she made on her country through her military leadership, her social legacy, her political influence, and educational passion.

Initially, Catherine’s was given recognition of being great because of her astounding military leadership. Her military achievements had earned Russia the new territory that stretches to the edge of the Black Sea. Although Catherine never fought in the wars herself, she constructed numerous battle plans during numerous combats. During Catherine’s reign, Russia had won successful combats against the Ottoman Empire after the war was declared in 1768. Russia’s strategy was for warships to be sailed into the Mediterranean, also have an army being sent to meet the Ottoman military on land as well. Catherine had stated that, “I have no way to defend my borders, but to extend them.” This contributes to her receiving the title of the Great as she acknowledged that in order to extend Russia’s land, she must win battles to gain new territory.

Her military’s strengths were attacking the enemy rather than defending an area. In 1774, the Ottoman Empire had compelled to seek peace, resulting in the end of the first major Russo-Turkish War and concluded in the Treaty of Kucuk Kaynarca. This treaty granted Russia to maintain a navy on the Black Sea and made the Crimean khanate independent of the Turkish sultan. In addition, in 1792, Russia and the Ottoman Empire had another war, which resulted in the Treaty of Jassy, which gave Russia the claim to the Crimea and the Yedisan region. Furthermore, Catherine’s led Russia to victory during the Russo-Persian War in 1796. In 1783, Russia had signed the Treaty of Georgievsk, which had stated that the military would protect the country Georgia from any invasions. Georgia was invaded in 1795 by Persia, under the rule of the new king Agha Mohammad Khan. Catherine declared war and had a battle plan of replacing the Persian King with his brother, Morteza Qoli Khan, who had been pro-Russian.

The army was commanded by Count Valerian Zubov who had the troops storm the key fortress of Derbent, which was located between the Caucasus Mountains and the Caspian. Within a month, the Russian troops had captured most of the territory of modern-day Azerbaijan. Moreover, Catherine’s strong military skills were used during the Russo-Swedish War in 1788-1790. The ruler of Sweden during this time, King Gustav III, believed the war would give him domestic political power as if he won then Russia would have to support him. Gustav believed he had a reason to declare a “defensive” war on Russia after an outrage in Stockholm started. The first major naval battle occurred on 17 July 1788, at the battle of Hogland in the Gulf of Finland. However, this naval war had caused a great amount of damage to both countries vessels and King Gustav III abandoned the original war plan. The Swedish army began to aim for the Russian naval base at Kronstadt by getting caught in the Vyborg Bag in 1790 as the airstreams changed to a southwesterly wind. Catherine’s military plan was to blockade the Swedish navy and prevent them from leaving the Bay. This became a deadly battle and resulted in the victory of the Swedish. However, the Treaty of Varala was signed on 14 August 1790, as Gustav III had put his country in a large debt caused by war expenses. Catherine had stated, “I beg you take courage; the brave soul can mend even disaster.” Although the Russian army did not win the battle, they used intelligent tactics ordered by their ruler which had assisted to the treaty being signed. Catherine was an excellent leader for thirty-four years and her military achievements of expanding Russia’s territory by 200,000m2 had significantly given her the status of being great.

Secondly, Catherine’s social legacy through the arts and Enlightenment was a crucial contribution for her receiving the acknowledgment of being the Great. Catherine was greatly astounded by art and influenced it within Russia. She had explained, “A great wind is blowing, and that gives you either imagination or a headache.” Catherine wanted her people to have the freedom to express their imagination and had praised artists for their creativity. She had sponsored numerous art projects in the Empire in an attempt to introduce it to their culture. For instance, the Hermitage Theatre was used for opera and ballet performances. In 1785, Catherine instructed for the Peter I Winter Palace to be rebuilt into a court theatre. It became a popular center for the citizens and artists around the world would visit to observe the unique operas that would be performed. For example, “The miller, magician, liar and affiancer” was the first comic opera to be showed at this theatre. In addition, St. Petersburg became the most spectacular capital in the world, blossoming with music, theater, and painting.

Catherine was an author and wrote many forms of literature such as fourteen comedies, nine opera texts, seven proverbs or short plays. In 1764, after she began purchasing paintings from a Berlin merchant, she commissioned a court architect to build a gallery for her collection. After it was complete, she displayed the majority of her important works of art at the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. The Hermitage Museum, also known as the Winter Palace, became a central part of the Palace Square. Furthermore, Catherine’s social legacy of being an Enlightenment thinker contributed to her title of the Great. She was highly interested in philosophers and writer of the Enlightenment, such as Voltaire, Denis Diderot, and John Locke. Catherine stated, “I am one of the people who love the why of things.” She was interested in the logic and freedom of how society was running. Catherine wanted Russia to have the freedom to express their unique ideas. The ideas of the Enlightenment assisted Catherine to become a wise and compassionate ruler, who would act with reason to ensure the benefit for her people. The contributions that Catherine the Great made for Russia’s art and culture in the eighteenth century is still visible centuries later.

Subsequently, through the education that Catherine established, her social legacy was important for her entitlement. Catherine was well educated and believed that it was important for everyone to be intellectual. During her reign, it became the golden age for females in Russia. She had created a new era for women as she gave them liberty. Catherine believed that women deserve to have an education just like men. In 1764, she created the first school for females in Russia. In St. Petersburg, she established a boarding school called the Smolny Institute for girls from noble families; this was Catherine’s way to promote female education. The school taught languages, such as French, the arts, for instance, dance and music, and strict discipline. The Smolny Institute had public exams and performances of plays and Catherine would take her favourite performers to the Summer Gardens to have their portraits commissioned by Dmitry Levitsky. This school became well known for the unique talents and manners of the graduates. This was the first time in Russia that women were given the opportunity to be as educated as men.

Correspondingly, Catherine established education for the commoners of Russia. In 1765, she created the Free Economic Society to the people, allowing anyone to attend school and learn different subjects. Catherine explained, “I sincerely want peace, not because I lack resources for war, but because I hate bloodshed”. She believed by allowing everyone to have free education, including women and commoners, then people will not revolt. This establishment had not been done by any ruler in Russia before and had contributed significantly to Catherine being known as the Great. Moreover, Catherine had contributed expressively for education to be decent in her country. Under her sponsorship, the University of Moscow & Academy of Science became an internationally recognized learning center. Dr. Godfrey Evans of the exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh explained, “She was forward-thinking but also very sensitive to the past, she had a great love of Russian history and a fantastic wit.” She provided a large number of funds for a library and numerous schools. Catherine wanted everyone in Russia to have an education as it gave the freedom that she believed they deserved from a monarch. Overall, during the educational reforms, it benefited over 62,000 people educationally. Catherine was acknowledged as the Great because of her social legacy visible through her education passion.

Thirdly, the political legacy of the Russian Monarch Catherine had assisted in being known as the Great. She had made changes in politics to benefit the people of Russia. In her memoir, Catherine explains that, “In politics a capable ruler must be guided by circumstances, conjectures and conjunctions.” Catherine meant that rulers have to ensure that any law that is passed needs to benefit and that they must think about any complications that may develop from it. She had passed a Nakaz, which means Instruction, to express her political ideals. It became a guide for a legislative commission to devise a new code of laws.

She established the Nakaz in optimism that it would raise the levels of justice, tolerance, and levels of government administration within her empire. Her plan for Russia was to summon a national assembly that had elected all the free social classes and would propose new laws according to any complaints that the classes had. Each member would be provided a set of guiding principles that the new laws would be founded upon. Comparatively, Catherine’s political legacy was demonstrated through the laws enforced in the Nakaz. She created a system to give equal protection for everyone under the law and emphasized the prevention of criminal acts rather than severe punishments. The law allowed the people of Russia to do anything but only forbid acts that were directly harmful to an individual or community. In addition, the Instruction had disapproved of capital punishment or torture on anyone.

In 1767, she wrote this for her Legislative Commission, to create a Code of Laws for Russia. It resulted in her have the power to pass laws and the Senate having no legislative powers. Furthermore, Catherine’s political influence was revealed when she assisted in discovering the vaccination for smallpox. During her reign, approximately 400,000 deaths every year, including many of Catherine’s loved ones. In 1762, she had invited Dr. Thomas Dimsdale of Scotland, the greatest expert of their time, to perform variolation on her court, her son Paul and herself. It was a way for Catherine to demonstration to Russians that the procedure was safe and could save their lives from the disease. On October 12th, 1768, Dr. Thomas Dimsdale had performed the procedure. Although Catherine developed a mild case of the disease, by October 28th, 1768, it had gone away. She stated, “My objective was, through my example, to save from death the multitude of my subjects who, not knowing the value of this technique, and frightened of it, were left in danger.” She wanted the people of Russia to know that they could avoid smallpox by taking the vaccination. This demonstrates her political power because by after her produce, 20,000 Russian had been inoculated and by 1800, approximately two million immunizations were managed.

Correspondingly, Catherine the Great’s reforms for her country had beneficially assisted with her receiving a powerful title. She had passed numerous reforms positively change Russia. Catherine clarified, “It is better to inspire a reform than to enforce it”. She did want people to feel forced to do something that they would not want to do however, she believed that if she could inspire them than they would want it. If she were to enforce the reforms than her people may revolt. Catherine of Russia established a political reform that envisioned more rational planning for the Russian towns. She established fifty “gubernii' provinces with three-hundred thousand to four-hundred thousand people living in each province, and that were divided into ten districts with twenty-thousand to thirty-thousand living in every district. She ensured a governor, and a network of officials would run each province and had the gentry, high nobles, playing a role in local political affairs.

In addition, in 1768 under her reign, the Assignation Bank began issuing the first government paper money. Government towns were established in which bank branches were opened, for instance in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Instead of copper money as the Russians once used, paper money was issued which represent the same similar sums for payment. Furthermore, until 1781, Catherine worked to remove monopolies and reduce the restrictions on trade. As commodities were plentiful, trade expanded, and communications developed resulting in large rises in the values of imports and exports. By the end of Catherine's reign, all imports had reduced duties and all exports were duty-free.

In conclusion, through her military leadership, her social legacy, her political influence and educational passion, Catherine of Russia has been given recognition of being Great. First, through her victories and military leadership, Catherine was given the status of the Great. Second, Catherine’s art and culture changes made for Russia has contributed to her to be given this entitlement. Third, her political laws and reforms for cities and equal protection helped evoke her of being Great. Finally, Catherine’s law of free education for everyone assisted to her being acknowledged as the Great. Catherine had developed most of Russia of today and will continue to be a crucial part of history.