Catherine the Great: An Analysis of Her Reign and Historical Impact

This essay provides a detailed analysis of Catherine the Great's reign, focusing on the historical narratives and gender dynamics that shaped her rule. It explores how her accomplishments were often overshadowed due to societal biases against female rulers in 18th-century Russia. The essay examines the complexities of power, the challenges she faced, and the ways in which her achievements were either diminished or attributed to male counterparts. It delves into the historical accounts, highlighting the biases and the lack of historiography that have contributed to the underestimation of her influence. The essay also discusses the context of her relationships, her diplomatic successes, and her contributions to the development of Russia. It emphasizes the importance of reevaluating Catherine the Great's legacy and recognizing her as a significant figure in Russian history, despite the historical silence surrounding her achievements.

Running head: CATHERINE THE GREAT
CATHERINE THE GREAT
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author note

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Synopsis
Catherine the great the empress of Russia who has ruled for a period of forty years (1762-
96),had a mixed review throughout the period of history. Women in power had the idea of
being ruled by the husband since the expectation of rulers to be male have been wide1. The
prejudice being so great have restricted the generation of new ideas and studies about her for
long. Catherine being baptised from Lutheranism to orthodox religion, at the age of fourteen
was married who could not take it more than the few period2. The period of her husband’s
rule, Peter alienated the sources of all kinds of social groupings even his own wife. It has
been agued by number of scholars that her unsuccessful and unsatisfactory marriage was the
key to her success as her calculated move towards powers led to the conquer of her power
among the band of male rulers3. It has been further argued by men that men over the time
have fell in love with her which has directly or indirectly helped her to become seize the one
of the most influential thrones of all time, Russia4. It has been observed that the portrayal of
history has been such that has overshadowed the brilliance and influence of Catherine the
Great as a ruler. It has been argued that she being one of the most influential and competent
individuals of her time, irrespective of being so, historians have neglected the victory and
accomplishment of Catherine the Great. It is to argue that she being one of the most
controversial characters of her time due to the fact shared number of powerful relationships.
1 Beilinson, Orel. "Female Rule In Imperial Russia: Is Gender A Useful Category Of
Historical Analysis?."
2 Muravyeva, Marianna. "Family authority, violence against parents, and parricide in Russia,
1600–1800." Journal of family history 41, no. 3 (2016): 294-317.
3 Sunderland, Willard. "The Historian and the Empress: Isabel de Madariaga’s Catherine the
Great." In Generations of Women Historians, pp. 181-194. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, 2018.
4 Cox, Maggie. "Catherine the Great: a fine example." (2015).

2CATHERINE THE GREAT
Some of these relationships have largely contributed in empowering her while some she has
won in her capacity5.
Essay
Power is a complex idea that includes attracting and repelling people at the same time.
Power whether held by a man or a woman has number of ambivalences and complexities.
According to the historians, the recorded history of Catherine, the Great such ambivalences
are great in number in case of Catherine, the great6. The existence of few literature on her
character remains centralised on the problem so female rule or the their attitudes towards the
female rule in general7. Such discussions have never indulged in the debate on her
accomplishments in comparison to the men in her time. Few excerpts making remark about
her ruling abilities have also marked “she has the masculine power in nature of her ruling
and most of the discussions are in favour of her attribute to sex and love for the flattery” 8.
It has been observed that history has not given the required credit for the achievements she
has bagged, rather she has been married at the younger age and thought of her to be settled
and happy for the less she had. However the treatment she received led to the later turmoil of
5 Muravyeva, Marianna. "Family authority, violence against parents, and parricide in Russia,
1600–1800." Journal of family history 41, no. 3 (2016): 294-317.
6 Sunderland, Willard. "The Historian and the Empress: Isabel de Madariaga’s Catherine the
Great." In Generations of Women Historians, pp. 181-194. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, 2018.
7 Dixon, Simon. Catherine the Great. Routledge, 2015.
8 Sunderland, Willard. "The Historian and the Empress: Isabel de Madariaga’s Catherine the
Great." In Generations of Women Historians, pp. 181-194. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, 2018.

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her life. According to the author, the role of the women in the Russia politics have been one
of the most powerful category for the Russian history which has acted as the sole toll for the
historical analysis9. This has been argued that rationale behind the overshadowing of the
female rulers in the context of Russia is one of the most tactful measures history has
undertaken in the course of its time. The initial discussion on Catherine has remained centred
around the long and impressive rule she has been into however the pattern of discussion has
changed with the change of time. Lack of historiography and accord of the female rulers has
led to the lack of understanding of women as ruler. Similar to the case of Russia, gender has
dominated the course of historical analysis since men have been considered to be the most
appropriate person to hold the position of a ruler. Few studies like Beilinson have dwelled
into the issue of gender as historical category for the discussion on female rulers in reference
to the context of Russia10. It has been observed that the absence of mention of Catherine, the
Great is due to the fact that there is no earlier mention of the scholars in this regard, women
have largely been considered to be unfit for the position of a ruler. History has been
extensively gendered in case of the record of the historical events in the Russian politics11.
The large scale overshadowing of her historical accounts are found in the early era of the
Russian politics known as the “early modern Russian” phenomena while the later phase is
known as the “ diachronic phenomena” or the premise of the female rule12.
9 Dixon, Simon. Catherine the Great. Routledge, 2015.
10 Beilinson, Orel. "Female Rule In Imperial Russia: Is Gender A Useful Category Of
Historical Analysis?."
11 Jaques, Susan. The Empress of Art: Catherine the Great and the Transformation of Russia.
Pegasus Books, 2016.
12 Beilinson, Orel. "Female Rule In Imperial Russia: Is Gender A Useful Category Of
Historical Analysis?."

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With the accession of the ruler, Peter the great, golden age for women in politics began. The
adoption of western values brought the striking equality among the sexes13. However what
has led to the emerging issues is that the overthrowing of Peter by the ordinary woman
Catherine have not changed the core values of Russian society. The role of the husband being
considered to be superior, emergence of Catherine to power has been questioned in the
Russian politics. In addition to this, the marriage of the ruler and accession of the throne after
the death of Peter is tactfully ignored by the Russian rule altogether. Being the mistress
turned wife of the ruler, the ordinary wife turned ruler was not given serious consideration.
The Encyclopaedia of Russian history dedicated only 511 words to the great empress and
provided the bulk of the credit to the Supreme Privy council14. The association of the ruler’s
name is always found with that of the man, Menshikov due to the unaccepted nature of the
Russian society towards the ruler of the society who is a female15.
According to the traditional narrative of her brilliance, it has been found that she perceived
power to the throne as an excessive completion among everyone in the courts. Catherine
however was favoured by the band of “ new man”16. Here the mention of rise to power is
attracted to the arrangements done by the Menshikov who was one of the new man in the
13 Dixon, Simon. Catherine the Great. Routledge, 2015.
14 Beilinson, Orel. "Female Rule In Imperial Russia: Is Gender A Useful Category Of
Historical Analysis?."
15 Jaques, Susan. The Empress of Art: Catherine the Great and the Transformation of Russia.
Pegasus Books, 2016.
16 Beilinson, Orel. "Female Rule In Imperial Russia: Is Gender A Useful Category Of
Historical Analysis?."

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appraise of her brilliance and power. According to the earlier historians, “she was hardly the
woman to preside over the glittering and elaborate court, even she been allowed to make the
attempt”17. It is obvious that her role is being diminished as a powerful woman who had the
potential to rise into power. While on the other hand, Hughes mentions that was her gender
which had the privilege for the power to win. The men close to Peter had the advantage of
enjoying the privilege of the woman in absence of the male ruler which had led to the rise of
Catherine to power. These two explanations in this regard explains the fact that the people
close to the ruler had preferred people as the ruler who would act “ quietly” and remain
unassertive to the already turmoil socio political order of the country. These accounts of
history has remained centred to the acceptance of ruler either as male for female as the quite
supported of the people close to the ruler. This has been argued by the scholars that the
acceptance of the female ruler was based on the rationale that the pre-petrine glory can be
traced only by someone who will be less difficult to handle and woman in this regard was the
most pliable option who can be easily subjected to subjugated to subjugation and Catherine
seemed to be the right option since she was neither in opposition to the new man nor the “
anti-peter” in nature18. The accounts of the early historians are centred around the acceptance
of Catherine as the “man” in position, for example, in one of the records, it is mentioned that
“ body of the woman is not restrictive of her being less than a man”19. This is a clear
17 Beilinson, Orel. "Female Rule In Imperial Russia: Is Gender A Useful Category Of
Historical Analysis?."
18 Jaques, Susan. The Empress of Art: Catherine the Great and the Transformation of Russia.
Pegasus Books, 2016.
19 Fulton, Kristen. A Royal Ride: Catherine the Great's Great Invention. Margaret K.
McElderry Books, 2019.

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indication of the fact that she was equated with that of the image of a man or his prototype for
the position of a ruler and this led to the ignorance of the recoding of her brilliance of her
historical achievements and accomplishments as a woman”20. It is the believed that spirit of
Peter lives in the inheritance which is a clear indication that the emancipation of the male
ruler has been ingrained in the understanding of the ruler that acceptance of the female ruler
hardly makes the difference. The rejection of her powers at the throne and overshadowing
the same with that of the reign of the male rulers were due to the justification that she
belonged to the non-noble origin and this can be accepted the position of the ruler21.
Catherine and her accomplishments have largely been accepted under the aura of her late
husband which was passive in every possible way. While in case of the later part of the
history, historians have taken into consideration the fact that she was one of the finest rulers
of her time, however the source of legitimacy been derived from the Point of Peter’s
coronation. This is based on the unwillingness to name her as the successor due to her origin
and easy of achieving position to the throne22. Her accomplishments have largely been
credited to the diseased husband, even her charismatic powers have been kept biased since it
was believed to be her husband’s and nor her own23. It has also been argue by the scholars
that Catherine is being one of the most long standing woman in history to rule had been under
the guidance of the whole ban of men who were dictating the terms of rule. Catherine had
number of achievements in terms of successfully the leading against the Ottoman empire.
20 Sunderland, Willard. "The Historian and the Empress: Isabel de Madariaga’s Catherine the
Great." In Generations of Women Historians, pp. 181-194. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, 2018.
21 Beilinson, Orel. "Female Rule In Imperial Russia: Is Gender A Useful Category Of
Historical Analysis?."
22 Woodacre, Elena. A Companion to Global Queenship. 2018.
23 Beilinson, Orel. "Female Rule In Imperial Russia: Is Gender A Useful Category Of Historical Analysis?."

7CATHERINE THE GREAT
Irrespective of the long standing rebel against the most powerful rulers of her times, she has
been under the influence of the male counterparts. It is crucial to mention that she has made
Russia the dominant power in the South eastern Europe even though she largely remained
anonymous in history for a longer period of time. Her diplomacy an conquest has been one of
the most striking features of her time even though it has largely been credited to her male
counterparts due to the no acceptance of the rule of the female in the Russian society24. To
sum up the discussion, this is important to mention that the ruler has been one of the most
significant figure of her time even though the historical records has remained negative and
silence about her victory25. From the development of a strong Russia to the introduction of
female education in Russia,, contribution goes to the great ruler of Russia, Catherine however
her acceptance in the Russia society as a female ruler has been ambiguous and complex since
the Russian aristocracy and nobility have largely been ignorant of the role of the ruler who
is a female.
Conclusion
To sum up the understanding, it is crucial to note the fact her achievements have been
attributed to her husband and on her. The rule of Catherine serves nothing more than a case
study for the study of the female rulers of Russia in the early modern history due to the long
standing absence of the historiography of her. Her educational backgrounds to her position to
24 Jaques, Susan. The Empress of Art: Catherine the Great and the Transformation of Russia.
Pegasus Books, 2016.
25 Fulton, Kristen. A Royal Ride: Catherine the Great's Great Invention. Margaret K.
McElderry Books, 2019.

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Peter as the mistress have been the responsible factors for the declines of her stature as the
queen of Russia. It was more of the supportive role played by Catherine to protect and
preserve the system in the structured manner under the supervision of the men hiding behind
the curtain of false novelty. This can be concluded at this juncture that the role of Catherine
in the context of Russia has been rejected by the historian for long been though it has been
acknowledged in the latter half of the century.

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Reference
Beilinson, Orel. "Female Rule In Imperial Russia: Is Gender A Useful Category Of Historical
Analysis?."
Cox, Maggie. "Catherine the Great: a fine example." (2015).
Dixon, Simon. Catherine the Great. Routledge, 2015.
Fulton, Kristen. A Royal Ride: Catherine the Great's Great Invention. Margaret K.
McElderry Books, 2019.
Hoogenboom, Hilde. "Catherine the Great and Royal Biographies." Kritika: Explorations in
Russian and Eurasian History 19, no. 3 (2018): 649-660.
Jaques, Susan. The Empress of Art: Catherine the Great and the Transformation of Russia.
Pegasus Books, 2016.
Muravyeva, Marianna. "Family authority, violence against parents, and parricide in Russia,
1600–1800." Journal of family history 41, no. 3 (2016): 294-317.
Sunderland, Willard. "The Historian and the Empress: Isabel de Madariaga’s Catherine the
Great." In Generations of Women Historians, pp. 181-194. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, 2018.
Woodacre, Elena. A Companion to Global Queenship. 2018.