Catherine09

media type="custom" key="4650035" Script Cahterine the Great was born as Sophia Augusta Frederika of Anhalt-Zerbst on April 21, 1729 in Stettin, Germany, which is now Poland. Her father was a prince and a high ranking officer in the Prussian Army and her mother a fair princess. She was to marry the Grand Duke Peter of Holstien, who was the grandson of Peter the Great and nephew of Empress Elizabeth of Russia. She did not like her husban due to his childish behavior and his quote on quote mental and physical retardedness. So she pretty much ment that this gut was an ugly, slow childish man. She had to change her faiths due to her marriage. She was raised as a Lutheran but had to convert to Russian Orthodox. Before their marriage Peter got sick and got the measels and the symptoms of small pox. After delay they finally got married on Catherine's birthday April 21, 1745. Their marrige went further south after Peter starts to drink and his additude becomes harsh and crude. After her marriage she started to read anything she could and admired the works of Plato and Voltaire. She got pregnant and gave birth to her future male heir Paul. A seven year war broke out between England and Prussia vs. Russia. Peter ends the war with a peace treaty and starts to use Prussian discipline on his soilders. Catherine hears rumors that she will be disposed of by Peter and gets a group of people to overthrow him.

She gained the alligence of the Ismailovsky, a regiment of the imperal guard, and from that point on she had power. Peter fled to Peterhof and tried to assemble an army to fight her but after his loyal embassitor swore over to Catherine he was captured. From here she was sworn in as Catherine II empress of Russia. Peter was held in heavy survallence but soon died when he got into an arguement he got into with a guard. Catherine had full control from this point.

When she first came to control she found out that there government was completly disorganized. The government had 17 million dollars in debt and didnt even know how many towns were in Russia. On top of that she did not like Russia; She thought of them as unruly, supersticious and ignorant. She first started on the country's agriculture by sending scientist to test soils to see what was arrible and also used englands meatheds and new machine to help with farming and planting. She opened minig schools that focused on silver mining. she let everyone that could open a buisniess and products like shoes, pottery, linin, leather goods and furnature were being made. Men were sent to England to bring back infromation to make war ships, barometers, therometers and other mathmatical devices. She invited other artist from outside the country to make porcilin works for her and with the Treaty of Kyakhta carivans were able to pass through Russia expanding trade. The major exports from Russia were timber,hemp, flax,raw leather, furs, linin cloths and iron. She also had a census done and made an accurate map of Russia's boarders, which she expaned to the black sea and central Europe, and the towns within it. She made sure that there was a school in every village and town, that roads and bridges were built and maintained, and that fire fighting, orphanages and prisions were kept up to standers.

Catherine was also famous mostly for having many lovers. So most of these acheivments were shoved off. She loved operahs and plays. She even opened a theater for everyone to enjoy them. Peter married Princess Dorothea of Wuertumberg and is later renamed Maria Federovna. Catherine ruled over Russia for 34 years. She died at the age of 67 in 1796. Now there are alot of conspericies about her death. Some say she tried to have sex with a horse and got sat on and crushed and others say she died while on the tolite because she was so overweight she broke it but the real reason she died was because of a stroke. She was one of the most influencal people to rule over Russia. She was truly a Great.

Research

Cahterine the Great

The begining:
 * Born as Sophia Augusta Frederika of Anhalt-Zerbst on April 21,1729 in Stettin Germany now Poland
 * Her father was a prince and a high ranking officer in the Prussian Army
 * Was to be married to Grand Duke Peter of Holstien ( the grandson of Peter th Great and nephew of Empress Elizabeth of Russia)
 * Changed her faith from Lutheran to Orthodox
 * She did not like her future husban due to this childish was and mental and physical retardedness
 * Before they were married Grand Duke Peter contracted the measels and had the symptoms of small pox
 * They finally married on Catherine's birthday April 21, 1745
 * After Marriage Peter started to drink and his adittude became crude
 * There marrige begins to fade

After the marriage: A Rise to Power: The Reign of Catherine 2:
 * Catherine read and studied whatever she could get a hold of
 * She admired the works of Plato and Voltaire
 * Gave birth to an male heir who she named Paul
 * The 7 year war broke out between England and Prussia vs. Russia
 * Christmas day in 1761 Empress Elizabeth dies and Peter takes over
 * Peter ends war and signs peace treaty with the king of Prussia
 * Starts putting Russian army, which suffered greatly from the war, under prussia disclipine( Peter thought as the king of Prussia as an idol)
 * Catherine hears rumers about her being disposed of by Peter
 * Her and a group of people plan to overthrow Peter
 * She eventually gained the alligence of the Ismailovsky,a regiment of the imperial Guard, and from that point on she had power
 * She sorwn in to be Catherine 2 empress of Russia
 * Peter fled to Peterhof and tried to assemble an army to fight catherine but after his ambassitor swore alligence Peter was captured
 * Peter was keep under heavy survallence
 * Peter died in prison due to n arguement with one of the guards
 * Catherine had total controll now
 * When she entered power there were many problems that face her
 * Their treasury was 17 million rubles in debt and didnt even know how many towns were in russia
 * Catherine did not like Russia at first; she tought of Russia as unruly, supersticious, and ignorant
 * She first started by improving the Country's agriculture by sending scientist to test the soil to see what crops would be sutible
 * She looked and insisted that farmers use England's new Machines and to uses modern methods for raising sheep and cows
 * She opened mining schools and focused on mining for silver
 * She strenthened the Economy by letting anyone open a new factory
 * soon peasents were opening shoe, pottery,linen, leather goods, and furniture stores around Russia
 * Catherine sent men to England to Make war ships and docks. also to learn how to make barometers, thermometers and other mathmatical devices.
 * Catherine brought in artist from other contries to recreat Imperial porcelin works
 * Expolished export duties and signed the Treaty of Kyakhta, which allowed camel carrivans to pass through Russia and trade was expanded
 * Russia's major exports were: timber, hemp,flax, raw leather, furs linen cloths and irons
 * By 1765 three quarters of catherine's debt was paid off
 * She sent her Goveners to make accurate censuses, map their providences, and report on agriculter and trade in the area
 * they also over saw the construction of roads and bridges, fire fighting, and that prisons and orphanages were held up to there standers.
 * Plans were made out for future towns
 * She made sure that there were schools for the children in each town and providence
 * Increased the number of grants given to study in other contries
 * She loved the arts and was a great patron
 * Opened a theater in Russia for the public to enjoy plays and operas
 * Paul was married to Princess Dorothea of Wuertemberg and renamed to Maria Federovna
 * Expaned Russia's boarders to the Black Sea and central Europe
 * Had many lovers through her life times and is most famous for it
 * She ruled Russia for 34 years
 * Died of a stroke on November 17, 1796

Toscani, M. (2005, December 15). //Empress Catherine II "The Great" of Russia//. Retrieved from http://departments.kings.edu/womens_history/catherine2.html

Bjornson and Churriguera ( copyright 1973, New York). //Catherine the Great.// Retrieved from The McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of World Biography. Vol 2 pgs 423-425

Riasanovsky N.V. (1997). Catherine the Great. //MSN Encarta//. Retrieved (2009, September 25) from http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761559802/Catherine_the_Great.html

Levykin, A.K. (1999, November). //Catherine the Great(Ekaterina Alexeevna)//. Retrieved from http://www.saint-petersburg.com/history/catherine2nd.asp