The central 18th century Russian ruler, Catherine II, also known as Catherine the Great, has retained a place in the pages of history as one of the brightest and most influential women of not only her time, but of more recent history altogether. Catherine the Great’s accomplishments had effectively transformed Russia and led to its so-called golden age, touching upon nearly every aspect of Russian society. This resulted in praise and admiration from many central figures of the time, including renowned philosophe Voltaire, who had once described her as the “first of all women, who is putting so many men to shame,” (Dixon 196). However, why is it that Catherine’s accomplishments and reforms have seemingly failed to make a lasting impact on Russia
Vanity was a very important factor in the quest for power which Catherine embarked on, as without it she would not have strived for the power she obtained and therefore, would not have been as a great a ruler as she was. It was the Hermitage which allowed her to keep fulfilling her needs, and in doing this she showed the rest of society her dominance throughout Russia. Catherine 's vanity was very influential in her decision-making process as a ruler, as it was this need to be the best which influenced her reign. The Hermitage was where she housed many portraits of herself, other great rulers, and many people she deemed influential. Portraiture was very fashionable during the eighteenth-century and it was important for Catherine to adhere to
The Enlightenment was a European intellectual movement of the late 17th and 18th centuries that emphasized the use of reason and individualism. It was mostly influenced by Descartes, Locke, and Newton. The idea of enlightened absolutism valued reason rather than faith. Enlightened monarchs had total control but embraced rationality. Being an enlightened ruler meant allowing religious tolerance, freedom of speech, and the right to hold private property.
When a German Princess rises to become a Russian Empress, the balance of power wavers, like a scale when an object that has been placed on it makes the two sides plunge down and rise up. The importance of her rule lay deep in the mysterious beliefs and womanly control that has been polarised through history by many that remember her reign. Although some historians argue that Catherine II abandoned her initial French philosophy and egalitarianism, it was exactly her egatalarianistic education that lead her to form the mind of a cautious economic philosopher. Many perspectives shed light on the amount of power Catherine actually possessed and the effect she had on Russia as a female ruler. When Catherine married her ruling partner, Peter III,
The next years prior to that, Egypt struggles with a falling economy and famine. She fled to Syria so she could assemble an army to gain control over her brother which also ruled. Cleopatra showed a great amount of dedication to Egypt and her people. She made Egypt more wealthy by gaining resources from Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. She once said ”I will not be triumphed over”(“Quotes About Cleopatra (28 quotes).” (28 quotes), www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/cleopatra) which in itself shows that she had great confidence in her doings.
Catherine the Great of Russia was an enlightened despot, which means she used ideas from the Enlightenment to strengthen the ideas of her rule. Catherine the Great includes many statements that reflect the ideas our nation values in a democratic system. She had many structural rules regarding the means of punishment one is to receive, many of which we still hold in our government today. Firstly, she was against all kinds of corporal punishments. In America, a democratic society, the 8th amendment states the way in which people should receive punishment.
The Enlightenment was critical in many aspects of the colonial America way of life, which commonly affected the politics, government and religion. Without these principles of understanding and the new way of thinking, the United States would have drastically been different since those ideas shaped the country in its infant years. The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution was overwhelmingly influenced by The Enlightenment both during and after the American Revolution. Many different concepts came from this new governmental structure such as, freedom of oppression and natural rights. These concepts were influenced by Enlightenment philosophers such as John Locke and Isaac Newton where they helped set a clear path for colonial and present America to follow.
The next years prior to that, Egypt struggles with a falling economy and famine. She fled to Syria so she could assemble an army to gain control over her brother which also ruled. Cleopatra showed a great amount of dedication to Egypt and her people. She made Egypt more wealthy by gaining resources from Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. She once said ”I will not be triumphed over”(“Quotes About Cleopatra (28 quotes).” (28 quotes), www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/cleopatra) which in itself shows that she had great
Originally, people during the enlightenment were very cautious about changing the way politics had been but it gave people confidence. People started to gain confidence and fight more for freedom. The last reason was the expenses from the war that European states had to pay off and focus on that, and different ideas could become more important. 2. They resulted in a constitutional monarchy because the third estate were locked in the tennis court and then soon became the National Assembly, the wrote up the constitution.
Due to her family’s status in society, she was privileged enough to have a good education and excelled in school. She was extremely gifted, destined for greatness. At the age of 14, she witnessed “a moving vision of Mary and the infant Jesus, and she decided to become a Christian.” Catherine was very well spoken and intelligent for her age. When her faith began to blossom, emperor Maxentius began to persecute Christians. This angered Catherine, so instead doing nothing, she took a stand and expressed her feelings towards his actions to the emperor himself.