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tam_mai_-_presentation.pptx“Imperialistic Catherine” &
Russia’s foreign affairs 1762-1774
By Tam Mai
Catherine’s rise to power
Coup d'état (1762)
Peter III was forced to abdicate and later murdered
Catherine became the Empress of Russia
Motivations for the coup
Catherine’s own Enlightenment ideas and political ambitions
Catherine’s painful marriage with Peter III
Peter III’s scorn for Russia and sympathy for Prussia >< Catherine’s desire to continue the Seven Years’ War against Prussia
Thus, even before the coup d’état of 1762, foreign policy in general and Prussia in particular already played important roles in the empress-to-be’s political playbook.
First 12 Years of Catherine II’s Reign
Foreign Policy
Peace
Prussia
Panin
Poland
The Porte
1. Peace
Peter III, prior to abdication
Ordered the Russian army to withdraw from Prussia despite an imminent victory
Forged an alliance with Prussia
Declared war on Denmark
To return the province of Schleswig – lost to Denmark in 1721 – to Holstein
To showcase his real battlefield leadership
Catherine II, upon claiming the throne
Renounced Russia’s alliance with Prussia
Yet kept peaceful relations with this neighbor
Canceled the Russo-Denmark war
2. Prussia
Following the Seven Years’ War, both Prussia and Russia were isolated from European international affairs
Mutual reliance
Prussia’s weak military on land needed support from Russia’s strong army
Russia needed Prussia to reshuffle Polish politics
Prussia was geographically close to Poland
Both Frederick II of Prussia and Catherine II of Russia preferred a non-Saxon successor to King Augustus III of Poland
3. Panin
Background
A seasoned diplomat, internationally recognized as a rare “sophisticated, liberal-minded Russian”
Appointed as the chief tutor of Paul under Empress Elizabeth
Partook in the coup d'état of 1762 and became a senior member of the Collegium of Foreign Affairs in 1763
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Nikita Panin
3. Panin (cont’d)
Panin’s dream of a Northern Alliance as an opposing force to the Franco-Austrian bloc
Obstacles:
Prussia and Denmark were amenable to Panin’s plan
But Great Britain balked at a military alliance with Russia, fearing that such an alliance would oblige it to offer assistance to Russia in the event of a Russo-Turkish war
Outcome:
In the end, no Northern Alliance was established
Britain?
Franco-Austrian Bloc
Austria
France
Northern Accord
Poland
Sweden
Prussia
Russia
4. poland
In August, 1764, Catherine elected her former lover, Stanislaw Poniatowski, as the King of Poland, “making Poland a vassal state with a puppet king” (Moss 280)
In 1766, in response to pleas for help from Polish Orthodox believers, Catherine insisted the Polish government concede to religious minorities’ demand
Otherwise, Russia would not listen to Polish noblemen’s requests for reforms
Both sides refused to compromise
Russia sent troops to Poland to suppress Catholic uprising and stop Poland’s imploding civil war
Before long, anxiety in Poland started to spread across Europe
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Stanislaw Poniatowski
5. The Porte
In 1768, alarmed by Russia’s activity in Poland, the Porte (Turkey) declared war on Russia
War progress
| Date | Major Events |
| 1769 | Russia occupied Azov & Taganrog |
| June 1770 | Russia won the battle of Chesme |
| July 1770 | Russia won the battle of Larga (against the Turks) and the battle of Kagul (against the Tatars) |
| 1771 | A bubonic plague broke out in Moscow, forcing Catherine II to open peace talks with Turkey |
| 1774 | Russia and Turkey signed the Treaty of Kuchuk Kanardzhi in Bulgaria |
The Battle of Chesme, 1770
Source: Wikimedia Commons
6. Back to Poland
The first partition of Poland took place in 1772 during a lull in the Russo-Turkish war
Justifications:
Contain Austria’s aggression toward Russia for Russia’s expansion to Balkan
Frederick II’s reluctance to fight Austria the third time in his life
In 1771, Austria invaded part of southern Poland – a wake-up call for Russia
Outcomes:
| Parties | Land (sq. miles) | Population (millions) |
| Russia | 36,000 | 1.8 |
| Austria | 27,000 | 2.7 |
| Prussia | 13,000 | 0.6 |
Source: Encyclopædia Britannica
First Partition of Poland (1772)
Works cited
Alexander, John T. Catherine the Great: Life and Legend. New York: Oxford University Press, 1989. Print.
Massie, Robert K. Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman. New York: Random House, 2011. Print.
Moss, Walter G. A History of Russia, Volume I: To 1917. 2nd ed. London: Anthem Press, 2005. Print.
“Partitions of Poland.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2015. Web. 21 Nov. 2015. <http://www.britannica.com/event/Partitions-of-Poland>.
