The era of palace coups in 18. "Palace coups

1. General characteristics of the era of palace coups

The overstrain of the country's forces during the years of Peter the Great's reforms, the destruction of traditions, and the violent methods of reform caused an ambiguous attitude of various circles of Russian society towards the Peter's heritage and created the conditions for political instability.

From 1725, after the death of Peter I and until Catherine II came to power in 1762, six monarchs and many political forces behind them were replaced on the throne. This change did not always take place in a peaceful and legal way, which is why this period of V.O. Klyuchevsky is not entirely accurate, but figuratively and aptly called " era of palace coups".

2. Background of palace coups

The main reason that formed the basis of the palace coups was the contradictions between various noble groups in relation to the Peter's heritage. It would be a simplification to consider that the split occurred along the lines of acceptance and rejection of reforms. Both the so-called "new nobility", which came to the fore in the years of Peter the Great thanks to their service zeal, and the aristocratic party tried to soften the course of reforms, hoping in one form or another to give a respite to society, and first of all, to themselves. But each of these groups defended its narrow class interests and privileges, which created a fertile ground for internal political struggle.

Palace coups were generated by a sharp struggle of various factions for power. As a rule, it came down most often to the nomination and support of one or another candidate for the throne.

At that time, the guards began to play an active role in the political life of the country, which Peter brought up as a privileged "support" of the autocracy, which, moreover, assumed the right to control the conformity of the personality and policy of the monarch to the legacy that her "beloved emperor" left.

The alienation of the masses from politics and their passivity served as fertile ground for palace intrigues and coups.

To a large extent, palace coups were provoked by the unresolved problem of succession to the throne in connection with the adoption of the Decree of 1722, which broke the traditional mechanism for the transfer of power,

3. The struggle for power after the death of Peter I

Dying, Peter did not leave an heir, having only time to write with a weakening hand: "Give everything ...". The opinion of the leaders about his successor was divided. "Chicks of Petrov's nest" (A.D. Menshikov, P.A. Tolstoy , I.I. Buturlin , P.I. Yaguzhinsky etc.) advocated for his second wife Catherine, and representatives of the noble nobility (D.M. Golitsyn , V.V. Dolgoruky and others) defended the candidacy of their grandson - Peter Alekseevich. The outcome of the dispute was decided by the guards, who supported the empress.

accession Catherine 1 (1725-1727) led to a sharp strengthening of the position of Menshikov, who became the de facto ruler of the country. Attempts to somewhat curb his lust for power and greed with the help of the Supreme Privy Council (VTS) created under the Empress, to which the first three colleges, as well as the Senate, were subordinate, did not lead to anything. Moreover, temporary worker decided to strengthen his position through the marriage of his daughter with the young grandson of Peter. P. Tolstoy, who opposed this plan, ended up in prison.

In May 1727, Catherine 1 died and, according to her will, 12-year-old Peter II (1727-1730) became emperor under the regency of the military-technical cooperation. Menshikov's influence at court increased, and he even received the coveted rank of generalissimo. But, pushing away old allies and not acquiring new ones among the well-born nobility, he soon lost influence on the young emperor and in September 1727 was arrested and exiled with his whole family to Berezovoe, where he soon died.

A significant role in discrediting the personality of Menshikov in the eyes of the young emperor was played by the Dolgoruky, as well as a member of the military-technical cooperation, the tutor of the tsar, nominated to this position by Menshikov himself - A.I. Osterman - A clever diplomat who, depending on the alignment of forces and the political situation, was able to change his views, allies and patrons.

The overthrow of Menshikov was, in essence, an actual palace coup, because the composition of the military-technical cooperation changed, in which aristocratic families (Dolgoruky and Golitsyn) began to predominate, and A.I. began to play a key role. Osterman; the regency of the MTC was put an end to, Peter II declared himself a full-fledged ruler, who was surrounded by new favorites; a course was outlined aimed at revising the reforms of Peter I.

Soon the court left St. Petersburg and moved to Moscow, which attracted the emperor by the presence of richer hunting grounds. The sister of the tsar's favorite, Ekaterina Dolgorukaya, was betrothed to Peter II, but while preparing for the wedding, he died of smallpox. And again the question of the heir to the throne arose, because. with the death of Peter II, the male line of the Romanovs ended, and he did not have time to appoint a successor.

4. Supreme Privy Council (STC)

In the conditions of a political crisis and timelessness, the military-technical cooperation, which by that time consisted of 8 people (5 seats belonged to the Dolgoruky and Golitsyns), decided to invite the niece of Peter I, the Duchess of Courland Anna Ioannovna, to the throne, since back in 1710 she was married off by Peter to the Duke of Courland , early widowed, lived in cramped material conditions, largely at the expense of the Russian government.

It was also extremely important that she had no supporters and no connections in Russia. As a result, this made it possible, beckoning with an invitation to the brilliant St. Petersburg throne, to impose their own conditions and get her consent to limit the power of the monarch.

D.M. Golitsyn came up with the initiative to draw up really limiting autocracy " conditions ", according to which:

1) Anna undertook to rule together with the military-technical cooperation, which actually turned into the highest governing body of the country.

2) Without the approval of the military-technical cooperation, it could not legislate, impose taxes, dispose of the treasury, declare war or make peace.

3) The empress did not have the right to grant estates and ranks above the rank of colonel, to deprive her of estates without trial.

4) The Guard was subordinate to the military-technical cooperation.

5) Anna undertook not to marry and not to appoint an heir, but in case of non-fulfillment of any of these conditions, she was deprived of the "crown of Russia".

There is no consensus among scientists in assessing the nature and significance of the "invention of the leaders." Some see in the "conditions" a desire to establish, instead of autocracy, an "oligarchic" form of government that would meet the interests of a narrow layer of noble nobility and lead Russia back to the era of "boyar self-will." Others believe that this was the first constitutional draft that limited the arbitrary rule of the despotic state created by Peter, from which all segments of the population, including the aristocracy, suffered.

Anna Ioannovna after meeting in Mitava with V.L. Dolgoruky, sent by the military-technical cooperation for negotiations, accepted these conditions without any hesitation. However, despite the desire of members of the military-technical cooperation to hide their plans, their contents became known to the guards and the general masses " nobility ".

From this environment, new projects for the political reorganization of Russia began to emerge (the most mature one belonged to the V.N. Tatishchev ), which gave the nobility the right to elect representatives of the highest authorities and expanded the composition of the military-technical cooperation. Specific requirements were also put forward aimed at facilitating the conditions of service of the nobles. D.M. Golitsyn, realizing the danger of isolating the military-technical cooperation, met these wishes and developed a new project, which suggested limiting the autocracy by a system of elected bodies. The highest of them remained the military-technical cooperation of 12 members. Previously, all issues were discussed in the Senate of 30 people, the Chamber of Nobility of 200 ordinary nobles and the Chamber of Citizens, two representatives from each city. In addition, the nobility was exempted from compulsory service.

The supporters of the inviolability of the principle of autocracy, led by A. Osterman and F. Prokopovich, who attracted the guards, managed to take advantage of the disagreements between the adherents of the constitutional restriction of the monarchy. As a result, having found support, Anna Ioannovna broke the "conditions" and restored the autocracy in full.

The reasons for the failure of the "supervisors" were the short-sightedness and selfishness of the majority of the MTC members, who sought to limit the monarchy not for the sake of the interests of the whole country, or even the nobility, but for the sake of preserving and expanding their own privileges. The inconsistency of actions, political inexperience and mutual suspicion of individual noble groups, who were supporters of the constitutional order, but feared by their actions to strengthen the military-technical cooperation, also contributed to the restoration of autocracy. The bulk of the nobility was not ready for radical political change.

The decisive word belonged to the Guard, which, after some hesitation, finally supported the idea of ​​an unlimited monarchy.

Finally, the far-sightedness and unscrupulousness of Osterman and Prokopovich, the leaders of the party of supporters of the preservation of autocracy, played an important role.

5. Board of Anna Ioannovna (1730-1740)

From the very beginning of her reign, Anna Ioannovna tried to erase even the memory of "conditions" from the consciousness of her subjects. She liquidated the military-technical cooperation, creating instead the Cabinet of Ministers headed by Osterman. Since 1735, the signature of the 3rd cabinet of ministers, according to her decree, was equated with the signature of the empress. Dolgoruky, and later Golitsyn were repressed.

Gradually, Anna went to meet the most urgent requirements of the Russian nobility: their service life was limited to 25 years; that part of the Decree on Uniform Succession, which limited the right of the nobles to dispose of the estate when it was inherited, was canceled; easier to get an officer's rank. For these purposes, a cadet noble corps was created, at the end of which an officer rank was awarded; it was allowed to enlist the nobles for service from infancy, which made it possible for them, upon reaching the age of majority, to receive an officer's rank "by length of service."

An accurate description of the personality of the new empress was given by V.O. Klyuchevsky: "Tall and corpulent, with a face more masculine than feminine, callous by nature and even more hardened by early widowhood ... among court adventures in Courland, where she was pushed around like a Russian-Prussian-Polish toy, she, having already 37 years , brought to Moscow an evil and poorly educated mind with a fierce thirst for belated pleasures and gross entertainment".

Amusements of Anna Ioannovna cost the treasury very dearly, and although she, unlike Peter, could not stand alcohol, the maintenance of her court cost 5-6 times more. Most of all, she loved to watch jesters, among whom were representatives of the most noble families - Prince M.A. Golitsyn, Count A.P. Apraksin, Prince N.F. Volkonsky. It is possible that in this way Anna continued to take revenge on the aristocracy for her humiliation with "conditions", especially since the military-technical cooperation at one time did not allow entry into Russia to her Courland favorite - E. Biron.

Not trusting the Russian nobility and not having the desire, and even the ability to delve into state affairs herself, Anna Ioannovna surrounded herself with people from the Baltic states. The key role at court passed into the hands of her favorite E. Biron.

Some historians call the period of Anna Ioannovna's reign "Bironism", believing that its main feature was the dominance of the Germans, who neglected the interests of the country, demonstrated contempt for everything Russian and pursued a policy of arbitrariness in relation to the Russian nobility.

However, the government's course was determined by Biron's enemy, A. Osterman, and arbitrariness was rather repaired by representatives of the domestic nobility, headed by the head of the Secret Chancellery, A.I. Ushakov. Yes, and the damage to the treasury of the Russian nobles inflicted no less than foreigners.

Favorite, hoping to weaken the vice-chancellor's influence A. Osterman , managed to introduce his protege into the Cabinet of Ministers - A. Volynsky . But the new minister began to pursue an independent political course, developed the "Project for the Correction of Internal State Affairs", in which he advocated the further expansion of the privileges of the nobility and raised the issue of the dominance of foreigners. By this he aroused the discontent of Biron, who, having teamed up with Osterman, managed to get Volynsky accused of "insulting her imperial majesty" and lead him to the chopping block in 1740.

Soon Anna Ioannovna died, appointing her niece's son as his successor. Anna Leopoldovna , Duchess of Brunswick, baby Ivan Antonovich under Biron's regency.

In the context of general dissatisfaction of the nobility and especially the guard, which the regent tried to disband, the head of the military collegium, field marshal Minich staged another coup d'état. But Minich himself, famous for the words: "The Russian state has the advantage over others that it is controlled by God himself, otherwise it is impossible to explain how it exists", soon did not calculate his own strength and was retired, missing Osterman in first place.

6. The reign of Elizabeth Petrovna (1741-1761)

On November 25, 1741, the "daughter" of Peter the Great, relying on the support of the guards, carried out another coup d'état and seized power. The peculiarities of this coup were that Elizaveta Petrovna had broad support from the common people of the city and the lower guards (only 17.5% of the 308 guardsmen were nobles), who saw in her the daughter of Peter, all the hardships of whose reign had already been forgotten, and whose personality and actions began to be idealized. The coup of 1741, unlike the others, had a patriotic overtone, because. was directed against the dominance of foreigners.

Foreign diplomacy tried to take part in the preparation of the coup, seeking political and even territorial dividends through its assistance to Elizabeth. But all the hopes of the French ambassador Chétardie and the Swedish ambassador Nolken, in the end, were in vain. The implementation of the coup was accelerated by the fact that the ruler Anna Leopoldovna became aware of Elizabeth's meetings with foreign ambassadors, and the threat of forcible tonsure as a nun hung over the lover of balls and entertainment.

Having seized power, Elizaveta Petrovna proclaimed a return to her father's politics, but it was hardly possible for her to rise to such a level. She managed to repeat the era of the reign of the great emperor rather in form than in spirit. Elizabeth began with the restoration of the institutions created by Peter 1 and their status. Having abolished the Cabinet of Ministers, she returned the Senate to the importance of the highest state body, restored Berg - and the Manufactory Collegium.

Under Elizabeth, the German favorites were replaced by Russian and Ukrainian nobles, who were more interested in the affairs of the country. So, with the active assistance of her young favorite I.I. Shuvalova was opened in 1755 Moscow University. At the initiative of his cousin, from the late 1740s. de facto head of government P.I. Shuvalova , in 1753 a decree was issued "on the abolition of internal customs and petty fees", which gave impetus to the development of trade and the formation of an internal all-Russian market. By decree of Elizabeth Petrovna in 1744, the death penalty was actually abolished in Russia.

At the same time, its social policy was aimed at the transformation of the nobility from the service to the privileged class and fortification. She instilled luxury in every possible way, which led to a sharp increase in the expenses of the nobles for themselves and the maintenance of their court.

These expenses fell on the shoulders of the peasants, who in the era of Elizabeth finally turned into "baptized property", which, without the slightest remorse, could be sold, exchanged for a thoroughbred dog, etc. The attitude of the nobles towards the peasants as "talking cattle" was caused and ended by that time a cultural split in Russian society, as a result of which the Russian nobles, who spoke French, no longer understood their peasants. The strengthening of serfdom was expressed in the landlords obtaining the right to sell their peasants as recruits (1747), and also to exile them without trial to Siberia (1760).

In her domestic and foreign policy, Elizaveta Petrovna took into account national interests to a greater extent. In 1756, Russia, on the side of a coalition of Austria, France, Sweden and Saxony, entered the war with Prussia, supported by England. Russia's participation in " Seven Years' War "1756-1763 put the army of Frederick II on the brink of disaster.

In August 1757, in the battle of Gross-Egersdorf, the Russian army of S.F. Apraksin as a result of the successful actions of the detachment of General P.A. Rumyantseva achieved the first victory. In August 1758, General Fermor at Zorndorf, having suffered significant losses, managed to achieve a "draw" with the army of Friedrich, and in August 1759, at Kunersdorf, the troops of P.S. Saltykov defeated her.

In the autumn of 1760, Russian-Austrian troops captured Berlin, and only the death of Elizaveta Petrovna on December 25, 1761 saved Prussia from complete catastrophe. Her heir, Peter III, who idolized Frederick II, left the coalition and concluded a peace treaty with him, returning to Prussia everything lost in the war.

Despite the fact that Elizaveta Petrovna, unlike her father, used unlimited power not so much in the interests of the state, but to satisfy her own needs and whims (after her death, 15 thousand dresses remained), she wittingly or unwittingly prepared the country and society for next era of change. During the 20 years of her reign, the country managed to "rest" and accumulate strength for a new breakthrough, which came in the era of Catherine II.

7. The reign of Peter III

The nephew of Elizabeth Petrovna, Peter III (the son of Anna's elder sister and the Duke of Holstein) was born in Holstein and from childhood was brought up in hostility to everything Russian and reverence for German. By 1742 he was an orphan. The childless Elizabeth invited him to Russia and soon appointed him her heir. In 1745 he was married to an unfamiliar and unloved Anhalt-Zerbst Princess Sophia Frederica Augusta (in Orthodoxy named Ekaterina Alekseevna).

The heir has not outlived his childhood, continuing to play tin soldiers, while Catherine was actively engaged in self-education and longed for love and power.

After the death of Elizabeth, Peter turned against himself the nobility and the guards with his pro-German sympathies, unbalanced behavior, the signing of peace with Frederick II, the introduction of Prussian uniforms, and his plans to send the guards to fight for the interests of the Prussian king in Denmark. These measures showed that he did not know, and most importantly, did not want to know the country he headed.

At the same time, on February 18, 1762, he signed a manifesto "On the granting of liberty and freedom to all Russian nobility", freeing the nobles from compulsory service, abolishing corporal punishment for them and turning them into a truly privileged class. Then the terrifying Secret Investigative Office was abolished. He stopped the persecution of schismatics and decided to secularize church and monastic land ownership, prepared a decree on the equalization of all religions. All these measures met the objective needs of Russia's development and reflected the interests of the nobility. But his personal behavior, indifference and even dislike for Russia, mistakes in foreign policy and an insulting attitude towards his wife, who managed to gain respect from the nobility and guards, created the preconditions for his overthrow. Preparing the coup, Catherine was guided not only by political pride, a thirst for power and the instinct of self-preservation, but also by the desire to serve her new homeland.

8. The results of the era of palace coups

Palace coups did not entail changes in the political, and even more so the social system of society and boiled down to the struggle for power of various noble groups pursuing their own, most often selfish interests. At the same time, the specific policy of each of the six monarchs had its own characteristics, sometimes important for the country. In general, socio-economic stabilization and foreign policy successes achieved during the reign of Elizabeth created the conditions for more accelerated development and new breakthroughs in foreign policy that would occur under Catherine II.

The death of Peter the Great marked the end of one era - the period of revival, transformations and reforms, and the beginning of another, which went down in history under the name "era of palace coups", which is studied in the history of Russia in the 7th grade. About what happened in this period of time - 1725-1762 - we are talking today.

Factors

Before speaking briefly about the era of palace coups in Russia, it is necessary to understand what the term “palace coup” means. This stable combination is understood as a forceful change of power in the state, which is carried out through a conspiracy by a group of courtiers and relies on the help of a privileged military force - the guard. As a result, the current monarch is overthrown and a new heir from the ruling dynasty, a protege of a group of conspirators, is enthroned. With the change of the sovereign, the composition of the ruling elite also changes. During the period of coup d'état in Russia - 37 years, six sovereigns have changed on the Russian throne. The reasons for this were the following events:

• After Peter I, there were no direct heirs in the male line: son Alexei Petrovich died in prison, convicted of treason, and the youngest son Peter Petrovich died at an early age;
• Adopted by Peter I in 1722, the "Charter on the succession to the throne": according to this document, the decision on the heir to the throne is made by the ruling monarch himself. Thus, various groups of supporters gathered around possible contenders for the throne - noble groups that were in confrontation;
• Peter the Great did not have time to make a will and indicate the name of the heir.

Thus, according to the definition of the Russian historian V.O. Klyuchevsky, the beginning of the era of palace coups in Russia is considered to be the date of the death of Peter I - February 8 (January 28), 1725, and the end - 1762 - the year Catherine the Great came to power.

Rice. 1. Death of Peter the Great

Distinctive features

The palace coups of 1725-1762 had several common features:

• Favoritism : around a possible contender for the throne, a group of persons was formed - favorites, whose goal was to be closer to power and have influence on the balance of power. In fact, the nobles close to the sovereign concentrated all power in their hands and completely controlled the sovereign (Menshikov, Biron, princes Dolgoruky);
• Reliance on the Guards Regiment : guards regiments appeared under Peter I. In the Northern War, they became the main striking force of the Russian army, and then were used as the personal guard of the sovereign. In other words, their privileged position and proximity to the king played a decisive role in their "fate": their support was used as the main striking force in palace coups;
• Frequent change of monarchs ;
• Appeal to the legacy of Peter the Great : each new heir, claiming the throne, demonstrated the intention to strictly follow the course of Peter I in foreign and domestic policy. However, often what was promised went against the current affairs and deviations from his program were observed.

Rice. 2. Portrait of Anna Ioannovna

Chronological table

The following chronological table presents all six Russian rulers whose reign is historically associated with the era of palace coups. The first line answers the question which of the rulers opened the gap in the political life of Russia in the 18th century - Catherine I. Other monarchs follow in chronological order. In addition, it is indicated with the help of which forces and court groups, each of them came to power.

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Some historians believe that the era of palace coups does not end with the advent of Catherine II. They name other dates - 1725-1801, relating to the administration of the state of Alexander I.

Rice. 3. Catherine the Great

The era of palace coups led to the fact that noble privileges expanded significantly.

What have we learned?

According to the new decree of Peter I on changes in the order of succession to the throne, the person entitled to inherit the royal throne in Russia was indicated in the current monarch. This document did not contribute to the establishment of order and stability in the state, but on the contrary, it led to the era of palace coups, which lasted 37 years. This period includes the activities of six monarchs.

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History lesson in the 7th grade "Palace coups"

Goals:

educational: identify the causes of palace coups, give a brief description of the emperors of the 18th century; to show that the main driving force behind palace coups is the guard.

developing: to continue the formation of skills to generalize individual events and formulate conclusions, work with textbook illustrations and historical documents; continue to develop in students the ability to evaluate the actions of historical figures.

educational: to form interest in national history.

Basic concepts: Palace coups, Supreme Privy Council, favorite, conditions, “Bironism”.

Equipment: Romanov genealogical tree, portraits of the rulers of the era of palace coups, reproduced text of the “Conditions”, signed by Anna Ioannovna.

During the classes

I. Organizational moment. Psychological attitude to work.

II. Learning new material.

Introduction by the teacher.

The beginning of the 18th century is associated with the activities of Peter I. We examined in detail his reforms in the field of the economy, government, army and navy. And today we will talk about the events that took place in Russia after the death of Peter the Great. The topic of our lesson is “Palace coups”. In the course of the lesson, we will get acquainted with a brief description of the rulers of this era, find out the reasons for palace coups, fill in the table “Palace coups of the 18th century”.

Terms of government Ruler Assistants, support of the ruler

(We draw a table in a notebook during the lesson, getting acquainted with a new topic, students fill out the table on their own, verification is carried out at the end of the lesson)

Conversation with the class.

Directly related to the topic of our lesson are two events that occurred in the last years of the reign of Peter I. Let's recall these events.

- What do you know about the "Case of Tsarevich Alexei"? (The case of Tsarevich Alexei” prompted Peter to change the order of succession to the throne. In 1722 he signed a decree)

- What is the content of the decree of 1722 on the order of succession to the throne?

Continuation of the lecture. Analysis of the current situation.

Peter the Great died on January 28, 1725. He died hard, with excruciating pain. The subjects did not dare to bother him with the question of the heir. Tradition claims that before his death, Peter wrote: “Give everything ...”. The next words were unintelligible. The decree on the right of the emperor to appoint his successor was not used. And the dynastic situation turned out to be difficult ... (we turn to the Romanov family tree) The grandson of the deceased emperor Peter (son of Tsarevich Alexei), wife Catherine and daughters Anna and Elizabeth had the rights to the throne. There was also relatives along the line of the elder brother Ivan, with whom Peter began to reign in 1682.

But the main contenders turned out to be Ekaterina Alekseevna, the widow of Peter I (Menshikov stood behind her), and his grandson, Peter Alekseevich (representatives of the old boyar families, headed by D.M. Golitsyn, wanted to see him on the throne), who was then 9 years old. Menshikov was able to make better use of the situation, and with the help of some other associates of Peter, after the death of the emperor, with the support of the guards regiments, he elevated Ekaterina Alekseevna to the throne. Since she did not show state abilities, Menshikov actually became the ruler of the country.

This election opens the era of palace coups in Russia.

Palace coups - a change of power, carried out by a narrow circle of courtiers and guards regiments (we write down the definition in a notebook).

For 37 years from 1725 to 1762, five times with the help of weapons there was a change of rulers on the throne. The beginning of this era was marked by the death of Peter I and the ensuing struggle for power of various groups. And this era will end with the reign of Empress Catherine II for a long 34 years.

Continuation of the teacher's story. So, the first ruler of the era of palace coups was Catherine I. Peter Alekseevich was supposed to succeed the empress. Why did Catherine agree to prefer the son of Tsarevich Alexei to her daughters? Catherine was influenced by Menshikov. Seeing that the health of Catherine I was deteriorating, and she would not live long, the prince decided to intermarry with the royal family, hoping to marry his 16-year-old daughter Maria to Peter II.

In 1727, the reign of Peter II begins.

But luck this time betrayed him. Menshikov fell seriously ill. For more than a month he was unable to do business. At this time, Prince Ivan Alekseevich Dolgoruky acquired influence on Peter II. The tsar ceased to obey Menshikov. On September 8, 1727, the prince was arrested, and then, having been stripped of his ranks and awards, he and his family were exiled to the remote town of Berezov. (note that this city is located on the territory of our region)

Having got rid of a dangerous rival, the Dolgoruky hurried to consolidate their position at court. Ivan Dolgoruky's sister, Catherine, was declared the bride of Peter II. But in January 1730, shortly before the wedding with Princess Dolgoruky, Peter II fell ill with smallpox and died. With him, the Romanov dynasty came to an end in the male line.

The question of succession to the throne was to be decided by the members of the Supreme Privy Council. The attention of the "supreme leaders" was drawn to the daughters of Tsar Ivan Alekseevich - Catherine and Anna. The choice was made in favor of Anna, the widow of the poor Duke of Courland, who lived in Mitau as a provincial landowner, periodically begging for money from the Russian government. At the same time, D.M. Golitsyn declared: “We should relieve ourselves.” It was about inviting Anna Ioannovna to reign, to limit the power of the monarch in favor of the Supreme Privy Council. Anna was offered “conditions”, by accepting which she could become an empress. (we write down the definition of the concept of “Condition” in a notebook).

Let's get acquainted with these conditions (distributed to each desk).

The text of the conditions signed by Anna Ioannovna

without the discretion and consent of the high council, do not submit any decision in state affairs, therefore:

do not declare war and do not make peace;

not to impose any fees and taxes;

not condemn anyone for crimes of lèse majesté to death in one Privy Chancellery and not confiscate property from a single nobleman without clear evidence of the aforementioned crime committed by him;

unquestioningly be content with the annual income determined for the maintenance of her person and the court staff;

do not give government estates to anyone;

not to marry and not to appoint an heir to the throne.

So, in Russia an attempt was made to limit the absolute power of the Russian monarch. Anna signed the terms and went to Moscow. In the meantime, the “conditions” became known at court. They were opposed by the church and such an influential force as the guards, the nobility. When Anna Ioannovna arrived in Moscow, she received a petition from the nobility and guards, in which they asked her "to accept autocracy such as your laudable ancestors had." Anna tore the condition. The Supreme Privy Council was abolished. The ten-year reign of Anna Ioannovna began. The Dolgorukies were arrested and sent into exile in Berezov, where Menshikov, who had been exiled by them, had died shortly before.

In 1730, the reign of Anna Ioannovna begins. There are different opinions about the appearance and character of Empress Anna Ioannovna, sometimes opposite. For some, she "had a terrible look, had a disgusting face, she was so great when she walks head-high among the gentlemen, and is extremely fat." And here is the opinion of the Spanish diplomat Duke de Liria: “The Empress Anna is fat, swarthy, and her face is more masculine than feminine. She is generous to the point of extravagance, loves pomp excessively, which is why her court surpasses all other European courts in splendor. Together with Anna, many Baltic Germans arrived from Courland and held important positions in government. Anna's favorite, E.I. Biron, became the most influential. A contemporary wrote about Biron: “Biron’s character was not the best: arrogant, ambitious to the extreme, rude and even impudent, mercenary, implacable in enmity and a cruel punisher”

V.O.Klyuchevsky gave a description of the period, which received the name of “Bironism”: “The Germans poured into Russia, like rubbish from a holey bag, stuck around the courtyard, settled on the throne, climbed into all the profitable places in government.”

In the autumn of 1940, Anna Ioannovna fell ill. Her only relative was her niece (sister's daughter) Anna Leopoldovna, who was close to the court. Anna Leopoldovna had a son, who was immediately declared heir to the throne. In October 1940, Anna Ioannovna died, having appointed Biron as regent for the young emperor Ivan Antonovich. But Biron failed to retain power. He was hated by Russians and Germans, despised by the guards. The Emperor's parents feared that the regent would take their son away from them and send them to Germany. On November 9, 1740, Biron was arrested by the guards, led by Field Marshal Munnich. Anna Leopoldovna became regent under Ivan Antonovich. Her reign was not marked by any important decisions. The ruler was not interested in anything. In the guard, a mood began to form again in favor of a change of power. The most popular candidate for the imperial throne was the daughter of Peter I and Catherine I - Elizabeth. On the night of November 25, 1945, Elizabeth appeared at the barracks of the Preobrazhensky Regiment and called on the soldiers to serve her in the same way that they served her father. 300 grenadiers followed the woman into the bitter cold.

The French academician Albert Vandal describes this night as follows: A thick layer of hardened snow covered the ground, drowning out any noise. The grenadiers hurriedly followed Elizabeth's sleigh, silently and full of determination: the soldiers made a mutual oath not to utter a single word during the journey and to pierce the first faint-hearted with a bayonet. And here is how historians write about Elizabeth: - Lively and cheerful, but never taking her eyes off herself, at the same time large and slender, with a beautiful round and ever-blooming face, she loved to impress, and, knowing that a man was especially coming to her costume, she set up masquerades without masks at court, when men are required to come in full women's attire, in extensive skirts, and ladies in men's court dress. Peaceful and carefree, she was forced to fight almost half of her reign, defeated the first strategist of that time, Frederick the Great, took Berlin. ... a map of Europe lay in front of her at her disposal, but she looked at it so rarely that until the end of her life she was sure of the possibility of traveling to England by land - and she also founded the first real university in Russia - Moscow.

Elizabeth declared her nephew Pyotr Fedorovich, the son of Anna Petrovna, the grandson of Peter I, as her heir. He had a chance to reign for only 186 days. Reviews about him were completely opposite. - Let's turn to the material of our textbook. On page 153 you can learn more about the personality of Emperor Peter III.

- How will you remember this ruler of Russia? On June 28, 1762, Peter III was overthrown and arrested, and a week later he was killed. For 34 years, his wife Catherine II came to the throne.

The era of palace coups is over.

Checking the table “Palace coups of the XVIII century”

- What were the reasons for the palace coups?

lack of a legal order of succession to the throne;

strengthening the role of the guard.

III. Final part. Reflection.

How did I get the material?

I got solid knowledge, mastered all the material - 9-10 points.

Has learned new material partially - 7-8 points.

I didn’t understand much, I still need to work - 4-6 points.

1. Text with errors.

After the death of Peter II, the question of power arose. The choice of the leaders fell on the Duchess of Courland, Elizabeth. The leaders decided to strengthen the autocratic power and, together with the invitation to the throne, sent its conditions (conditions). Conditions were published in all newspapers. Elizabeth did not sign them. Arriving in Moscow, she learned that almost all the nobles maintain conditions. After that, she signed them.

2. Test. What ruler are you talking about?

1. “The king is a tall man with a beautiful face, well-built, with great quickness of mind, quick and definite in answers, it’s only a pity that he lacks complete secular refinement. He showed us his hands and let us feel how hardened they were from the work” - this is how it looked in the eyes of foreigners:

Alexey Mikhailovich,

Peter I

Peter II,

Peter III.

2. “Only by signing the terms”, she could become the Russian Empress:

Catherine I,

Anna Ioannovna,

Anna Leopoldovna,

Elizabeth Petrovna.

3. Courland nobleman, distinguished by arrogance, rudeness, who played the main role at the court of Empress Anna Ioannovna. His name has become a household name, they are sometimes called the entire period of 1730-1740.

K. Friedrich,

A.I. Osterman,

E.I. Biron,

A.P. Volynsky.

4. With a call to soldiers in the barracks of the Preobrazhensky Regiment to serve her, as her father began her 20-year reign:

Anna Leopoldovna,

Elizabeth Petrovna,

Catherine II,

Anna Ioannovna.

Homework: § 20-21, notebook entries

IV. self-analysis of the lesson.

The teaching material for the 7th grade on the history of the Fatherland consists of five sections or chapters. The lesson on the topic "Palace coups" opens the fourth chapter - "Russia in 1725-1762." This is a very controversial period of Russian history, full of events, names and dates. This lesson is inextricably linked with the theme of the previous chapter, which deals with the Petrine era, and is directly based on the genealogy of the Romanov family, documents on the order of succession to the throne. During the lesson, students must understand the reasons for the palace coups, learn the sequence of emperors changing on the Russian throne, which presents a certain difficulty for seventh graders. I would like to draw the attention of students to the appearance, character, individual characteristics, and actions of the Russian autocrats of this period. It is in this connection that the visual aids used in the lesson were chosen.

The real learning opportunities of this class are very peculiar. A good half of the class are very active, curious, learn the educational material easily, putting in memory the smallest details of what the teacher said, willingly read additional literature on the subject, and prepare messages. The other half of the class, on the contrary, is passive; Therefore, when planning a lesson, I chose exactly such teaching methods: verbal (lecture with elements of dialogue), visual (using portraits, genealogical charts) and practical (filling in a table, working with a document). All this together allowed me, to a certain extent, to maintain the attention of students and their interest in the material presented, in addition, reflecting the factual material in tabular form and fixing the basic concepts of the topic in a notebook will allow negligent students to repeat the material at home in a concise form.

The chosen structure of the lesson is rational for solving the tasks set, because allows you to effectively use the creative potential of strong students, to form their ability to generalize events and formulate conclusions, weak students get the opportunity to evaluate the actions of historical figures, learn to express their own opinion on the problem posed. Aimed at reflection at the end of the lesson, seventh-graders are responsible for mastering the material, they are less distracted, thus achieving high performance of all students throughout the lesson. Strong students are interested in factual material and the opportunity for dialogue, weak students are interested in visibility and fear for the results of the final test.

The object of strong assimilation is highlighted in the notebook, this ensures the orientation of students in the amount of information received, and overloading students when doing homework is excluded.

One of the unforeseen situations that could happen during the lesson could be the lack of time, provoked by the students' great interest in certain historical figures, or the longer time for working with a document or textbook item, which is required for weaker students. In this case, the table can be checked in the next lesson, you can transfer the verification test (reflection) to the next lesson.

If students have workbooks for teaching materials, A.A. Danilova and L.G. Kosulina, the lesson could have been planned differently. For example, it was possible to complete microgroups of students of different levels and allow them to perform tasks of the corresponding level on their own in a group, and then announce the result. In the second lesson on the topic, summarize what has been learned and conduct a reflection.

During the lesson, there were slight deviations from the plan: more than the planned time had to be devoted to the family tree, the students showed great interest in the current situation in Russia in the first quarter of the 18th century, talked a lot about personalities and their actions, about the unfair, according to children, order of succession to the throne . Therefore, the table check was postponed to the next lesson.

V. Results of reflection:

There were 20 people in the class, 17 students were present at the lesson and wrote the work.

Received solid knowledge, mastered all the material - 9-10 points - 8 people. (47%)

Partially mastered the new material - 7-8 points - 5 students (29%)

We understood little, we still need to work - 4-6 points - 4 people. (23%)

In general, I feel satisfaction from the lesson, the objectives of the lesson, in general, have been achieved. I consider it necessary for myself to improve the forms and methods of conducting a lesson, to differentiate tasks and the material being studied, which so far I have not been able to do well.

Period of palace coups

The main reason for the frequency and ease of coups was the strengthening of the guards, noble in their composition, in public affairs.

Catherine I - 1725-1727

Domestic politics

Foreign policy

- Supreme Privy Council established

- The landowners were given the right to sell the products of their farms themselves.

Peter II 1727-1730

Domestic politics

Foreign policy

1727 replacement of city administration, instead of magistrates, a governor was put

Anna Ioannovna 1730-1740

Domestic politics

Foreign policy

1730 – created Cabinet of Ministers

1731 – the Office of Secret Investigations was created

- the term of obligatory service of nobles was reduced to 25 years

- repeal of the decree of single inheritance

- the gentry corps was opened for the children of the nobility, after which they became officers

- registration of noble children in the regiments from infancy

1735 – the duties of the prosperous Cossacks were reduced to military service, ordinary Cossacks were equated with peasants

1736 – assignment of hired workers to manufactories forever

1733-1735 – War of Polish Succession

1735-1739 – Russo-Turkish War (Treaty of Belgrade)

1741-1743 – Russo-Swedish war

1742 – the Swedish army capitulated near Helsinsdorf (Abossky peace)

1731 Russia included the lands of the Kazakh Junior Zhuz

1740-1743 – Middle zhuz

Ivan YI Antonovich 1740-1741

Domestic politics

Foreign policy

Elizaveta Petrovna 1741-1761

Domestic politics

Foreign policy

IN - the 2nd census of the taxable population was carried out

1746 - confirmation of the privilege of the nobles to own lands inhabited by serfs

The nobility is freed from punishment by rods and whips

1760 - landowners could exile peasants to a settlement in Siberia without trial, sell peasants into recruits, expand their allotments at the expense of peasants

1754 - abolition of internal customs duties

1755 - Conference at the Imperial Court

1744 - decree to expand the network of elementary schools

The first gymnasiums were opened: 1755 - Moscow,

1758 - Kazan

1755 - foundedMoscow HYPERLINK %D0%B9_%D0%B3%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%83%D0%B4%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B2%D0%B5%D0 %BD%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B9_%D1%83%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%80%D1%81%D0%B8%D1%82 %D0%B5%D1%82" university in 1757 - .

1744Porcelain HYPERLINK %D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B9_%D1%84%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%84%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B2%D1 %8B%D0%B9_%D0%B7%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%B4" manufactories near Petersburg

1744 - Smolny Monastery founded

1741 - 1743 Russian-Swedish war (Abossky peace)

1756-1762 - Seven Years' War

1757 – Russian troops led by Apraksin entered East Prussia

19 August 1757 - Battle of

Gross-Jägersdorf

- Apraksin is replaced by Fermor

- August 1757 - Fermor flees the battlefield in East Prussia

- Fermor is replaced by Saltykov

1759 – Battle of Kunersdorf

1760 – Russian troops entered Berlin (Saltykov is replaced by Buturlin)

1761 – the fortress of Kolsberg is taken

Peter III 1761 - 1762

Domestic politics

Foreign policy

« Manifesto on the Liberty of the Nobility» according to which the nobles were exempted from compulsory service to the state

- ended the Seven Years' War, returned all conquered territories to Frederick II

Catherine II 1762-1796

Domestic politics

Foreign policy

Politics of enlightened absolutism:

- unlimited power of the monarch, who develops an ideal system of laws

- secularization of church land ownership

- enlightenment of the people, dissemination of scientific knowledge in society

1765 - establishment of the noble Free Economic Society

1765 – allowed to exile peasants to hard labor (punishment for complaining about the landowner)

1767-1768 – work of the Legislative Commission

1771 – prohibition of the public sale of serfs for the debts of landlords

1773-1775 – peasant war led by E. Pugachev

1775 – introduction of the right to open businesses without government permission

- streamlining peasant duties

1775 – provincial reform

1775 – liquidated Zaporizhzhya Sich

1785 – Complaint to the nobility

1785 – Complaint letter to cities

1768-1774 - Russo-Turkish War

( Kyuchuk - Kaynajir Treaty)

1783 – incorporation of Crimea into Russia

1783 – Treaty of Georgievsk signed on Russia's protectorate over Eastern Georgia

1787-1791 – Russo-Turkish War

( Yassy peace treaty)

1772 – first section of the Commonwealth

Russia withdrew - eastern Belarus and part of Lithuania

1793 - second division of the Commonwealth

Russia moved away - all of Belarus with Minsk and Right-Bank Ukraine

1795 – third section of the Commonwealth

Russia retreated - the main part of Lithuania, Western Belarus, Western Volyn, Courland

1788-1790 – Russo-Swedish war

1790 – first anti-French coalition

1795 – second anti-French coalition

1798 – third anti-French coalition

Pavel I Petrovich 1796 - 1801

Domestic politics

Foreign policy

- The strictest censorship was introduced, the import of foreign books was prohibited

1796 – decree« About the succession»

1797 – decree« About the three-day corvee»

- weakening the persecution of the Old Believers

« Degraded letter to the nobility »

- the need to appear in the regiments of all noble children recorded from childhood

- introduction of taxes for the nobility for the maintenance of the administration

- restriction of freedom to noble assemblies

- resumed caning of nobles - non-commissioned officers

- ban on mistreatment by officers of soldiers

- participation in the anti-Napoleonic coalition

1798 – F.F. Ushakov captured the fortress on the island of Corfu, took the Ionian Islands,

Liberated Naples, entered Rome

1799 – A.V. Suvorov made the Italian and Swiss campaigns (crossing the Alps through the St. Gotthard pass)

1800 – defection to Napoleon

1801 – sending Russian troops to capture British India

11 March 1801, the last palace coup, the assassination of Paul I

Life and customs of the population of Russia in the first half of the 19th century.

8th grade, history

Lesson type: introduction to new material

The purpose of the lesson: to acquaint students with the living conditions of the main classes of the Russian Empire.

Planned results:

Personal: fostering a sense of self- and mutual respect; development of cooperation skills when working in a group.

Meta-subject: development of speech; the formation of skills to compare; development of students' independence;

Subject: development of skills to work with a textbook; to compare the characteristics of representatives of various classes of Russia in the first half of the 19th century.

Preliminary preparation: ahead of the task for students: read the paragraph about the life of different classes in Russia; teachers: preparation of handouts.

Scheme of the content of the lesson.

Guys, what century are we living in? And what surrounds a person in the 21st century, what are the conditions of his life?

Are you curious to know in what conditions people lived 2 centuries ago?

Then I propose to actively work today in the lesson. Because the topic of our lesson sounds like this: Life and customs of the population of Russia in the first half of the 19th century.

So what are our goals for ourselves?

Creation of a problem situation.

Educational and cognitive activity

Distribute responsibilities by group: who is responsible for what task, the selection of material.

Each group represents one of the estates (nobility, peasantry), receives a package with tasks:

Describe the dwelling, tell about its interior decoration ...

Tell us about the clothes of the estates ...

Make a menu for the estate ...

How did representatives of the class spend their leisure time (free time) ...

Introduction and instruction.

Distribution of roles in the group.

Performance monitoring and evaluation

Presentation of the results of the work of the groups.

Student responses.

Do the groups have questions for each other?

(Since everything is clear to everyone, then I'll ask you a question.) Guys, does a time machine exist? And if it existed, where would you go? And I can tell you what exists, it is our fantasy, imagination. I suggest you write an essay "One day of my life in Russia of the 19th century." But do not forget that you will be representatives of one of the estates. In addition, in the lesson you studied the life of people, but did not study the custom, and you will also do this at home. It would be absolutely great if you turn to additional sources.

Each group reports the results of their work within 3-5 minutes.

And now let's sum up our work, and for this we will return to the goals that we have set for ourselves.

The most important and interesting stage in the history of Russia was the period from 1725 to 1762. During this time, six monarchs have changed, each of which was backed by certain political forces. very aptly called it that - the era of palace coups. The table presented in the article will help to better understand the course of events. The change of power, as a rule, took place through intrigues, betrayals, and murders.

It all started with the unexpected death of Peter I. He left behind the "Charter of Succession" (1722), according to which a large number of people could claim power.

The end of this troubled era is considered the coming to power of Catherine II. Many historians consider her reign to be the era of enlightened absolutism.

Prerequisites for palace coups

The main reason for all the previous events was the contradictions between the many noble groups regarding the succession to the throne. They were united only in the fact that a temporary stop should be made in the implementation of reforms. Each of them saw such a respite in his own way. Also, all groups of nobles equally zealously rushed to power. Therefore, the era of palace coups, the table of which is given below, was limited only to the change of the top.

We have already mentioned the decision of Peter I regarding the succession to the throne. He broke the traditional mechanism by which power was transferred from the monarch to the senior male representative.

Peter I did not want to see his son after him on the throne because he was an opponent of reforms. Therefore, he decided that the monarch himself would be able to name the applicant. However, he died, leaving on paper the phrase "Give it all ...".

The masses were alienated from politics, the nobles could not share the throne - the state was overwhelmed by the struggle for power. Thus began the era of palace coups. The scheme, the table will allow you to better trace the blood ties of all contenders for the throne.

Coup of 1725 (Ekaterina Alekseevna)

At this time, two opposing groups formed. The first consisted of A. Osterman and A. Menshikov. They sought to transfer power to the widow of Peter Alekseevna.

The second group, which included the Duke of Holstein, wanted to enthrone Peter II (son of Alexei and grandson of Peter I).

A. Menshikov had a clear predominance, who managed to gain the support of the guards and put Catherine I on the throne. However, she did not have the ability to govern the state, so in 1726 the Great Privy Council was created. He became the highest government body.

The actual ruler was A. Menshikov. He subjugated the Council and enjoyed the unlimited confidence of the Empress. He was also one of the leading figures when the rulers of the era of palace coups changed (the table explains everything).

Accession of Peter II in 1727

The reign lasted just over two years. After her death, the question of succession again hung over the state.

This time the "Holstein group" was headed by Anna Petrovna. She initiated a conspiracy against A. Menshikov and A. Osterman, which ended unsuccessfully. The young Peter was recognized as sovereign. A. Osterman became his mentor and educator. However, he failed to exert the necessary influence on the monarch, although he was still enough to prepare and carry out the overthrow of A. Menshikov in 1727.

The reign of Anna Ioannovna since 1730

He stayed on the throne for three years and died suddenly. And again the main question becomes the following: "Who will take the throne?". Thus continued the era of palace coups. The table of events is shown below.

Dolgoruky appear on the arena of events, who attempt the accession of Catherine Dolgoruky. She was the bride of Peter II.

The attempt failed, and the Golitsyns nominated their candidate. She became Anna Ioannovna. She was crowned only after the signing of the Conditions with the Supreme Privy Council, which had not yet lost its influence.

Conditions limited the power of the monarch. Soon the empress tears up the documents she signed and returns the autocracy. She decides the issue of succession to the throne in advance. Unable to have children of her own, she declared her niece's child to be the future heir. He will be known as Peter III.

However, by 1740, a son, John, was born to Elizabeth Petrovna and a representative of the Welf family, who became the monarch immediately after the death of Anna Ioannovna in two months. Biron is recognized as its regent.

1740 and Minich's coup

The reign of the regent lasted two weeks. The coup was organized by Field Marshal Munnich. He was supported by the guard, who arrested Biron and appointed the baby's mother as regent.

The woman was not able to govern the state, and Minich took everything into his own hands. He was subsequently replaced by A. Osterman. He also dismissed the field marshal. The era of palace coups (table below) united these rulers.

The accession of Elizabeth Petrovna from 1741

On November 25, 1741, another coup took place. It passed quickly and bloodlessly, the power was in the hands of Elizabeth Petrovna, daughter of Peter I. She raised the guard behind her with a short speech and proclaimed herself empress. Count Vorontsov helped her in this.

The young ex-emperor and his mother were imprisoned in the fortress. Minich, Osterman, Levenvolde were sentenced to death, but it was replaced with exile in Siberia.

rules for over 20 years.

The coming to power of Peter III

Elizaveta Petrovna saw her father's relative as the successor. So she brought her nephew from Holstein. He was given the name Peter III, he converted to Orthodoxy. The Empress was not happy with the character of the future heir. In an effort to rectify the situation, she assigned teachers to him, but this did not help.

To continue the family, Elizaveta Petrovna married him to the German princess Sophia, who would become Catherine the Great. They had two children - son Pavel and daughter Anna.

Before her death, Elizabeth will be advised to appoint Paul as her heir. However, she did not dare to do so. After her death, the throne passed to her nephew. His policy was very unpopular both among the people and among the nobles. At the same time, after the death of Elizabeth Petrovna, he was in no hurry to be crowned. This was the reason for the coup on the part of his wife Catherine, over whom the threat had long hung (this was often stated by the emperor). It officially ended the era of the palace coup (the table contains additional information about the children's nickname of the empress).

June 28, 1762. The reign of Catherine II

Having become the wife of Peter Fedorovich, Catherine began to study the Russian language and traditions. She quickly absorbed new information. This helped her distract herself after two unsuccessful pregnancies and the fact that her long-awaited son Pavel was taken away from her immediately after birth. She saw him only after 40 days. Elizabeth was involved in his upbringing. She dreamed of becoming an empress. She had such an opportunity, since Pyotr Fedorovich did not pass the coronation. Elizabeth took advantage of the support of the guards and overthrew her husband. Most likely, he was killed, although the official version was called death from colic.

Her reign lasted 34 years. She refused to become regent for her son and gave him the throne only after her death. Her reign is attributed to the era of enlightened absolutism. More briefly, everything was presented by the table "Palace coups".

Summarized information

The coming to power of Catherine ended the era of the palace coup. The table does not consider the emperors who ruled after it, although Paul also left the throne due to a conspiracy.

In order to better understand everything that is happening, one should consider the events and the people who are associated with them through generalizing information on the topic “The era of palace coups” (briefly).

The table of palace coups clearly describes the main events of that time.

The results of the era of palace coups

Palace coups were reduced only to the struggle for power. They did not bring changes in the political and social sphere. The nobles divided the right to power among themselves, as a result of which six rulers were replaced in 37 years.

Socio-economic stabilization was associated with Elizabeth I and Catherine II. They were also able to achieve certain successes in the foreign policy of the state.

The era of palace coups is considered the time from 1725 to 1862 - approximately 37 years. In 1725, Peter I died, without transferring the throne to anyone, after which a struggle for power began, which was marked by a number of palace coups.

The author of the term "palace coups" is the historian IN. Klyuchevsky. He designated another time period for this phenomenon in Russian history: 1725-1801, since in 1801 the last palace coup in the Russian Empire took place, ending with the death of Paul I and the accession of Alexander I Pavlovich.

To understand the reason for the series of palace coups of the 18th century, one should return to the era of Peter I, or rather, to 1722, when he issued the Decree on the succession to the throne. The decree abolished the custom of transferring the royal throne to direct descendants in the male line and provided for the appointment of an heir to the throne at the will of the monarch. Peter I issued a Decree on the succession to the throne due to the fact that his son, Tsarevich Alexei, was not a supporter of the reforms he was carrying out and grouped the opposition around him. After the death of Alexei in 1718, Peter I was not going to transfer power to his grandson Peter Alekseevich, fearing for the future of his reforms, but he himself did not have time to appoint a successor.

Thus, Peter I himself provoked a crisis of power, because. did not appoint an heir to the throne. And after his death, many direct and indirect heirs claimed the Russian throne.

Each of the groups defended its class interests and privileges, which means that it nominated and supported its own candidate for the throne. One should not discount the active position of the guard, which was brought up by Peter I as a privileged part of society, the absolute passivity of the people, who did not delve into political life.

Immediately after the death of Peter I, two groups of conspirators were determined, striving to see their protege on the throne: the most influential people of the Peter the Great era - Andrei Osterman and Alexander Menshikov - had the goal of enthroning the wife of Emperor Peter I Ekaterina Alekseevna. The second group, inspired by the Duke of Holstein (Anna Petrovna's husband), wanted to see the grandson of Peter I, Peter Alekseevich, on the throne.

In the end, thanks to the decisive actions of Osterman-Menshikov, it was possible to enthrone Catherine.

N. Ge "Peter I interrogates Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich in Peterhof"

After his death, his widow was proclaimed empress Catherine I, which relied on one of the court groups.

Catherine I occupied the Russian throne for a little more than two years, she left a will: she appointed Grand Duke Peter Alekseevich as her successor and outlined in detail the order of succession to the throne, and all copies of the Decree on succession to the throne under Peter II Alekseevich were confiscated.

But Peter II died, also without leaving a will and heir, and then the Supreme Privy Council (established in February 1726 with members: Field Marshal General His Serene Highness Prince Alexander Danilovich Menshikov, General Admiral Count Fyodor Matveyevich Apraksin, State Chancellor Count Gavriil Ivanovich Golovkin, Count Peter Andreevich Tolstoy, Prince Dmitry Mikhailovich Golitsyn, Baron Andrei Ivanovich Osterman, and then Duke Karl Friedrich Holstein - as we can see, almost all the "chicks of Petrov's nest") were elected empress Anna Ioannovna.

Before her death, she appointed her successor John Antonovich, also describing in detail the further line of inheritance.

Deposed John Elizaveta Petrovna relied in substantiating her rights to the throne on the will of Catherine I.

A few years later, her nephew Pyotr Fedorovich was appointed Elizabeth's heir ( Peter III), after the accession to the throne of which his son became the heir PaulI Petrovich.

But soon after that, as a result of a coup, power passed to the wife of Peter III Catherine II, referring to the "will of all subjects", while Paul remained the heir, although Catherine, according to a number of data, considered the option of depriving him of the right to inherit.

Having ascended the throne, in 1797, on the day of his coronation, Paul I published the Manifesto on the succession to the throne, compiled by him and his wife Maria Feodorovna during the life of Catherine. According to this manifesto, which canceled Peter's decree, "the heir was determined by the law itself" - Paul's intention was to exclude in the future the situation of removal of legitimate heirs from the throne and the exclusion of arbitrariness.

But the new principles of succession to the throne for a long time were not perceived not only by the nobility, but even by members of the imperial family: after the assassination of Paul in 1801, his widow Maria Feodorovna, who drafted the Manifesto of Succession with him, cried out: “I want to reign!”. The manifesto of Alexander I on accession to the throne also contained the Petrine wording: “and his Imperial Majesty’s heir, who will be appointed”, despite the fact that, according to the law, Alexander’s heir was his brother Konstantin Pavlovich, who secretly renounced this right, which also contradicted the Manifesto of Paul I.

The Russian succession to the throne stabilized only after the accession to the throne of Nicholas I. Here is such a long preamble. And now in order. So, CatherineI, PeterII, Anna Ioannovna, Ioann Antonovich, Elizaveta Petrovna, PeterIII, CatherineII, PavelI…

CatherineI

Catherine I. Portrait of an unknown artist

Ekaterina Alekseevna

V.M. Tormosov "Peter I and Catherine"

Her origin is not very clear, there are many assumptions, but one thing is known: in Catholic baptism, her name was Marta (Skavronskaya), she was not born into a noble family and belonged to the Roman Catholic Church. She was brought up by the Protestant theologian and learned linguist Gluck in the city of Marienburg (now the city of Aluksne in Latvia). She did not receive an education, and in the pastor's family she played the role of a girl in the kitchen and laundry.

In August 1702 (Northern War), Russian troops under the command of Field Marshal B.P. Sheremetev besieged the fortress of Marinburg. A game of chance: Marta Skavronskaya was among the prisoners! She was 18 years old, the soldier who captured her sold the girl to a non-commissioned officer ... And he “gave” her to B.P. Sheremetev, for whom she was a concubine and laundress. Then she went to A. Menshikov, and then to Peter I. Peter saw her at Menshikov's - and was captivated by her: not only her magnificent and graceful forms, but also her briskness, witty answers to his questions. So Marta became the mistress of Peter I. This caused discontent among the soldiers and the people, but meanwhile they had children: by 1706 there were three of them: Peter, Pavel and daughter Anna.

She lived in the village of Preobrazhensky near Moscow, adopted the Orthodox faith and the name Ekaterina Alekseevna Vasilevskaya (patronymic was given by her godfather, Tsarevich Alexei).

To everyone's surprise, Catherine had a huge influence on Peter, he became necessary to him both in difficult and joyful moments of his life - before her, Peter I did not have a personal life. Gradually, Catherine became an indispensable person for the king: she knew how to extinguish his outbursts of anger, to share the hardships of camp life. When Peter began to have severe headaches and convulsions, only she could calm him down and relieve the attack. In moments of anger, no one could approach him except Catherine, only her voice had a calming effect on him. Since 1709 they have not parted. In 1711, she even saved Peter and the army in the Prut campaign, when she gave her jewels to the Turkish vizier and persuaded him to sign a truce. Upon returning from this campaign, a wedding was played and two daughters were already legalized by that time: Anna (future wife of the Duke of Holstein) and Elizabeth (future Empress Elizaveta Petrovna). In 1714, the tsar approved the Order of St. Catherine and awarded his wife with it on her name day in honor of the Prut campaign.

For 20 years of marriage, Catherine gave birth to 11 children, most of whom died in infancy, but meanwhile she was constantly with him on campaigns and in all wanderings, experienced adversity, lived in tents, even participated in reviews of troops and encouraged soldiers. But at the same time, she did not interfere in state affairs and did not show interest in power, she never started intrigues, and even sometimes stood up for those whom the king, prone to outbursts of anger, wanted to punish.

Catherine I

J.-M. Natya "Portrait of Catherine I"

On December 23, 1721, she was recognized as Empress by the Senate and Synod. Peter himself placed a crown on her head, which was more magnificent than the crown of the king. This event took place in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. It is believed that Peter was going to make Catherine his successor, but she got herself a lover, Willy Mons, and when Peter found out about this, he ordered the execution of Mons, and his relationship with Catherine began to deteriorate. The betrayal of the woman he loved so much undermined his health. In addition, now he could not entrust the throne to her, fearing for the future of the great work that he was doing. Soon Peter fell ill and took to his bed completely. Catherine was always at the bedside of her dying husband. Peter died on January 28, 1725, without naming a successor.

The young grandson Peter Alekseevich (son of the executed Tsarevich Alexei), daughter Elizabeth and Peter's nieces could claim the throne. Catherine had no grounds for the throne.

On the day of Peter's death, senators, members of the Synod and the generals (officials belonging to the first four classes of the table of ranks) gathered to decide on the issue of succession to the throne. Princes Golitsyn, Repnin, Dolgorukov recognized the grandson of Peter I as the direct male heir. Apraksin, Menshikov and Tolstoy insisted on the proclamation of Ekaterina Alekseevna as the ruling empress.

But unexpectedly, in the morning, guards officers entered the hall where the meeting was taking place and ultimatum demanded the accession of Catherine. On the square in front of the palace, two guards regiments lined up under arms, which expressed support for the empress by drumming. This ended the dispute. Catherine was recognized as empress.

The grandson of Peter I by his first marriage, the son of Tsarevich Alexei, Grand Duke Peter Alekseevich, was declared the heir to the throne.

Thus, a foreign woman of simple origin was enthroned under the name of Catherine I, who became the wife of the tsar on very dubious legal grounds.

The historian S. Solovyov wrote that “the famous Livonian captive belonged to the number of those people who seem capable of ruling until they accept the ruling. Under Peter, she did not shine with her own light, but with a light borrowed from the great man, whom she was a companion.

The era of A.D. Menshikov

Catherine did not know how to govern the state and did not want to. All the time she spent in magnificent feasts and festivities. Power actually passed to A.D. Menshikov. According to his instructions, V. Bering's expedition was sent to resolve the issue of whether Asia is connected to America by a strait; the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences was opened, the creation of which was prepared by the actions of Peter I; the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky "For Labor and the Fatherland" was established - all this happened in 1725.

In 1726, the Supreme Privy Council was established, which consisted of 6 people headed by A.D. Menshikov. In fact, he led the country, because during the three months of her reign, Catherine only learned to sign papers without looking. She was far from state affairs. Here is an excerpt from the memoirs of Y. Lefort: “There is no way to determine the behavior of this court. The day turns into night, everything stands still, nothing is done ... Everywhere there are intrigues, searching, decay ... Holidays, drinking parties, walks occupied all her time. On solemn days, she appeared in all her splendor and beauty, in a golden carriage. It was so breathtakingly beautiful. Power, glory, the delight of loyal subjects - what else could she dream of? But… sometimes the empress, having enjoyed her fame, went down to the kitchen and, as it is written in the court journal, “cooked in the kitchen herself.”

But Catherine did not have to rule for long. Balls, feasts, festivities and revels, which followed continuously, undermined her health. She died on May 6, 1727, 2 years and three months after her accession to the throne, at the age of 43.

Conclusion

She intended to transfer the reign to her daughter Elizabeth Petrovna, but before her death, she signed a will on the transfer of the throne to the grandson of Peter I, Peter II Alekseevich, which Menshikov insisted on. He had his own plan: to marry his daughter Maria to him. Peter II by that time was only 11.5 years old. The daughters of Peter I Anna and Elizabeth were declared regents under the young emperor until his 16th birthday.

Catherine I was buried next to Peter I and his daughter Natalya Petrovna in the Peter and Paul Cathedral.

Catherine did not actually rule Russia, but she was loved by the common people because she knew how to sympathize and help the unfortunate.

The state of affairs in the state after her reign was deplorable: embezzlement, abuse, and arbitrariness flourished. In the last year of her life, she spent more than six million rubles on her whims, while there was no money in the state treasury. What reforms

PeterII Alekseevich

Emperor of All Russia, son of Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich and Princess Charlotte-Sophia of Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel, grandson of Peter I and Evdokia Lopukhina. He was born on October 12, 1715. He lost his mother at the age of 10, and his father fled to Vienna with the serf of his teacher N. Vyazemsky, Efrosinya Fedorovna. Peter I returned the recalcitrant son, forced him to renounce the right to the throne and sentenced him to death. There is a version that Alexei Petrovich was strangled in the Peter and Paul Fortress, without waiting for her execution.

Peter I did not care about his grandson, as he assumed in him, as in his son, an opponent of reforms, an adherent of the old Moscow way of life. Little Peter was taught not just “something and somehow”, but also anyone, so he practically did not receive education by the time he ascended the throne.

I. Wedekind "Portrait of Peter II"

But Menshikov had his own plans: he convinced Catherine I in her will to appoint Peter as heir, and after her death he ascended the throne. Menshikov betrothed him to his daughter Maria (Peter was only 12 years old), moved him to his house and in fact began to run the state himself, regardless of the opinion of the Supreme Privy Council. Baron A. Osterman, as well as Academician Goldbach and Archbishop F. Prokopovich, were appointed to train the young emperor. Osterman was a clever diplomat and a talented teacher, he captivated Peter with his witty lessons, but at the same time set him up against Menshikov (the struggle for power in a different version! Osterman “bet” on Dolgoruky: a foreigner in Russia, albeit crowned with the glory of a skilled diplomat, can manage its policy only in close alliance with the Russians). It all ended with the fact that Peter II removed Menshikov from power, taking advantage of his illness, deprived him of his ranks and fortune, and exiled him with his family, first to the Ryazan province, and then to Berezov, Tobolsk province.

V. Surikov "Menshikov in Berezov"

He died in Berezov. His daughter Maria also died there at the age of 18. After some time, Peter II declared himself an opponent of Peter's reforms and liquidated all the institutions he had created.

So, the mighty Menshikov fell, but the struggle for power continued - now, as a result of intrigues, the princes Dolgoruky get the championship, who involve Peter in a wild life, revelry, and, having learned about his passion for hunting, take him away from the capital for many weeks.

On February 24, 1728, the coronation of Peter II takes place, but he is still far from state affairs. Dolgoruky betrothed him to Princess Ekaterina Dolgoruky, the wedding was scheduled for January 19, 1730, but he caught a cold, fell ill with smallpox and died on the morning of the proposed wedding, he was only 15 years old. So the Romanov family was cut off in the male line.

What can be said about the personality of Peter II? Let's listen to the historian N. Kostomarov: “Peter II did not reach the age when a person's personality is determined. Although contemporaries praised his abilities, natural mind and kind heart, but these were only hopes for a good future. His behavior did not give the right to expect from him in time a good ruler of the state. He not only disliked teaching and deeds, but hated both; nothing fascinated him in the state sphere; he was completely absorbed in fun, being all the time under someone's influence.

During his reign, the Supreme Privy Council was mainly in power.

Board results: decrees on streamlining the collection of poll tax from the population (1727); restoration of the hetman's power in Little Russia; promulgation of the Bill Charter; ratified a trade agreement with China.

Anna Ioannovna

L. Caravak "Portrait of Anna Ioannovna"

After the untimely death of Peter II, the issue of succession to the throne is again on the agenda. There was an attempt to enthrone the bride of Peter II, Catherine Dolgoruky, but she was unsuccessful. Then the Golitsyns, rivals of the Dolgoruky, put forward their own candidate - the niece of Peter I, Anna of Kurland. But Anna came to power by signing the terms. What is it - the "conditions" (conditions) of Anna Ioannovna?

This is an act that was drawn up by the members of the Supreme Privy Council and which Anna Ioannovna had to fulfill: not to marry, not to appoint an heir, not to have the right to declare war and make peace, introduce new taxes, reward and punish subordinate top officials. The main author of the conditions was Dmitry Golitsyn, but the document, drawn up immediately after the death of Peter II, was read out only on February 2, 1730, so the bulk of the nobility could only guess about its content and be content with rumors and assumptions. When the conditions were made public, there was a split among the nobility. On January 25, Anna signed the conditions proposed to her, but when she arrived in Moscow, she accepted a deputation of opposition nobles, concerned about the strengthening of the power of the Supreme Privy Council, and with the help of officers of the guards regiments, on February 28, 1730, she swore the nobility as a Russian autocrat, and also publicly refused from conditions. On March 4, she abolishes the Supreme Privy Council, and on April 28 she solemnly crowns herself and appoints her favorite E. Biron as chief chamberlain. The era of Bironovism begins.

A few words about the personality of Anna Ioannovna.

She was born on January 28, 1693, was the fourth daughter of Tsar Ivan V (brother and co-ruler of Peter I) and Tsarina Praskovya Feodorovna Saltykova, granddaughter of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. She was brought up in an extremely unfavorable environment: her father was a weak-minded person, and she did not get along with her mother from early childhood. Anna was haughty and not of a high mind. Her teachers could not even teach the girl to write correctly, but she achieved "bodily well-being." Peter I, guided by political interests, married his niece to the Duke of Courland Friedrich Wilhelm, the nephew of the Prussian king. Their marriage took place on October 31, 1710 in St. Petersburg, in the palace of Prince Menshikov, and after that the couple spent a long time in feasts in the capital of Russia. But, as soon as he left St. Petersburg for his possessions at the beginning of 1711, Friedrich-Wilhelm died on the way to Mitava - as they suspected, due to immoderate excesses. So, not having time to be a wife, Anna becomes a widow and moves to her mother in the village of Izmailovo near Moscow, and then to St. Petersburg. But in 1716, by order of Peter I, she left for permanent residence in Courland.

And now she is the All-Russian Empress. Her reign, according to the historian V. Klyuchevsky, “is one of the dark pages of our empire, and the darkest spot on it is the empress herself. Tall and obese, with a face more masculine than feminine, callous by nature and even more hardened during her early widowhood amid diplomatic intrigues and court adventures in Courland, she brought to Moscow an evil and poorly educated mind with a fierce thirst for belated pleasures and entertainment. Her courtyard was full of luxury and bad taste and was filled with crowds of jesters, tricksters, buffoons, storytellers ... Lazhechnikov tells about her "amusements" in the book "Ice House". She loved horseback riding and hunting, in Peterhof in her room there were always loaded guns ready for shooting from the window at flying birds, and in the Winter Palace they specially arranged an arena for her, where they drove wild animals, which she shot.

She was completely unprepared to govern the state, besides, she did not have the slightest desire to govern it. But she surrounded herself with foreigners completely dependent on her, who, according to V. Klyuchevsky, "fell into Russia, like cheese from a holey bag, stuck around the courtyard, sat down on the throne, climbed into all profitable places in management."

Portrait of E. Biron. Unknown artist

All affairs under Anna Ioannovna were run by her favorite E. Biron. The cabinet of ministers created by Osterman was subordinate to him. The army was commanded by Munnich and Lassi, and the yard was commanded by the bribe taker and passionate gambler Count Levenvold. In April 1731, a secret investigative office (torture chamber) began to work, supporting the authorities with denunciations and torture.

Board results: the position of the nobility was significantly facilitated - they were assigned the exclusive right to own peasants; military service lasted 25 years, and by a manifesto of 1736, one of the sons, at the request of his father, was allowed to stay at home to manage the household and train him in order to be fit for civil service.

In 1731, the law on single inheritance was repealed.

In 1732, the first cadet corps was opened to educate the nobility.

The subjugation of Poland continued: the Russian army under the command of Minich took Danzig, while losing more than 8 thousand of our soldiers.

In 1736-1740. there was a war with Turkey. The reason for it was the constant raids of the Crimean Tatars. As a result of the campaigns of Lassi, who took Azov in 1739, and Minikh, who captured Perekop and Ochakov in 1736, won a victory at Stauchany in 1739, after which Moldavia accepted Russian citizenship, the Belgrade peace was concluded. As a result of all these military operations, Russia lost about 100 thousand people, but still did not have the right to keep a navy in the Black Sea, and could only use Turkish ships for trade.

To keep the royal court in luxury, it was necessary to introduce raids, extortionate expeditions. Many representatives of ancient noble families were executed or sent into exile: Dolgorukovs, Golitsyns, Yusupovs and others. Chancellor A.P. Volynsky, together with like-minded people, in 1739 drew up a "Project for the Correction of State Affairs", which contained demands for the protection of the Russian nobility from the dominance of foreigners. According to Volynsky, the government in the Russian Empire should be monarchical with the broad participation of the nobility as the dominant class in the state. The next governmental instance after the monarch should be the senate (as it was under Peter the Great); then comes the lower government, from representatives of the lower and middle nobility. Estates: spiritual, urban and peasant - received, according to the project of Volynsky, significant privileges and rights. All were required to be literate, and the clergy and nobility were required to have a broader education, the hotbeds of which were to serve as academies and universities. Many reforms were also proposed to improve justice, finance, trade, etc. For this they paid with execution. Moreover, Volynsky was sentenced to a very cruel execution: to put him alive on a stake, having previously cut out his tongue; to quarter his like-minded people and then cut off their heads; confiscate the estates and exile Volynsky's two daughters and son into eternal exile. But then the sentence was reduced: three were beheaded, and the rest were exiled.

Shortly before her death, Anna Ioannovna learned that her niece Anna Leopoldovna had a son, and declared the two-month-old baby Ivan Antonovich the heir to the throne, and before he came of age, she appointed E. Biron as regent, who at the same time received “power and authority to manage all state affairs as internal, as well as foreign ones.

IvanVI Antonovich: Biron's regency - Minich's coup

Ivan VI Antonovich and Anna Leopoldovna

Biron's regency lasted about three weeks. Having received the right to regency, Biron continues to fight with Munnich, and in addition, spoils relations with Anna Leopoldovna and her husband Anton Ulrich. On the night of November 7-8, 1740, another palace coup took place, organized by Munnich. Biron was arrested and sent into exile in the province of Tobolsk, and the regency passed to Anna Leopoldovna. She recognized herself as the ruler, but did not take an actual part in state affairs. According to contemporaries, "... she was not stupid, but she was disgusted with any serious occupation." Anna Leopoldovna constantly quarreled and did not speak to her husband for weeks, who, in her opinion, “had a good heart, but no mind.” And disagreements between spouses naturally created the conditions for court intrigues in the struggle for power. Taking advantage of the carelessness of Anna Leopoldovna and the dissatisfaction of Russian society with the continued German dominance, Elizaveta Petrovna enters the game. With the help of the guards of the Preobrazhensky Regiment devoted to her, she arrested Anna Leopoldovna along with her family and decided to send them abroad. But the chamber-page A. Turchaninov made an attempt to make a counter-coup in favor of Ivan VI, and then Elizaveta Petrovna changed her mind: she arrested the entire family of Anna Leopoldovna and sent him to Ranenburg (near Ryazan). In 1744, they were taken to Kholmogory, and at the direction of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, Ivan VI was isolated from his family and, 12 years later, secretly transferred to Shlisselburg, where he was kept in solitary confinement under the name of a "famous prisoner."

In 1762, Peter III secretly examined the former emperor. He disguised himself as an officer and entered the casemates where the prince was kept. He saw “a rather tolerable dwelling, and sparsely furnished with the poorest furniture. The prince's clothes were also very poor. He was completely clueless and spoke incoherently. Either he claimed that he was Emperor John, then he assured that the emperor was no more in the world, and his spirit passed into him ... ".

Under Catherine II, his guards were instructed to persuade the prince to monasticism, but in case of danger, "kill the prisoner, and not give the living into the hands of anyone." Lieutenant V. Mirovich, who learned the secret of the secret prisoner, tried to free Ivan Antonovich and proclaim him emperor. But the guards followed the instructions. The body of Ivan VI was exhibited for a week in the Shlisselburg fortress "for news and worship of the people", and then buried in Tikhvin in the Bogoroditsky Monastery.

Anna Leopoldovna died in 1747 from childbed fever, and Catherine II allowed Anton Ulrich to leave for her homeland, since he did not pose a danger to her, not being a member of the Romanov family. But he refused the offer and stayed with the children in Kholmogory. But their fate is sad: Catherine II, after strengthening the dynasty with the birth of two grandchildren, allowed the children of Anna Leopoldovna to move to her aunt, the dowager queen of Denmark and Norway. But, as N. Eidelman writes, “ironically, they lived in their homeland - in prison, and then abroad - in freedom. But they yearned for that prison in their homeland, not knowing any language other than Russian.”

Empress Elizabeth Petrovna

S. van Loo "Portrait of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna"

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PeterIII Fedorovich

A.K. Pfantzelt "Portrait of Peter III"

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CatherineII Alekseevna the Great

A. Antropov "Catherine II the Great"

Empress of All Russia. Before the adoption of Orthodoxy - Princess Sophia-Frederica-Augusta. She was born in Stettin, where her father, Christian-August, Duke of Anhalt-Zerbst-Bernburg, at that time served as a major general in the Prussian army. Her mother, Johanna Elisabeth, for some reason disliked the girl, so Sophia (Fike, as her family called her) lived in Hamburg with her grandmother from early childhood. She received a mediocre upbringing, tk. the family was in constant need, its teachers were random people. The girl did not stand out for any talents, except for a penchant for command and for boyish games. Fike was secretive and prudent from childhood. By a happy coincidence, during a trip to Russia in 1744, at the invitation of Elizabeth Petrovna, she became the bride of the future Russian Tsar Peter III Fedorovich.

Catherine already in 1756 was planning her future seizure of power. During a serious and prolonged illness of Elizabeth Petrovna, the Grand Duchess made it clear to her "English comrade" H. Williams that one should only wait for the death of the Empress. But Elizabeth Petrovna died only in 1761, and her legitimate heir, Peter III, husband of Catherine II, ascended the throne.

Teachers of the Russian language and the Law of God were assigned to the princess, she showed enviable perseverance in learning in order to prove her love for a foreign country and adapt to a new life. But the first years of her life in Russia were very difficult, besides, she experienced neglect from her husband and courtiers. But the desire to become a Russian empress outweighed the bitterness of trials. She adapted to the tastes of the Russian court, only one thing was missing - an heir. And that is exactly what was expected of her. After two unsuccessful pregnancies, she finally gave birth to a son, the future Emperor Paul I. But by order of Elizabeth Petrovna, he was immediately separated from his mother, showing for the first time only after 40 days. Elizaveta Petrovna herself raised her grandson, and Catherine took up self-education: she read a lot, and not only novels - her interests included historians and philosophers: Tacitus, Montesquieu, Voltaire, etc. Thanks to her diligence and perseverance, she was able to achieve respect for herself, with her not only well-known Russian politicians, but also foreign ambassadors began to be considered. In 1761, her husband, Peter III, ascended the throne, but he was unpopular in society, and then Catherine, with the help of the guardsmen of the Izmailovsky, Semenovsky and Preobrazhensky regiments, overthrew her husband from the throne in 1762. She also stopped attempts to appoint her regent under her son Pavel , which N. Panin and E. Dashkova sought, and got rid of Ivan VI. Read more about the reign of Catherine II on our website:

Known as an enlightened queen, Catherine II was unable to achieve love and understanding from her own son. In 1794, despite the opposition of the courtiers, she decided to remove Paul from the throne in favor of her beloved grandson Alexander. But a sudden death in 1796 prevented her from achieving what she wanted.

Emperor of All Russia PavelI Petrovich

S. Schukin "Portrait of Emperor Paul I"

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