The era of palace coups began in Russia, with the death of... In a short period of time, the Russian throne was visited by a large number of rulers.
The main historical reason for the era of palace coups in Russia is the decree of Peter I “On Succession to the Throne”. He changed the order of transfer of power, and now the Emperor could appoint his successor himself.
But Peter I did not have time to bequeath the throne to anyone. On January 28, 1725, Pyotr Alekseevich passed away. From that moment on, in Russia, the “Era of Palace Revolutions” began.
The Russian throne became the subject of confrontation between various political clans. The guard began to play a significant role in the struggle between representatives of noble noble families.
The transition of power from one autocrat to another, during the Age of Palace Coups, was carried out with great ease. The fact is that these coups did not change the political system in the state, they only changed the ruler.
With the change of ruler, there was also a regrouping of forces at court. Some families of nobles, from the ruling ones, went over to the “opposition” and waited for the right moment for the next coup. Others moved from the “opposition” to the class of the ruling elite, and tried by all means to maintain their influence.
After the death of Peter I, she became the Russian Empress, and she reigned from 1725 to 1727. In fact, all power during this period was in the hands of Alexander Danilovich Menshikov. The situation did not change in the first few months of the reign. Later, Menshikov was exiled, and the Supreme Privy Council, represented by the Dolgoruky and Golitsyn clan, began to play a key role at court.
Peter II reigned from 1727 to 1730.
The next ruler of Russia during the era of palace coups was. She reigned for exactly ten years, from 1730 to 1740. These years were marked by the dominance of foreigners, adventurers and very dubious personalities in the Russian Empire. Embezzlement and bureaucracy flourished.
From 1740 to 1741, power over Russian society was in the hands of Ivan Antonovich and his mother Anna Leopoldovna, who was proclaimed regent of the child emperor.
Dissatisfaction with the dominance of the Germans grew among Russian society, and under this note, the daughter of Peter I ascended to the throne during the coup. Governing body Elizaveta Petrovna became a sip fresh air, a triumph of Russian national identity, after the humiliating policies of Anna Ioannovna.
The heir of Elizabeth Petrovna was the nephew of the Empress -. He ruled from 1761 to 1762. He entered Russian history as an emperor - a tyrant who stole victory from Russia in .
In the summer of 1762, the Russian throne was occupied by his wife Peter III. The guard again played a major role in this palace coup.
Successor Catherine II became Pavel I. Pavel Petrovich was the son of Catherine and Peter III. issued a new decree on succession to the throne, according to which power passed from father to eldest son. The era of palace coups in Russia ended with the death of Paul I, who was killed by conspirators.
His son became the new Emperor of Russia.
On February 8, 1725, the era of palace coups began in Russia. On this day Peter the Great passed away. The death of the 52-year-old emperor was difficult and painful. The king was tormented not only by terrible physical pain, but by thoughts about the future of the power he had created. Pyotr Alekseevich did not know who to hand over the throne to, who would continue his great work.
Eight of the eleven children of Pyotr Alekseevich and Catherine died in early age, only three daughters remained: Anna, Elizaveta and Natalya. Peter's last hope of passing the throne to his son was destroyed with the death of his favorite Peter Petrovich. The child was healthy, and Catherine already called her son “the master of St. Petersburg.” But the 4-year-old boy fell ill and died in April 1719. That's why last years Peter was sad and lonely.
Peter did not dare to write a will in favor of one of his daughters. He feared for their fate and believed that the young princesses Anna or Elizabeth would not be able to hold Russia in their weak hands. In addition, after the tragic death of the eldest son of Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich, his son, the grandson of Peter the Great, remained Grand Duke Petr Alekseevich. Peter did not want to give the throne to Peter Alekseevich, who was backed by traditionalists, who, although they had lost the opportunity to determine the course of the country, were a strong elite group. The son of Tsarevich Alexei enjoyed special love from all who hated the modernization of Russia in a European way, new Russia, which Peter created with great difficulty and blood. Although, according to the old Russian tradition, the throne rightfully belonged to Pyotr Alekseevich. The accession to the throne of Peter II, who due to his age could not be an independent ruler, could have brought to power in the country an opposition capable of destroying a significant part of the building of the new Russia built by Peter.
Previously, the emperor seemed to have solved the problem of succession to the throne. In 1722, he signed the Decree on Succession to the Throne, which abolished the ancient tradition of passing the royal throne to direct descendants in the male line. As a result, the king was able to appoint an heir himself. According to Peter's will of 1724, his wife, the former servant Marta Skavronskaya, became the heir; from the spring of 1724, the Russian Empress Catherine I Alekseevna. However, in the fall of 1724, Peter unexpectedly learned that his beloved wife, as he wrote in letters - “Katerinushka, dear friend,” was cheating on him with the chamber cadet Vilim (Willim) Mons. As fate would have it, Vilim Mons was the brother of Anna Mons, the Tsar’s former mistress, who, due to her frivolity, missed the chance to become Empress of Russia - she also cheated on Peter, which led to her disgrace. Peter I was furious. Mons was executed. True, under the pretext of “economic crimes”. Taking into account the then fashion for embezzlement (a long-standing disease of the Russian bureaucracy), it was easy to find a reason. Those close to Catherine were beaten with a whip and sent to hard labor. There was estrangement between the spouses. Peter reversed his decision - he destroyed the will written in favor of his wife.
In the last years of his life, Peter I was sick a lot. The body, shaken by severe trials, life to wear, drunkenness and immoderate entertainment, let Peter down. At the same time, he was tormented by severe doubts. To whom to transfer the throne so that his business is not destroyed by any nimble favorite who ends up in Catherine’s bed. At the same time, Peter himself believed that he still had time and the disease was not fatal. As soon as he learned about his wife’s betrayal and destroyed the will in favor of Catherine, Peter agreed to the marriage of the Holstein Duke Karl-Friedrich and the eldest daughter Anna Petrovna. An important condition was included in the marriage contract - upon the birth of a boy, he was immediately to be handed over to his grandfather to be raised. This boy was supposed to become the Emperor of Russia. However, man proposes, but God disposes. Fate decided otherwise. According to one version, they helped her by poisoning the emperor. There is an opinion that there were certain foreign forces that were not satisfied with Peter’s course in the last period of his reign, when the sovereign began to solve strategic, national problems that were turning Russia into a “superpower.”
Be that as it may, the death of the emperor was beneficial to the enemies of Russia. It plunged Russia into yet another turmoil associated with Peter's reluctance to give the throne to the rightful heir - Peter Alekseevich, who was supported by conservative circles of Russian society, the absence of a successor to Peter's work, and the presence of a group of secular nobles who wanted to take advantage of the current situation to strengthen their position and redistribute power and income for your own benefit. At the same time, these dignitaries, who during Peter’s life were bound by his iron will, which forced these people not only to “live beautifully”, but also to work tirelessly, for the most part wanted to enjoy life without bearing responsibility for the development of the state.
The country's uncertain situation did not last long. Seeing that Peter the Great was dying, his closest associates, those who during his reign demonstrated the greatest activity and ability, quickly took their bearings and decided to seize the initiative and elevate Catherine to the throne. Among the most prominent conspirators were the powerful Alexander Menshikov, who rose from the very bottom, Pyotr Tolstoy, Fyodor Apraksin, Feofan Prokopovich and others.
All of them were, in one way or another, interested in Catherine’s accession to the throne. Menshikov had great influence on his former mistress (the future Catherine had previously gone to Peter and was Menshikov’s concubine) and, taking into account the weak mental abilities cook on the throne, hoped to become the real ruler of Russia. Without Catherine on the throne, Menshikov could have found himself in a very difficult situation, since the aristocratic families would undoubtedly have deprived him of power and wealth, and possibly even his life. In addition, already at the end of Peter’s reign, Menshikov’s career began to decline. In 1724, Peter the Great’s patience ran out; the exorbitant abuses of Menshikov, who, like many other people “from rags to riches,” had an insatiable craving for power and wealth, infuriated the tsar. Menshikov lost his main positions - the posts of head of the Military Collegium and governor-general of the St. Petersburg province. Therefore, the change of power was beneficial to the prince.
An outstanding diplomat and one of the leaders of the secret service (Preobrazhensky Prikaz) P. Tolstoy played a key role in the case of Tsarevich Alexei. The case of Tsarevich Alexei brought him closer to Empress Catherine, and the success of another candidate, the young Grand Duke Peter Alekseevich, would have put an end to his brilliant career.
Relying on the guard, the “artists” prevented the grandson of Peter I, Grand Duke Peter Alekseevich, from coming to the throne. To attract the Semyonovsk and Preobrazhensk residents they spared no money, no promises, no wine. Immediately after the death of Peter the Great, the highest nobles, dignitaries and commanders gathered in the hall of the Winter Palace. They argued fiercely about who should give the throne to. However, when the roar of drums was heard outside the palace walls and everyone saw the green uniforms of the guard in the windows, everything fell into place. Strength was on the side of Menshikov and other conspirators. Soldiers and officers, inflamed with wine and rumors of “treason,” poured into the hall. All objections from supporters of Tsarevich Peter Alekseevich were drowned in the greetings of the guards in honor of the “Mother Empress.” The most disobedient dignitaries were promised to “split their heads.”
Seizing an opportune moment, Alexander Menshikov shouted: “Vivat, our august Empress Catherine!” The guardsmen picked up: “Vivat! Vivat! The entire assembly was forced to repeat after them, or blood might be shed. In the morning, the manifesto on Catherine’s accession to the throne was announced.
Thus, the first palace coup took place quickly and bloodlessly. ex girl in the kitchen, the laundress and “war trophy” became a huge empress Russian Empire. However, all real power during the reign of Catherine I Alekseevna, it now belonged to the all-powerful Alexander Danilovich Menshikov. Former servant in 1727-1729. became the real ruler of Russia.
The instigators of the first palace coup were dignitaries who wanted to preserve and strengthen their position, as well as those who had the political will and determination to become the initiators of the conspiracy. The driving force behind the coup was the elite part of the army - the guard. The Russian Guard in the 18th century was contradictory. Well-equipped, trained and possessing high morale, the guards were the support of the throne. Their courage, perseverance and dedication have more than once written heroic pages into the Russian military chronicle. However, there was another side to the guard. The Guard became a tool in the political game. It turned out that promises, flattery, women, money and wine easily direct the power of the guard in the direction desired by the intriguers.
Organizer of the first palace coup Alexander Danilovich Menshikov
History lesson in 7th grade "Palace coups"
Goals:
educational: identify the causes of palace coups, give a brief description of the emperors of the 18th century; show what's important driving force Palace coups become the guard.
developing: continue to develop the skills to summarize individual events and formulate conclusions, work with textbook illustrations and historical documents; Continue to develop students’ ability to evaluate the actions of historical figures.
educational: to develop interest in Russian history.
Basic concepts: Palace coups, Supreme Privy Council, favorite, condition, “Bironovism”.
Equipment: Family tree of the Romanovs, portraits of the rulers of the era of palace coups, copied text of the “Conditions” signed by Anna Ioannovna.
During the classes
I. Organizing time. Psychological attitude to work.
II. Learning new material.
Teacher's opening speech.
The beginning of the 18th century is associated with the activities of Peter I. We examined in detail his reforms in the field of economics, organs government controlled, army and navy. And today we’ll talk about the events that happened in Russia after the death of Peter the Great. The topic of our lesson is “Palace coups”. As the lesson progresses, we will become familiar with brief description rulers of a given era, find out the reasons for palace coups, fill out the table “Palace coups of the 18th century.”
Terms of government Ruler Assistants, support of the ruler
(Draw a table in a notebook during the lesson, getting acquainted with new topic, students fill out the table independently, check 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 remember 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. His subjects did not dare to bother him with the question of an heir. Tradition claims that before his death Peter wrote: “Give everything...”. No further words could be made out. The decree on the right of the emperor to appoint his successor was not used. But the dynastic situation turned out to be complicated... (we turn to the Romanov family tree) The rights to the throne belonged to the grandson of the deceased emperor Peter (son of Tsarevich Alexei), wife Catherine and daughters Anna and Elizabeth. There was also relatives through his older 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, Pyotr 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 current situation, and with the help of some other close 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 became the de facto ruler of the country.
This election opens the era of palace coups in Russia.
Palace coups are a change of power carried out by a narrow circle of courtiers and guards regiments (we write down the definition in a notebook).
Over the 37 years from 1725 to 1762, rulers on the throne were changed five times by force of arms. The beginning of this era was marked by the death of Peter I and the subsequent struggle for power among various factions. And this era will end with the accession 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. The empress was to be succeeded by Peter Alekseevich. Why did Catherine agree to choose the son of Tsarevich Alexei over her daughters? Catherine was influenced by Menshikov. Seeing that Catherine I's health 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 changed him this time. Menshikov fell seriously ill. He was unable to do business for more than a month. At this time, Prince Ivan Alekseevich Dolgoruky acquired influence over Peter II. The Tsar ceased to obey Menshikov. On September 8, 1727, the prince was arrested, and then, deprived of ranks and awards, he and his family were exiled to the remote city of Berezov. (note that this city is located in our region)
Having got rid of a dangerous rival, the Dolgorukys hastened to strengthen their position at court. Ivan Dolgoruky's sister, Catherine, was declared the bride of Peter II. But in January 1730, shortly before his wedding with Princess Dolgoruka, Peter II fell ill with smallpox and died. The Romanov dynasty ended with him in the male line.
The question of succession to the throne had to be decided by members of the Supreme Privy Council. The attention of the “higher-ups” 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 said: “We should make it easier for ourselves.” The point was to limit the power of the monarch in favor of the Supreme Privy Council by inviting Anna Ioannovna to reign. Anna was offered “conditions”, by accepting which she could become empress. (we write down the definition of the concept “Condition” in a notebook).
Let's get acquainted with these conditions (distributed to each desk).
Text of the conditions signed by Anna Ioannovna
without discretion or consent high council do not submit any decisions in state affairs, therefore:
not to declare war and not to make peace;
do not impose any duties or taxes;
no one should be condemned to death for crimes of lèse-majesté in the Secret Chancery alone, and no nobleman’s estate should be confiscated without clear evidence of the above-mentioned 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 state estates to anyone;
do not marry and do not designate an heir to the throne.
So, in Russia an attempt was made to limit the absolute power of the Russian monarch. Anna signed the conditions and went to Moscow. Meanwhile, the “conditions” became known at court. The church came out against them and such influential force like the guard, the nobility. When Anna Ioannovna arrived in Moscow, she received a petition from the nobility and the guard, in which they asked her to “accept the autocracy that your praiseworthy ancestors had.” Anna broke the condition. The Supreme Privy Council was abolished. The ten-year reign of Anna Ioannovna began. The Dolgorukys were arrested and sent into exile in Berezov, where Menshikov, whom they had exiled, had died shortly before.
In 1730, the reign of Anna Ioannovna began. There are different reviews, sometimes contradictory, about the appearance and character of Empress Anna Ioannovna. For some, she “had a terrible look, had a disgusting face, she was so big when among the gentlemen she walks head taller than everyone else, and extremely fat.” And here is the opinion of the Spanish diplomat Duke de Liria: “Empress Anna is fat, dark, and her face is more masculine than feminine. Generous to the point of extravagance, she loves pomp excessively, which is why her courtyard surpasses all other European ones in splendor.” Together with Anna, many Baltic Germans arrived from Courland and took important positions in government bodies. The most influential was Anna's favorite - E.I. Biron. A contemporary wrote about Biron: “Biron’s character was not the best: arrogant, ambitious to the extreme, rude and even impudent, selfish, irreconcilable in enmity and a cruel punisher.”
V.O. Klyuchevsky gave a characterization of the period called “Bironovshchina”: “The Germans poured into Russia like rubbish from a leaky bag, stuck around the courtyard, inhabited the throne, and climbed into all the profitable positions in management.”
In the fall 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, appointing Biron as regent under the young Emperor Ivan Antonovich. But Biron failed to retain power. He was hated by the Russians and Germans, and 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 guards led by Field Marshal Minich. Anna Leopoldovna became regent under Ivan Antonovich. Her reign was not marked by any important decisions. The ruler was not interested in anything. A mood in favor of a change of power began to form in the guard again. 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 the same way they served her father. 300 grenadiers followed the woman out into the bitter cold.
French academician Albert Vandal describes this night as follows: A thick layer of hardened snow covered the ground, muffling all noise. The grenadiers hurriedly followed Elizabeth's sleigh, silent and full of determination: the soldiers swore a mutual oath not to utter single word along the way and pierce the first faint-hearted one with a bayonet. And here is how historians write about Elizabeth: - Lively and cheerful, but not taking her eyes off herself, at the same time large and slender, with a beautiful round and ever-blooming face, she loved to make an impression, and, knowing that men were especially attracted to her suit, she established masquerades at court without masks, when men were obliged to come in full women's dress, in wide skirts, and the ladies in men's court dress. Peaceful and carefree, she was forced to fight for almost half of her reign, defeated the first strategist of that time, Frederick the Great, and took Berlin. ...the 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 confident in the possibility of traveling to England by land - and she founded the first real university in Russia - Moscow.
Elizabeth declared as her heir her nephew Peter Fedorovich - the son of Anna Petrovna, the grandson of Peter I. (turn to the family tree) On December 25, 1761, Peter III became Emperor of Russia. He managed to reign for only 186 days. Reviews about it were completely opposite. - Let's turn to the material in our textbook. On page 153 you can get acquainted in more detail with the personality of Emperor Peter III.
- What will you remember about this ruler of Russia? On June 28, 1762, Peter III was overthrown and arrested, and a week later he was killed. His wife Catherine II ascended the throne for 34 years.
The era of palace coups is over.
Checking the table “Palace coups of the 18th century”
- What were the reasons for the palace coups?
lack of legal order of succession to the throne;
strengthening the role of the guard.
III. Final part. Reflection.
How did I learn the material?
I gained solid knowledge, mastered all the material - 9-10 points.
Partially mastered the new material - 7-8 points.
I understood little, 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 rulers 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). The conditions were published in all newspapers. Elizabeth did not sign them. Arriving in Moscow, she found out that almost all nobles maintain good condition. After that she signed them.
2. Test. What kind of ruler are we talking about?
1. “The king is a tall man with a beautiful face, well-built, with great quickness of mind, quick and definite in his answers, the only pity is that he lacks complete secular sophistication. He showed us his hands and let us feel how rough they were from work” - this is what he looked like in the eyes of foreigners:
Alexey Mikhailovich,
Peter I,
Peter II,
Peter III.
2. “Only by signing the conditions” could become Russian Empress:
Catherine I,
Anna Ioannovna,
Anna Leopoldovna,
Elizaveta Petrovna.
3. A Courland nobleman, distinguished by arrogance and rudeness, who played the main role at the court of Empress Anna Ioannovna. His name has become a household name; it is sometimes used to refer to the entire period of 1730-1740.
K. Friedrich,
A.I. Osterman,
E.I.Biron,
A.P.Volynsky.
4. Her 20-year reign began with the call for soldiers in the barracks of the Preobrazhensky Regiment to serve her, as her father did:
Anna Leopoldovna,
Elizaveta Petrovna,
Catherine II,
Anna Ioannovna.
Homework: § 20-21, notes in notebook
IV. Self-analysis of the lesson.
The educational material for grade 7 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 examines the Petrine era, and is directly based on the genealogy of the Romanov family and documents on the order of succession to the throne. During the lesson, students must understand the reasons for palace coups and understand the sequence of successive emperors on the Russian throne, which poses a certain difficulty for seventh-graders. I would like to draw students' attention to appearance, character, individual characteristics, actions of Russian autocrats of this period. It is in this regard that the visual aids used in the lesson were chosen.
The actual learning opportunities of this class are quite unique. A good half of the class are very active, curious, learn the educational material easily, remembering the smallest details of what the teacher said, willingly read additional literature on the subject, and prepare reports. The other half of the class, on the contrary, is passive, has difficulty getting involved in the work in class, and does not have a good grasp of the textbook material even to a good degree. Therefore, when planning the lesson, I chose these teaching methods: verbal (lecture with elements of dialogue), visual (using portraits, genealogical charts) and practical (filling out 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 recording the main concepts of the topic in a notebook will allow careless students to repeat the material at home in a concise form.
The chosen structure of the lesson is rational for solving the assigned tasks, because allows you to effectively use the creative potential of strong students, develop 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 take a responsible approach to mastering the material, 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 clarity and fear for the results of the final test.
The object of solid assimilation is highlighted in the notebook, this ensures students' orientation in the volume of information received, and eliminates overload of students when doing homework.
One of the unforeseen situations that could happen during the lesson could be a lack of time caused by students' greater interest in certain historical figures, or longer time on a document or textbook item that is required for weaker students. In this case, the table can be checked at the next lesson, and the screening test (reflection) can be transferred to the next lesson.
If students have workbooks for the teaching materials of A.A. Danilova and L.G. Kosulina, the lesson could have been planned differently. For example, it was possible to assemble micro-groups of students at different levels and allow them to independently complete tasks at the appropriate level in a group, and then announce the result. In the second lesson on the topic, summarize what has been learned and conduct reflection.
During the lesson there were slight deviations from the plan: more than 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, in the opinion of children, order of succession to the throne . Therefore, the table check was moved 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 new material – 7-8 points – 5 students (29%)
They understood little, they still need to work - 4-6 points - 4 people. (23%)
Overall, I feel satisfied with the lesson; the goals of the lesson have been largely achieved. I consider it necessary for myself to improve the forms and methods of teaching a lesson, to differentiate tasks and the material being studied, which I have not been able to do well so far.
Period of palace coups
The main reason for the frequency and ease of coups was the strengthening of the guard, noble in composition, in state affairs.
Catherine I - 1725-1727
Foreign policy
- The Supreme Privy Council was created
- Landowners received the right to sell the products of their farms themselves
Peter II 1727-1730
Domestic policy
Foreign policy
1727 replacement of city management, instead of magistrates a governor was installed
Anna Ioannovna 1730-1740
Domestic policy
Foreign policy
1730 – the Cabinet of Ministers was created
1731 – The Office of Secret Investigations was created
- The period of compulsory service of nobles was reduced to 25 years
- repeal of the decree on unity of inheritance
- The gentry corps was opened for the children of nobles, after which they became officers
- registration of noble children into regiments from infancy
1735 – the duties of the wealthy Cossacks were reduced to military service, ordinary Cossacks were equated with peasants
1736 – permanent assignment of hired workers to manufactories
1733-1735 – War of the Polish Succession
1735-1739 – Russo-Turkish War (Treaty of Belgrade)
1741-1743 – Russian-Swedish war
1742 – The Swedish army capitulated at Helsinsdorf (Treaty of Abos)
1731 Russia included the lands of the Kazakh Junior Zhuz
1740-1743 – Middle zhuz
Ivan YI Antonovich 1740-1741
Domestic policy
Foreign policy
Elizaveta Petrovna 1741-1761
Domestic policy
Foreign policy
IN - The 2nd census of the taxable population was carried out
1746 - confirmation of the privilege of nobles to own lands inhabited by serfs
The nobility was exempt from punishment with rods and whips
1760 - landowners could exile peasants to settle in Siberia without trial, sell peasants as recruits, expand their plots at the expense of peasants
1754 - abolition of internal customs duties
1755 – Conference at the Imperial Court
1744 - decree on network expansion primary schools
The first gymnasiums were opened: 1755 - Moscow,
1758 - Kazan
1755 – foundedMoscow HYPERLINK "http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9C%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B2%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8 %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 "http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%98%D0%BC%D0%BF%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%BE%D1%80 %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 St. Petersburg
1744 – Smolny Monastery founded
1741 – 1743 Russian-Swedish War (Peace of Abos)
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 – Colsberg fortress captured
Peter III 1761 – 1762
Domestic policy
Foreign policy
« Manifesto on the freedom of the nobility» according to which 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 policy
Foreign policy
The policy of enlightened absolutism:
- unlimited power of the monarch who develops an ideal system of laws
- secularization of church land ownership
- education of the people, dissemination scientific knowledge in society
1765 - establishment of the nobility Free economic society
1765 – it is allowed to exile peasants to hard labor (punishment for complaining against the landowner)
1767-1768 – work of the Legislative Commission
1771 – prohibition of public sale of serfs for debts of landowners
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 – Zaporizhzhya Sich was liquidated
1785 – Letter of grant to the nobility
1785 – Letter of commendation to cities
1768-1774 - Russo-Turkish War
( Kuchuk - Kainajir Treaty)
1783 – inclusion of Crimea into Russia
1783 – Treaty of Georgievsk on Russian protectorate over Eastern Georgia was signed
1787-1791 – Russo-Turkish War
( Treaty of Jassy)
1772 – first section of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
Russia ceded - eastern Belarus and part of Lithuania
1793 - second section of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
Russia withdrew - all of Belarus with Minsk and Right Bank Ukraine
1795 – third section of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
Russia withdrew - the main part of Lithuania, Western Belarus, Western Volyn, Courland
1788-1790 – Russian-Swedish war
1790 – first anti-French coalition
1795 – second anti-French coalition
1798 – third anti-French coalition
Pavel I Petrovich 1796 - 1801
Domestic policy
Foreign policy
- The strictest censorship was introduced, the import of foreign books was prohibited
1796 – decree« About succession to the throne»
1797 – decree« About the three-day corvee»
- weakening of the persecution of Old Believers
« Demoted letter to the nobility »
- the need for all noble children registered from childhood to report to the regiments
- introduction of taxes for nobles to support the administration
- restriction of freedom of noble assemblies
- punishment of noblemen - non-commissioned officers with canes - resumed
- prohibition of ill-treatment of soldiers by officers
- participation in the anti-Napoleonic coalition
1798 – F.F. Ushakov captured a fortress on the island of Corfu, took the Ionian Islands,
Liberated Naples and entered Rome
1799 – A.V. Suvorov completed the Italian and Swiss campaigns (crossing the Alps through the St. Gotthard Pass)
1800 – going over to Napoleon's side
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 introduce students to the living conditions of the main classes of the Russian Empire.
Planned results:
Personal: nurturing a sense of self- and mutual respect; development of cooperation skills when working in a group.
Metasubject: speech development; formation of comparison skills; development of independence among students;
Subject: development of skills to work with a textbook; compare the characteristics of representatives of various classes of Russia in the first half of the 19th century.
Preliminary preparation: advanced task for students: read a paragraph about the life of different classes of Russia; teachers: preparing handouts.
Lesson content outline.
Guys, what century are we living in? What surrounds a person in the 21st century, what are his living conditions?
Are you interested in finding out what conditions people lived in 2 centuries ago?
Then I propose to work actively in class today. Because the topic of our lesson is: Life and customs of the population of Russia in the first half of the 19th century.
So what goals will we set for ourselves?
Creating a problematic situation.
Educational and cognitive activity
Responsibilities are distributed among the group: who is responsible for what task, material selection.
Each group represents one of the classes (nobility, peasantry) and receives a package with tasks:
Describe the home, tell us about it interior decoration…
Tell us about the clothing of the classes...
Create a menu for the class...
How did you spend your leisure time? free time) representatives of the class...
Introductory information and instructions.
Distribution of roles in the group.
Monitoring and evaluation of performance results
Presentation of group work results.
Student answers.
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? But I can tell you that it exists, it is our fantasy, our imagination. I suggest you write an essay “One day of my life in Russia in the 19th century.” But do not forget that you will be representatives of one of the classes. 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 wonderful if you turn to additional sources.
Each group reports the results of their work within 3-5 minutes.
Now let's sum up our work, and for this we will return to the goals that we have set for ourselves.
The era of palace coups
The era of palace coups is considered to be 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 a historian IN. Klyuchevsky. He outlined 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 in the 18th century, one should return to the era of Peter I, or more precisely, to 1722, when he issued the Decree on 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 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 himself. After the death of Alexei in 1718, Peter I did not intend to transfer power to his grandson Peter Alekseevich, fearing for the future of the reforms he was carrying out, but he himself did not have time to appoint a successor.
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 just over 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 or an heir, and then the Supreme Privy Council (created in February 1726 with members: Field Marshal General His Serene Highness Prince Alexander Danilovich Menshikov, Admiral General Count Fyodor Matveevich Apraksin, State Chancellor Count Gavriil Ivanovich Golovkin, Count Peter Andreevich Tolstoy, Prince Dmitry Mikhailovich Golitsyn, Baron Andrei Ivanovich Osterman, and then Duke Karl Friedrich of Holstein - as we see, almost all the “chicks of Petrov’s nest”) were elected empress Anna Ioannovna.
Before her death she designated a successor Ioann Antonovich, also detailing the further line of succession.
Overthrown Joan Elizaveta Petrovna relied on the will of Catherine I to justify her rights to the throne.
A few years later, her nephew Pyotr Fedorovich ( Peter III), after his accession to the throne his son became heir PaulI Petrovich.
But soon after this, as a result of a coup, power passed to the wife of Peter III Catherine II, which referred to “the will of all subjects,” while Paul remained the heir, although Catherine, according to some data, considered the option of depriving him of the right to inherit.
Having ascended the throne, in 1797, Paul I, on the day of his coronation, published the Manifesto on the succession to the throne, compiled by him and his wife Maria Fedorovna during Catherine’s lifetime. According to this manifesto, which repealed Peter’s decree, “the heir was determined by the law itself” - Paul’s intention was to eliminate in the future the situation of removing legitimate heirs from the throne and eliminating arbitrariness.
But the new principles of succession to the throne are still for a long time were not accepted not only by the nobility, but even by members of the imperial family: after the murder of Paul in 1801, his widow Maria Feodorovna, who together with him drew up the Manifesto on the Succession to the Throne, cried out: “I want to reign!” Alexander I’s manifesto on accession to the throne also contained Peter’s wording: “and his imperial majesty to the 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
PeterII Alekseevich
Emperor of All Russia, son of Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich and Princess Charlotte Sophia of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, grandson of Peter I and Evdokia Lopukhina. Born on October 12, 1715. He lost his mother at the age of 10 days, and his father fled to Vienna with his teacher N. Vyazemsky’s serf, Efrosinya Fedorovna. Peter I returned his rebellious son, forced him to renounce his right to the throne and sentenced him to death penalty. There is a version that Alexey Petrovich was strangled in Peter and Paul Fortress without waiting for it to be completed.
Peter I did not care about his grandson, since he assumed in him, like 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 just anyone, so he received virtually no education by the time he ascended the throne.
I. Wedekind "Portrait of Peter II"
But Menshikov had his own plans: he convinced Catherine I to name Peter as heir in her will, and after her death he ascended the throne. Menshikov betrothed him to his daughter Maria (Peter was only 12 years old), moved him into his house and actually began to govern 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 turned him against Menshikov (a struggle for power in another version! Osterman “bet” on Dolgoruky: a foreigner in Russia, albeit crowned with the glory of a skilled diplomat, can carry out its policy only in close alliance with the Russians). It all ended with Peter II removing Menshikov from power, taking advantage of his illness, depriving him of his ranks and fortune, and exiling him and his family first to the Ryazan province, and then to Berezov, Tobolsk province.
So, the powerful Menshikov fell, but the struggle for power continued - now, as a result of intrigues, the Dolgoruky princes gain primacy, who draw Peter into a wild life, carousing, 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 remains far from state affairs. The Dolgorukys betrothed him to Princess Ekaterina Dolgoruky, the wedding was scheduled for January 19, 1730, but he caught a cold, contracted smallpox and died on the morning of the proposed wedding, he was only 15 years old. This is how the Romanov family in the male line was extinguished.
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 his contemporaries praised his abilities, natural intelligence and kind heart, these were only hopes for good things in the future. His behavior did not give the right to expect him to become a good ruler of the state over time. He not only did not like teaching and work, but hated both; nothing fascinated him in the state sphere; he was completely absorbed in fun, being constantly under someone’s influence.”
During his reign, power was mainly vested in the Supreme Privy Council.
Board results: decrees on streamlining the collection of poll taxes from the population (1727); restoration of the hetman's power in Little Russia; The Bill of Exchange Charter was promulgated; A trade agreement with China has been ratified.
Anna Ioannovna
L. Caravaque "Portrait of Anna Ioannovna"
After the premature death of Peter II, the issue of succession to the throne again becomes on the agenda. There was an attempt to enthronement the bride of Peter II, Catherine Dolgorukaya, but it was unsuccessful. Then the Golitsyns, rivals of the Dolgorukys, nominated their contender - the niece of Peter I, Anna of Courland. But Anna came to power by signing the conditions. What are these “conditions” (conditions) of Anna Ioannovna?
This is an act that was drawn up by members of the Supreme Privy Council and which Anna Ioannovna had to fulfill: not to enter into marriage, not to appoint an heir, not to have the right to declare war and make peace, to introduce new taxes, to reward and punish subordinate senior officials. The main author of the conditions was Dmitry Golitsyn, but the document, drawn up immediately after the death of Peter II, was read only on February 2, 1730, so the bulk of the nobility could only guess about its contents and be content with rumors and assumptions. When the standards were made public, a split emerged among the nobility. Anna signed the conditions proposed to her on January 25, but when she arrived in Moscow, she accepted a deputation of opposition nobles who were concerned about the strengthening of the power of the Supreme Privy Council, and with the help of officers of the guard regiments, on February 28, 1730, she swore in the nobility as Russian autocrat, and also publicly refused from the conditions. On March 4, she abolishes the Supreme Privy Council, and on April 28, she is solemnly crowned 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, the fourth daughter of Tsar Ivan V (brother and co-ruler of Peter I) and Tsarina Praskovya Fedorovna Saltykova, granddaughter of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. She was brought up in an extremely unfavorable environment: her father was a weak-minded man, and she did not get along with her mother from early childhood. Anna was arrogant and not of high intelligence. 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, 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 at feasts in the capital of Russia. But, barely leaving 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, without 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 darkest pages of our empire, and the darkest spot on it is the empress herself. Tall and corpulent, with a face more masculine than feminine, callous by nature and even more hardened by early widowhood amid diplomatic intrigues and court adventures in Courland, she brought to Moscow an angry and poorly educated mind with a fierce thirst for belated pleasures and entertainment.” Her courtyard was drowned in luxury and bad taste and was filled with crowds of jesters, firecrackers, buffoons, storytellers... Lazhechnikov talks about her “fun” in the book “Ice House”. She loved horse riding and hunting; in Peterhof, in her room, she always had loaded guns ready to shoot from the window at flying birds, and in Winter Palace A playpen was specially built for her, where wild animals were driven, which she shot.
She was completely unprepared to rule the state, and moreover, she did not have the slightest desire to rule it. But she surrounded herself with foreigners who were completely dependent on her, who, according to V. Klyuchevsky, “fell into Russia like cheese from a holey bag, stuck around the courtyard, sat around the throne, and climbed into all the profitable positions in management.”
Portrait of E. Biron. Unknown artist
All affairs under Anna Ioannovna were managed by her favorite E. Biron. The cabinet of ministers created by Osterman was subordinate to him. The army was commanded by Minich and Lassi, and the court was commanded by the bribe-taker and passionate gambler Count Levenvold. In April 1731, secret work began search office(torture chamber), which supported the government through denunciations and torture.
Board results: the position of the nobility was significantly eased - 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 run the household and train him with a view to suitability for civil service.
In 1731 the law on single inheritance was repealed.
In 1732, the first cadet corps was opened to educate nobles.
The subjugation of Poland continued: the Russian army under the command of Minich took Danzig, 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, and won a victory at Stauci in 1739, after which Moldova accepted Russian citizenship, the Peace of Belgrade was concluded. As a result of all these military operations, Russia lost about 100 thousand people, but still did not have the right to maintain a navy in the Black Sea, and could only use Turkish ships for trade.
To maintain the royal court in luxury, it was necessary to introduce milking raids and extortion expeditions. Many representatives of ancient noble families were executed or sent into exile: the Dolgorukovs, Golitsyns, Yusupovs and others. Chancellor A.P. Volynsky, together with like-minded people, in 1739 compiled a “Project on the improvement of state affairs,” which contained demands for the protection of the Russian nobility from the dominance of foreigners. According to Volynsky, government in the Russian Empire should be monarchical with the broad participation of the nobility as the first class in the state. The next government authority after the monarch should be the Senate (as it was under Peter the Great); then comes the lower government, made up of representatives of the lower and middle nobility. Estates: spiritual, urban and peasant - received, according to Volynsky’s project, significant privileges and rights. Literacy was required from everyone, and from the clergy and nobility a broader education, the breeding grounds of which were to be 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: impaled alive, having first cut out his tongue; quarter his associates and then cut off their heads; confiscate the estate and send Volynsky’s two daughters and son into eternal exile. But then the sentence was commuted: 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 heir to the throne, and before he came of age, she appointed E. Biron as regent, who received “the power and authority to manage all state affairs as internal, and 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 Minich, and in addition, spoils relations with both Anna Leopoldovna and her husband Anton Ulrich. On the night of November 7–8, 1740, another palace coup took place, organized by Minich. Biron was arrested and sent into exile in the Tobolsk province, and the regency passed to Anna Leopoldovna. She recognized herself as a ruler, but did not take actual participation in state affairs. According to contemporaries, “... she was not stupid, but she had an aversion to any serious activity.” Anna Leopoldovna constantly quarreled and did not speak for weeks with her husband, who, in her opinion, “had a kind heart, but no intelligence.” And disagreements between spouses naturally created conditions for court intrigues in the struggle for power. Taking advantage of Anna Leopoldovna's carelessness and the dissatisfaction of Russian society with the continued German dominance, Elizaveta Petrovna comes into play. With the help of the guardsmen of the Preobrazhensky Regiment loyal to her, she arrested Anna Leopoldovna along with her family and decided to send them abroad. But the chamberlain A. Turchaninov made an attempt to carry out a counter-coup in favor of Ivan VI, and then Elizaveta Petrovna changed her decision: she took Anna Leopoldovna’s entire family under arrest and sent him to Ranenburg (near Ryazan). In 1744, they were taken to Kholmogory, and on the orders of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, Ivan VI was isolated from his family and 12 years later secretly transported 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 equipped 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, or he insisted that the emperor was no longer in the world, and his spirit had passed into him...”
Under Catherine II, his guards were instructed to persuade the prince to become a monk, but in case of danger, “kill the prisoner, and not hand over the living one 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 the news and worship of the people,” and then buried in Tikhvin in the Bogoroditsky Monastery.
Anna Leopoldovna died in 1747 from patrimonial fever, and Catherine II allowed Anton Ulrich to leave for his homeland, since he did not pose a danger to her, not being a member of the Romanov dynasty. But he refused the offer and stayed with the children in Kholmogory. But their fate is sad: Catherine II, after consolidating the dynasty with the birth of two grandchildren, allowed Anna Leopoldovna’s children to move in with her aunt, the Dowager Queen of Denmark and Norway. But, as N. Eidelman writes, “ironically, they lived at home - in prison, and then abroad - in freedom. But they yearned for that prison in their homeland, not knowing any language other than Russian.”
Empress Elizaveta Petrovna
S. van Loo "Portrait of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna"
PeterIII Fedorovich
A.K. Pfanzelt "Portrait of Peter III"
Read about it on our website: .
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 with the rank of major general in the Prussian army. Her mother, Johanna Elisabeth, for some reason did not like the girl, so Sofia (Fike, as her family called her) lived in Hamburg with her grandmother from early childhood. She received a mediocre upbringing because... The family was constantly in need; its teachers were random people. The girl did not stand out for any talents, except for a penchant for command and boyish games. Fike was secretive and calculating from childhood. By a happy coincidence, during a trip to Russia in 1744, at the invitation of Elizaveta 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 the serious and prolonged illness of Elizabeth Petrovna, the Grand Duchess made it clear to her “English comrade” H. Williams that he had to wait only for the death of the Empress. But Elizaveta Petrovna died only in 1761, and her legal heir, Peter III, the 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 persistence 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, and she also experienced neglect from her husband and courtiers. But the desire to become a Russian empress outweighed the bitterness of the trials. She adapted to the tastes of the Russian court, only one thing was missing - an heir. And this 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 him for the first time only 40 days later. Elizaveta Petrovna raised her grandson herself, and Ekaterina began to educate herself: she read a lot, and not only novels - her interests included historians and philosophers: Tacitus, Montesquieu, Voltaire, etc. Thanks to her hard work and perseverance, she was able to achieve respect for herself, with her not only famous Russian politicians, but also foreign ambassadors began to count. In 1761, her husband, Peter III, ascended the throne, but he was unpopular in society, and then Catherine, with the help of the guards of the Izmailovsky, Semenovsky and Preobrazhensky regiments, overthrew her husband from the throne in 1762. She also stopped attempts to appoint her regent for her son Paul , which N. Panin and E. Dashkova sought, and got rid of Ivan VI. Read more about the reign of Catherine II on our website:
Having become 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 sudden death in 1796 prevented her from achieving what she wanted.
All-Russian Emperor PavelI Petrovich
S. Shchukin "Portrait of Emperor Paul I"
The era of palace coups - accepted in historical literature the name of a period in the political history of Russia when, as a result of the struggle of court factions with the support of the guard, a violent change of ruler or his immediate circle occurred repeatedly. The term was introduced by V.O. Klyuchevsky and was assigned to the period 1725-1762.
Over the course of 37 years, six emperors replaced the Russian throne. Palace coups accompanied the accession to the throne of Catherine I (1725), Anna Ioannovna (1730), Elizaveta Petrovna (1741), and Catherine II (1762). In addition, the removal of the actual leaders of the government A.D. Menshikov (1727) and E.I. Biron (1740), while maintaining the power of the ruling sovereign, are also considered palace coups. A number of researchers also include the assassination of Paul I in 1801, the Streltsy uprising of 1689, and even the Decembrist uprising in 1825.
Palace coups were a product of the Russian political system of this period - when the autocratic form of government with the unlimited power of the emperor was combined with the weak legal status of the highest state institutions and a fragile class structure. Both the Senate and the successive councils under the monarch (the Supreme Privy Council in 1726-1730, the Cabinet of Ministers in 1731-1741, the Conference at the Highest Court in 1756-1762) did not have a legislatively established range of powers, were directly dependent on the monarch and could not prevent palace coups. Accordingly, the political struggle was a struggle for influence on the emperor and often took the form of court conspiracies and palace coups.
A major role was played by the “Decree on Succession to the Throne” of Peter I of February 5, 1722, which abolished the old order of succession to the throne and made it dependent on the personal will of the testator; this decree made it possible for several contenders to the throne to emerge. In addition, the Romanov family in the male line ended with the death of Peter II (1730); from that time on, the rights to the throne of all possible contenders were undisputed.
The main weapon in the struggle of political groups was the court guard (primarily the Semenovsky and Preobrazhensky regiments). The Guards regiments during this period were a close-knit, privileged and well-paid part of the army; they were personally subordinate to the monarch, their commanders were themselves senior dignitaries. The inclusion of the Russian Empire in the system of international relations of that time led to the appearance at the Russian court of permanent representations of European powers, which also intervened in the political struggle and directly participated in a number of palace coups.
After the death of Peter I, a split arose in the highest echelons of power around the future contender for the throne: the grandson of Peter I, Peter, and the widow of the tsar, Ekaterina Alekseevna. In 1725, through the efforts of the new Peter the Great nobility, A.D. Menshikova, P.I. Yaguzhinsky, P.A. Tolstoy and others, with the support of the guard (its commanders, A.I. Ushakov, I.I. Buturlin, acted on behalf of the guard), Catherine I was erected.
Catherine I, who died in 1727, appointed eleven-year-old Peter Alekseevich as her successor in her will; the closest associate of Peter I, A.D., became the de facto ruler of the state. Menshikov. However, already in September 1727, as a result of the court intrigues of the Dolgorukys and A.I. Osterman, he was removed from power and sent into exile with his family.
By the time of the death of Peter II (1730), the main power functions were concentrated in the hands of the Supreme Privy Council, which included representatives of the old aristocracy (of its eight members, five represented the Dolgoruky and Golitsyn families). It was decided to invite Anna Ioannovna, the daughter of Ivan V, to the Russian throne, under the conditions of limiting autocratic power in favor of the Supreme Privy Council (“Condition”). It was not only about the elevation of a specific sovereign to the throne, but also about an attempt to change existing form government. However, a wide circle of the nobility became aware of the plans of the “supreme leaders”, their dissatisfaction with these plans was revealed, and, relying on the guard (this time, senior officers of the guard regiments participated in political discussions), Anna Ioannovna publicly tore up the “Conditions”, maintaining the autocratic form of government ( 1730).
In 1740, the forceful tactics of a coup were tested: under the command of B.Kh. Minikh's guards arrested E.I., appointed regent under Ivan VI Antonovich, the great-grandson of Ivan V. Biron and his immediate circle. Subsequently, it was precisely this type of palace coup, in which the guards participated as a striking force, that became the main method of political struggle. In 1741, Elizaveta Petrovna, relying on her entourage and the guards regiments of the Preobrazhensky Regiment, overthrew the government of Ivan VI Antonovich, unpopular among the Russian nobility, and arrested him and his family.
In 1762, due to the widespread dissatisfaction of the nobles with the foreign policy steps of Peter III (primarily the St. Petersburg Peace of 1762, which was perceived as a unilateral refusal of acquisitions made as a result Seven Years' War) a conspiracy matured in the guard (the Orlov brothers, N.I. Panin and others), and on June 28, 1762, as a result of a coup, his wife Catherine II ascended the throne.
The end of the era of palace coups is associated with the consolidation of the Russian nobility, the development of its class institutions, the final formation of the political elite of the Russian Empire and the constitution of the system of supreme state bodies.