Catherine II of Russia

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

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Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/catherine-ii-of-russia

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was Catherine II of Russia born?May 2, 1729
2. Where was Catherine II of Russia born?Stettin, Prussia (now Szczecin, Poland)
3. What is the ruled russia?1762-1796
4. What is the capital city during her reign?Saint Petersburg
5. Who was Catherine the Great and how did she become Empress of Russia?Catherine the Great was a German princess who married the Russian heir, Peter III. She led a coup with the Orlov brothers and the Imperial Guard in 1762, deposing Peter and becoming Empress.
6. What did Catherine the Great do to grow Russia's territory?She fought wars against the Ottoman Empire, gaining lands along the Black Sea, and helped divide Poland, adding many western territories to Russia.

Enlightened Absolutism: A form of absolute monarchy where rulers were influenced by Enlightenment ideas of reason and reform.
Coup d'état: A sudden, illegal, and often violent seizure of power from a government.
Serfdom: A system where peasants are bound to the land and owe labor or dues to a landowner.
Nakaz: A legislative instruction or document, notably Catherine the Great's ambitious reform proposal.