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KF5JRV > TODAY 09.07.19 13:37l 12 Lines 2595 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 10272_KF5JRV
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Subj: Today in History - Jul 09
Path: IZ3LSV<F1OYP<ON0AR<VE2PKT<N3HYM<KA3BVJ<AB0AF<KF5JRV
Sent: 190709/1135Z 10272@KF5JRV.#NWAR.AR.USA.NA BPQK6.0.18
On this day in 1762, the wife of Russia’s new emperor, Peter III,rallies the army regiments of St. Petersburg against her husband and isproclaimed Empress Catherine II, the sole ruler of Russia.More commonly known as Catherine the Great, she would stay on the thronefor the next 34 years, longer than any other female ruler in Russianhistory.
The former Sophie von Anhalt-Zerbst was born in 1729 in what is nowPoland. Her father was a minor Prussian prince; her mother was a memberof the house of Holstein-Gottorp, one of Germany’s most celebratedfamilies. At 15, Sophie scored an invitation to Russia from EmpressElizabeth, the daughter of Peter the Great, who was searching for abride for her nephew and chosen heir to the throne, the Grand DukePeter, who was also Sophie’s cousin on her mother’s side. They weremarried the following year, and Sophie converted to OrthodoxChristianity, adopting the name Catherine.
Peter and Catherine’s marriage was unhappy from the beginning, andneither one was faithful. Catherine later hinted in her memoirs that herhusband hadn’t fathered any of her four children, but most historiansbelieve he did father her first son, Paul, born in 1754.
Soon after the Empress Elizabeth died and Peter ascended to the thronein early 1762, his many enemies plotted to overthrow Peter and replacehim with 7-year-old Paul. Instead, the ambitious Catherine acted quicklyto seize the advantage for herself. With the help of her lover, GregoryOrlov, she won the military’s support and had herself proclaimedRussia’s sole ruler in July 1762, forcing her husband to abdicate histhrone. Peter was assassinated just eight days later by Catherine’ssupporters, casting some doubt on her legitimacy as ruler.
Despite this turbulent beginning, Catherine’s reign would be rememberedas a time of significant progress and achievement for Russia. Like Peterthe Great, she worked to Westernize the nation and make it strong enoughto hold its own against the great powers of Europe. Under Catherine,Russia’s borders expanded to the west and south, encompassing Crimea aswell as much of Poland.
Notorious for her many lovers, Catherine showed less affection for herson, Paul, whom she supposedly considered passing over as heir in favorof his son, Alexander. But before she could do so, Catherine died of astroke in 1796, leaving Paul to inherit the throne. He was assassinatedfive years later, opening the way for Catherine’s adored grandson,Alexander I, to become the next ruler in the Romanov dynasty.
73, Scott KF5JRV
Pmail: KF5JRV @ KF5JRV.#NWAR.AR.USA.NA
Email: KF5JRV@GMAIL.com
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