“Imperialistic Catherine” & Russia’s foreign affairs 1762-1774 By Tam Mai Catherine’s rise to power Coup d'état (1762) Peter III was forced to abdicate and later murdered Catherine became the Empress of Russia Motivations for the coup Catherine’s own Enlightenment ideas and political ambitions Catherine’s painful marriage with Peter III Peter III’s scorn for Russia and sympathy for Prussia >< Catherine’s desire to continue the Seven Years’ War against Prussia Thus, even before the coup d’état of 1762, foreign policy in general and Prussia in particular already played important roles in the empress-to-be’s political playbook. First 12 Years of Catherine II’s Reign Foreign Policy Peace Prussia Panin Poland The Porte 1. Peace Peter III, prior to abdication Ordered the Russian army to withdraw from Prussia despite an imminent victory Forged an alliance with Prussia Declared war on Denmark To return the province of Schleswig – lost to Denmark in 1721 – to Holstein To showcase his real battlefield leadership Catherine II, upon claiming the throne Renounced Russia’s alliance with Prussia Yet kept peaceful relations with this neighbor Canceled the Russo-Denmark war 2. Prussia Following the Seven Years’ War, both Prussia and Russia were isolated from European international affairs Mutual reliance Prussia’s weak military on land needed support from Russia’s strong army Russia needed Prussia to reshuffle Polish politics Prussia was geographically close to Poland Both Frederick II of Prussia and Catherine II of Russia preferred a non-Saxon successor to King Augustus III of Poland 3. Panin Background A seasoned diplomat, internationally recognized as a rare “sophisticated, liberal-minded Russian” Appointed as the chief tutor of Paul under Empress Elizabeth Partook in the coup d'état of 1762 and became a senior member of the Collegium of Foreign Affairs in 1763 Source: Wikimedia Commons Nikita Panin 3. Panin (cont’d) Panin’s dream of a Northern Alliance as an opposing force to the Franco-Austrian bloc Obstacles: Prussia and Denmark were amenable to Panin’s plan But Great Britain balked at a military alliance with Russia, fearing that such an alliance would oblige it to offer assistance to Russia in the event of a Russo-Turkish war Outcome: In the end, no Northern Alliance was established Britain? Franco-Austrian Bloc Austria France Northern Accord Poland Sweden Prussia Russia 4. poland In August, 1764, Catherine elected her former lover, Stanislaw Poniatowski, as the King of Poland, “making Poland a vassal state with a puppet king” (Moss 280) In 1766, in response to pleas for help from Polish Orthodox believers, Catherine insisted the Polish government concede to religious minorities’ demand Otherwise, Russia would not listen to Polish noblemen’s requests for reforms Both sides refused to compromise Russia sent troops to Poland to suppress Catholic uprising and stop Poland’s implod.

1. “Imperialistic Catherine”
&
Russia’s foreign affairs 1762-1774
By Tam Mai
Catherine’s rise to power
Coup d'état (1762)
Peter III was forced to abdicate and later murdered
Catherine became the Empress of Russia
Motivations for the coup
Catherine’s own Enlightenment ideas and political ambitions
Catherine’s painful marriage with Peter III
Peter III’s scorn for Russia and sympathy for Prussia ><
Catherine’s desire to continue the Seven Years’ War against
Prussia
Thus, even before the coup d’état of 1762, foreign policy in
general and Prussia in particular already played important roles
in the empress-to-be’s political playbook.
First 12 Years of Catherine II’s Reign
Foreign Policy
Peace
Prussia

2. Panin
Poland
The Porte
1. Peace
Peter III, prior to abdication
Ordered the Russian army to withdraw from Prussia despite an
imminent victory
Forged an alliance with Prussia
Declared war on Denmark
To return the province of Schleswig – lost to Denmark in 1721 –
to Holstein

3. To showcase his real battlefield leadership
Catherine II, upon claiming the throne
Renounced Russia’s alliance with Prussia
Yet kept peaceful relations with this neighbor
Canceled the Russo-Denmark war
2. Prussia
Following the Seven Years’ War, both Prussia and Russia were
isolated from European international affairs
Mutual reliance
Prussia’s weak military on land needed support from Russia’s
strong army
Russia needed Prussia to reshuffle Polish politics
Prussia was geographically close to Poland
Both Frederick II of Prussia and Catherine II of Russia
preferred a non-Saxon successor to King Augustus III of Poland
3. Panin
Background
A seasoned diplomat, internationally recognized as a rare
“sophisticated, liberal-minded Russian”
Appointed as the chief tutor of Paul under Empress Elizabeth
Partook in the coup d'état of 1762 and became a senior member
of the Collegium of Foreign Affairs in 1763
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Nikita Panin
3. Panin (cont’d)
Panin’s dream of a Northern Alliance as an opposing force to
the Franco-Austrian bloc
Obstacles:

4. Prussia and Denmark were amenable to Panin’s plan
But Great Britain balked at a military alliance with Russia,
fearing that such an alliance would oblige it to offer assistance
to Russia in the event of a Russo-Turkish war
Outcome:
In the end, no Northern Alliance was established
Britain?
Franco-Austrian Bloc
Austria
France
Northern Accord
Poland
Sweden
Prussia
Russia

5. 4. poland
In August, 1764, Catherine elected her former lover, Stanislaw
Poniatowski, as the King of Poland, “making Poland a vassal
state with a puppet king” (Moss 280)
In 1766, in response to pleas for help from Polish Orthodox
believers, Catherine insisted the Polish government concede to
religious minorities’ demand
Otherwise, Russia would not listen to Polish noblemen’s
requests for reforms
Both sides refused to compromise
Russia sent troops to Poland to suppress Catholic uprising and
stop Poland’s imploding civil war
Before long, anxiety in Poland started to spread across Europe
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Stanislaw Poniatowski
5. The Porte
In 1768, alarmed by Russia’s activity in Poland, the Porte
(Turkey) declared war on Russia
War progress
DateMajor Events1769Russia occupied Azov & TaganrogJune
1770Russia won the battle of ChesmeJuly 1770Russia won the
battle of Larga (against the Turks) and the battle of Kagul
(against the Tatars)1771A bubonic plague broke out in Moscow,
forcing Catherine II to open peace talks with Turkey1774Russia

6. and Turkey signed the Treaty of Kuchuk Kanardzhi in Bulgaria
The Battle of Chesme, 1770
Source: Wikimedia Commons
6. Back to Poland
The first partition of Poland took place in 1772 during a lull in
the Russo-Turkish war
Justifications:
Contain Austria’s aggression toward Russia for Russia’s
expansion to Balkan
Frederick II’s reluctance to fight Austria the third time in his
life
In 1771, Austria invaded part of southern Poland – a wake-up
call for Russia
Outcomes:PartiesLand
(sq. miles)Population
(millions)Russia36,0001.8Austria27,0002.7Prussia13,0000.6
Source: Encyclopædia Britannica
First Partition of Poland (1772)
Works cited
Alexander, John T. Catherine the Great: Life and Legend. New
York: Oxford University Press, 1989. Print.
Massie, Robert K. Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman.
New York: Random House, 2011. Print.
Moss, Walter G. A History of Russia, Volume I: To 1917. 2nd
ed. London: Anthem Press, 2005. Print.
“Partitions of Poland.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia
Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2015. Web. 21
Nov. 2015. <http://www.britannica.com/event/Partitions-of-
Poland>.