Catherine the Great
Sometimes great wars are filled with fearless warriors waging battle against all odds, but sometimes the true art of war comes from the great mind of a cherished philosopher, as is the case of Catherine the Great. Catherine the Great will forever be linked to military history due to the large advancements during her reign that led Russia to become one of the greater powers during the 1700s.
Catherine succeeded in expanding Russia’s borders to encompass New Russia, Crimea, Right-Bank Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, and Courland. She did this by defeating the seemingly undefeatable Ottoman Empire and Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth. When Catherine’s reign was over, Russia had been extended over 200,000 miles – quite a large leap for any country. Russia gained so much ground during her reign that the Russian Empire became the foremost power throughout south-eastern Europe.
Many military leaders throughout the world watched with stunned eye as Catherine took on the great Ottoman Empire. Her moves were always strategic, and a great example of her mighty mind was the Battle of Chesma which took place in order to gain Russia access to the Black Sea, a crucial trade route. Through this gain, the Russian Empire was able to establish various new cities that gave Russia its vast power. When the Ottomans attempted to retaliate against Catherine’s Russia, they were devastatingly outnumbered and defeated.
Catherine led Russia to become an important mediator between countries, and she always acted the part of the pacifist politician when deciding upon military strategy. Later in her life, Catherine largely assisted the partitions of Poland and became known as the “philosopher on the throne.” Catherine was largely aware of her social image and wished to let the rest of the world know of her kind heart and generous political ambitions – even though to many people inside of her Russia believed her to be a tyrant. In the end, Catherine the great philosopher died alone from a stroke, although – as with any great military leader – there is much speculation as to the actual cause of her death. Catherine the Great will always be remembered for her love of the arts, her great military strategies, and her help in allowing Russia to realize its full capabilities.
Catherine succeeded in expanding Russia’s borders to encompass New Russia, Crimea, Right-Bank Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, and Courland. She did this by defeating the seemingly undefeatable Ottoman Empire and Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth. When Catherine’s reign was over, Russia had been extended over 200,000 miles – quite a large leap for any country. Russia gained so much ground during her reign that the Russian Empire became the foremost power throughout south-eastern Europe.
Many military leaders throughout the world watched with stunned eye as Catherine took on the great Ottoman Empire. Her moves were always strategic, and a great example of her mighty mind was the Battle of Chesma which took place in order to gain Russia access to the Black Sea, a crucial trade route. Through this gain, the Russian Empire was able to establish various new cities that gave Russia its vast power. When the Ottomans attempted to retaliate against Catherine’s Russia, they were devastatingly outnumbered and defeated.
Catherine led Russia to become an important mediator between countries, and she always acted the part of the pacifist politician when deciding upon military strategy. Later in her life, Catherine largely assisted the partitions of Poland and became known as the “philosopher on the throne.” Catherine was largely aware of her social image and wished to let the rest of the world know of her kind heart and generous political ambitions – even though to many people inside of her Russia believed her to be a tyrant. In the end, Catherine the great philosopher died alone from a stroke, although – as with any great military leader – there is much speculation as to the actual cause of her death. Catherine the Great will always be remembered for her love of the arts, her great military strategies, and her help in allowing Russia to realize its full capabilities.
Labels: military events, Military Leaders, women
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