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Soviet Union [USSR] Era of Palace Revolutions
Having killed his own son, Alexis, who had opposed his father's
reforms and served as a rallying point for antireform groupings,
Peter changed the rules of succession. A new law provided that the
tsar would choose his own heir, but Peter failed to do so before
his own death in 1725. The absence of clear rules of succession
left the monarchy open to intrigues, plots, coups, and
countercoups. Henceforth, the crucial factor for obtaining the
throne was the support of the elite palace guard stationed in St.
Petersburg.
At first, Peter's wife, Catherine I, seized the throne. But she
died in 1727, and Peter's grandson, Peter II, was crowned tsar. In
1730 Peter II succumbed to smallpox, and Anna, a daughter of the
former co-tsar, Ivan V, ascended the throne. The clique of nobles
that put Anna on the throne attempted to impose various conditions
on her. Although initially accepting these "points," Anna
repudiated them after becoming tsarina. Anna was supported by other
nobles, who apparently feared oligarchic rule more than autocracy.
Despite continuing chaotic struggles for the throne, the nobles did
not question the principle of autocratic absolutism.
Anna died in 1740, and her infant grandnephew, Ivan VI, was
proclaimed tsar. After a series of coups, however, he was replaced
by Peter the Great's daughter Elizabeth (1741-62). During
Elizabeth's reign, a Westernized yet Russian culture began to
emerge, as witnessed by the founding of Moscow University (1755)
and the Academy of Fine Arts (1757). In the same period, Russia
also produced its first eminent scientist and scholar, Mikhail V.
Lomonosov.
During the rule of Peter's successors, Russia increased its
role in the European state system. From 1726 to 1761, Russia was
allied with Austria against the Ottoman Empire, which, in turn, was
usually supported by France. In the War of Polish Succession (1733-
35), Russia and Austria blocked the French candidate to the Polish
throne. In a costly war with the Ottoman Empire (1734-39), Russia
reacquired the port of Azov. Russia's greatest reach into Europe
was during the Seven Years' War (1756-63). Russia had continued its
alliance with Austria, but in the "diplomatic revolution" of the
period Austria allied itself with France against Prussia. In 1760
Russian forces were at the gates of Berlin. Fortunately for
Prussia, Elizabeth died in 1762, and her successor, Peter III, was
devoted to the Prussian emperor, Frederick the Great. Peter III
allied Russia with Prussia.
Peter III had a very short and unpopular reign. Although a
grandson of Peter the Great, his father was the duke of Holstein,
and he was raised in a German Lutheran environment. He was
therefore considered a foreigner. Making no secret of his contempt
for all things Russian, Peter created deep resentment by foisting
Prussian military drills on the Russian military, attacking the
church, and creating a sudden alliance with Prussia, which deprived
Russia of a military victory. Making use of the discontent and
fearing for her own position, Peter III's wife, Catherine, deposed
her husband in a coup. Peter III was subsequently murdered by
Catherine's lover, Aleksei Orlov. Thus, in June 1762 a German
princess, who had no legitimate claim to the Russian throne, became
Tsarina Catherine II, empress of Russia.
Data as of May 1989
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