Changes in domestic policy under Catherine 2. The domestic policy of Catherine II is brief and clear - the most important thing

Catherine the Second was a Russian empress who reigned from 1762 to 1796. Unlike previous monarchs, she came to power thanks to a palace coup, overthrowing her husband, a close-minded Peter III. During her reign, she became famous as an active and powerful woman, who finally culturally strengthened the highest status of the Russian Empire among the European powers and metropolises.

Domestic policy Catherine the Second.

While verbally adhering to the ideas of European humanism and enlightenment, in reality the reign of Catherine 2 was marked by the maximum enslavement of the peasants and the comprehensive expansion of noble powers and privileges. The following reforms were carried out
1. Reorganization of the Senate. Reduction of the powers of the Senate to a judicial and executive body. The legislative branch was transferred directly to Catherine 2 and the cabinet of secretaries of state.
2. Laid Commission. Created with the aim of identifying people's needs for further large-scale reforms.
3. Provincial reform. The administrative division of the Russian Empire was reorganized: instead of the three-level “Guberniya” - “Province” - “District”, a two-level “Government” - “District” was introduced.

4. Liquidation of the Zaporozhye Sich. After the Provincial Reform led to equalization of rights between the Cossack atamans and the Russian nobility. That. There was no longer any need to maintain a special management system. In 1775, the Zaporozhye Sich was dissolved.

5. Economic reforms. A number of reforms were carried out to eliminate monopolies and establish fixed prices for vital products, expand trade relations and boost the country's economy.
6. Corruption and favorites. Due to the increased privileges of the ruling elite, corruption and abuse of rights became widespread. The empress's favorites and those close to the court received generous gifts from the state treasury. At the same time, among the favorites there were very worthy people who participated in the foreign and domestic policies of Catherine II and made a serious contribution to the history of Russia. For example, Prince Grigory Orlov and Prince Potemkin Tauride.
7. Education and science. Under Catherine, schools and colleges began to open widely, but the level of education itself remained low
8. National policy. The Pale of Settlement was established for the Jews, German settlers were exempt from taxes and duties, and the indigenous population became the most powerless segment of the population.
9. Class transformations. A number of decrees were introduced expanding the already privileged rights of the nobility
10. Religion. A policy of religious tolerance was pursued, and a decree was introduced prohibiting the Russian Orthodox Church from interfering in the affairs of other faiths.

Catherine's foreign policy

1. Expanding the borders of the empire. Annexation of Crimea, Balta, Kuban region, western Rus', Lithuanian provinces, Duchy of Courland. Division of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the war with the Ottoman Empire.
2. Georgievsky Treaty. Signed to establish a Russian protectorate over the kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti (Georgia).
3. War with Sweden. Untied for the territory. As a result of the war, the Swedish fleet was defeated and the Russian fleet was sunk by a storm. A peace treaty was signed, according to which the borders between Russia and Sweden remain the same.
4. Politics with other countries. Russia often acted as a mediator establishing peace in Europe. After the French Revolution, Catherine joined the anti-French coalition due to the threat to the autocracy. Active colonization of Alaska and the Aleutian Islands began. The foreign policy of Catherine II was accompanied by wars, in which talented commanders, such as Field Marshal Rumyantsev, helped the empress win victories.

Despite the wide scale of the reforms carried out, Catherine’s successors (especially her son, Paul 1) had an ambivalent attitude towards them and, after their accession, very often changed both the internal and external course of the state.

Alexander I and Nicholas I: reforms and counter-reforms of the first half xix century

Alexander 1 Tsar, who ruled Russia from 1801 to 1825, grandson of Catherine 2 and son of Paul 1 and Princess Maria Feodorovna, was born on December 23, 1777. Initially, it was planned that the internal policy of Alexander 1 and foreign policy would develop in accordance with the course outlined by Catherine 2. In the summer of June 24, 1801, a secret committee was created under Alexander 1. It included associates of the young emperor. In fact, the council was the highest (unofficial) advisory body of Russia.

The beginning of the reign of the new emperor was marked liberal reforms Alexandra 1. On April 5, 1803, the Permanent Committee was created, whose members had the right to challenge the royal decrees. Some of the peasants were freed. The decree “On free cultivators” was issued on February 20, 1803.

Serious importance was also attached to training. The educational reform of Alexander 1 actually led to the creation of a state education system. It was headed by the Ministry of Public Education. Also, on January 1, 1810, the State Council was formed under Alexander 1.

8 ministries were established: internal affairs, finance, military and ground forces, naval forces, commerce, public education, foreign affairs, justice. The ministers who governed them were subordinate to the Senate. The ministerial reform of Alexander 1 was completed by the summer of 1811.

According to the project of Speransky M.M. This outstanding figure should have created a constitutional monarchy in the country. The power of the sovereign was planned to be limited by a parliament consisting of 2 chambers. However, due to the fact that the foreign policy of Alexander 1 was quite complex, and tensions in relations with France were constantly increasing, the reform plan proposed by Speransky was perceived as anti-state. Speransky himself received his resignation in March 1812.

1812 became the most difficult year for Russia. But the victory over Bonaparte significantly increased the authority of the emperor. It was planned to gradually eliminate serfdom in the country. By the end of 1820, the draft “State Charter of the Russian Empire” had been prepared. The Emperor approved it. But the implementation of the project was impossible due to many factors.

In domestic politics, it is worth noting such features as military settlements under Alexander 1. They are better known under the name “Arakcheevsky”. Arakcheev’s settlements caused discontent among almost the entire population of the country. Also, a ban was introduced on any secret societies. It began operating in 1822.

(2) Foreign policy in 1801-1812.

Russia's participation in the third anti-French coalition.

Shortly before his death, Paul I broke off all relations with England and entered into an alliance with the ruler of France, Napoleon Bonaparte, who was waging war against a coalition (union) of European states led by Great Britain. Alexander resumed trade with England. The Cossack units sent on a campaign against British possessions in India were immediately recalled.

On June 5, 1801, Russia and England concluded a convention “On Mutual Friendship,” directed against Bonaparte.

Russia in the Caucasus.

Russia pursued an active policy in the Caucasus. Back in 1801, Eastern Georgia voluntarily joined it. In 1803 Mingrelia was conquered. The following year, Imereti, Guria and Ganja became Russian possessions. In 1805, during the Russian-Iranian wars Karabakh and Shirvan were conquered. The annexation of Ossetian lands was completed. Such rapid penetration of Russia into the Transcaucasus worried not only Turkey and Iran, but also the European powers.

Russia in the wars of 1806-1807.

In 1806, war broke out in Europe with new strength. The fourth was created anti-French coalition within England, Russia, Prussia and Sweden. Napoleon's response was to announce in 1806 a “continental blockade” of England - a ban on all communications between it and the countries of the European continent, which was supposed to undermine the British economy.

Russia fought a war on three fronts. Since 1804, it was forced to have significant forces in the Eastern Caucasus to fight Iran. And in December 1806, Napoleon managed to push Turkey into war with Russia, which was promised not only the support of France, but also the return of the lost Crimea and Georgia. In 1807, Russian troops repelled the Turkish offensive in the Western Caucasus and the Balkans. The Russian fleet under the command of Admiral D.N. Senyavin won major victories in the Dardanelles and Athos naval battles.

Despite the fact that Catherine's time recalls the strong enslavement of peasants against the backdrop of a privileged nobility, the Empress reformed politics for the first time since the time of Peter the Great. Thanks to internal and foreign policy Catherine, Russia not only expanded its borders, but also became one of the great powers.

Domestic policy of Catherine II.

Many people, speaking about Catherine’s domestic policy, cite “enlightened absolutism” as an example. Under her, autocracy strengthened and the country centralized. Despite the opinion of Diderot and Voltaire about the equality of all people, Catherine supported the increased exploitation of peasants, but did not spare titles and titles for those who distinguished themselves in the struggle for the good of Russia. Despite her desire to abolish the infringement of the peasants, the empress understood perfectly well that the nobles who placed her on the throne could also deprive her of power, so she followed the lead of high society, worsening the situation of the peasants.

In 1775, the Empress allowed everyone to engage in industry by creating the Manifesto on Freedom of Enterprise. Thanks to this, developing factories and factories began to replace manufactories. Moreover, a significant part of the entrepreneurs had peasant roots.

The entire territory of Russia was divided by Catherine into 50 provinces of several hundred inhabitants each. Many rural settlements were renamed cities and later became administrative centers.

Catherine planned to change the thinking of society globally, so Special attention directed to education and enlightenment:

• public schools were opened in provincial cities;
• occupied a significant place in the training program foreign languages and humanitarian subjects;
• The cadet corps was reformed, institutes for girls were created, for example, the Smolny Institute of Noble Maidens.

Catherine ordered the opening of a hospital or hospital in every city. Due to a shortage of doctors, personnel were invited from Europe. Encouraging all kinds of leaps in the development of medicine, Catherine was the first to decide to get vaccinated against smallpox.

Foreign policy of Catherine II briefly.

Catherine the Great spent almost 35 years on the Russian throne. Over the years, Russia has become a great power.

By annexing Crimea and Novorossiya in 1794, the country gained access to the Black Sea.

In 1773, 1793 and 1795, after the divisions of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Western Ukraine, Belarus, and part of Lithuania were annexed, which freed the local residents of these lands from national oppression, but returned them to serfdom, forcing them to take a step back in their development.

Russia during the reign of Catherine II.

Origin

Catherine 2, whose biography was so amazing and unusual, was born on May 2 (April 21), 1729 in Stettin, Germany. Her full name– Sophia Augusta Frederica, Princess of Anhalt-Zerbst. Her parents were Prince Christian August of Anhalt-Zerbst and his equal in title, Johanna Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp, who was related to such royal houses as English, Swedish and Prussian. Future Russian empress was educated at home. She was taught theology, music, dance, basic geography and history, and, in addition to her native German, she knew French very well. Already in early childhood She showed her independent character, perseverance and curiosity, and preferred lively and active games.

Marriage

In 1744, Empress Elizaveta Petrovna invited the Princess of Anhalt-Zerbst to come to Russia with her mother. Here the girl was christened by Orthodox custom and began to be called Ekaterina Alekseevna. From that moment on, she received the status of the official bride of Prince Peter Fedorovich, the future Emperor Peter 3. So, the exciting story of Catherine 2 in Russia began with their wedding, which took place on August 21, 1745. After this event she received the title Grand Duchess. As you know, her marriage was unhappy from the beginning. Her husband Peter was at that time still an immature youth who played with soldiers instead of spending his time in the company of his wife. Therefore, the future empress was forced to entertain herself: she read for a long time, and also invented various amusements.

Domestic policy

The Empress chose three postulates on which her activities were based: consistency, gradualism and consideration of public sentiment. Catherine was in words a supporter of the abolition of serfdom, but pursued a policy of supporting the nobles. She established the number of population in each province (residents should not exceed 400 thousand), and in the district (up to 30 thousand). Due to this division, many cities were built. A number of government agencies were organized in each provincial center. These are such as the main provincial institution - the Administration - headed by the governor, the Criminal and Civil Chambers, and the financial management body (the State Chamber). The following were also established: the Upper Zemstvo Court, the Provincial Magistrate and the Upper Justice. They played the role of a court for different classes and consisted of chairmen and assessors. A body was created for the peaceful resolution of conflicts, which was called the Conscientious Court. Cases of insane criminals were also tried here. The problems of setting up schools, shelters and almshouses were dealt with by the Order of Public Charity.
Political reforms in the counties

The internal policies of Catherine II also influenced the cities. A number of boards have also appeared here. Thus, the Lower Zemstvo Court was responsible for the activities of the police and administration. The district court was subordinate to the Upper Zemstvo Court and considered cases of nobles. The place where the townspeople were tried was the City Magistrate. To solve the problems of the peasants, the Lower Massacre was created. Control over the correct implementation of the law was entrusted to the provincial prosecutor and two solicitors. The governor-general monitored the activities of several provinces and could directly address the empress. The internal policy of Catherine II and the table of classes are described in many historical books.

Judicial reform

In 1775, a new system for resolving disputes was established. Each class solved problems by its own judicial body. All courts, except for the Lower Court, were elected. The Upper Zemsky examined the affairs of the landowners, and the Upper and Lower reprisals dealt with peasant disputes (if the peasant was a state-owned peasant). The landowner sorted out the disputes between the serfs. As for clergy, they could only be judged by bishops in provincial consistories. The Senate became the Supreme Judicial Body.

Municipal reform

The Empress sought to create local organizations for each class, granting them the right to self-government. In 1766, Catherine II presented a Manifesto on the formation of a commission to resolve local issues. Under the leadership of the chairman of the society of nobles and the elected head of the city, the election of deputies took place, as well as the transfer of orders to them. As a result, a number of legislative acts appeared that enshrined separate rules local government. The nobility was endowed with the right to elect district and provincial chairmen, a secretary, a district judge and assessors and other managers. The management of the city economy was carried out by two dumas: the General and the Six-Glass. The first had the right to make orders in this area. The chairman was the mayor. The General Council met as needed. The six-voice meeting met every day. She was executive body and consisted of six representatives of each class and the mayor. There was also a City Duma, which met every three years. This body had the right to elect the Six-Voice Duma. The domestic policy of Catherine II did not ignore the police. In 1782, she created a decree that regulated the structure of law enforcement agencies, the directions of their activities, as well as the system of punishments.

Life of the nobility

The internal policy of Catherine II, with a number of documents, legally confirmed the advantageous position of this class. It was possible to execute a nobleman or take away his property only after he had committed a serious crime. The court verdict must be agreed upon with the empress. A nobleman could not be subjected to physical punishment. In addition to managing the fate of the peasants and the affairs of the estate, a representative of the estate could freely travel abroad and send his complaints directly to the governor-general. The foreign and domestic policies of Catherine 2 were based on the interests of the class. The rights of low-income representatives were slightly infringed. Thus, an individual with a certain property qualification could take part in provincial noble meetings. This also applied to approval for a position; in this case, the additional income must be at least 100 rubles per year.

Foreign policy

Catherine II did not forget about improving relations with other states. The Empress achieved the following results:

1. Thanks to the annexation of the Kuban region, Crimea, Lithuanian provinces, western Rus', and the Duchy of Courland, the borders of the state expanded noticeably.

2. The Treaty of Georgievsk was signed, which indicated the role of the Russian protectorate over Georgia (Kartli-Kakheti).

3. A war for territory with Sweden was launched. But after the signing of the peace treaty, the borders of the states remained the same.

4. Development of Alaska and the Aleutian Islands.

5. As a result of the Russian-Turkish war, part of the territory of Poland was divided between Austria, Prussia and Russia.

6. Greek project. The purpose of the doctrine was to restore Byzantine Empire with its center in Constantinople. According to the plan, the head of the state was to be the grandson of Catherine II, Prince Constantine.

7. Began in the late 80s Russian-Turkish war and the fight with Sweden. The Treaty of Iasi, concluded in 1792, consolidated the influence of the Russian Empire in Transcaucasia and Bessarabia, and also confirmed the annexation of Crimea.

Foreign and domestic policies of Catherine II. Results

The great Russian empress left an indelible mark on the history of Russia. Having overthrown her husband from the throne, she carried out a number of events, many of which significantly improved the lives of the people. Summing up the internal policy of Catherine II, one cannot help but note the special position of the nobles and favorites at court. The Empress supported this class and her beloved confidants in every possible way. The domestic policy of Catherine 2, briefly described, has the following main aspects. Thanks to the decisive actions of the Empress, the territory of the Russian Empire increased significantly. The population in the country began to strive for education. The first schools for peasants appeared. Issues regarding the management of counties and provinces were resolved. The Empress helped Russia become one of the great European states.

Chronology

• 1764 Decree on the secularization of church lands.
• 1765 Decree allowing landowners to exile serfs to hard labor.
• 1768 - 1774 I Russian-Turkish War.
• 1772, 1793, 1795 Three partitions of Poland between Russia, Austria and Prussia.
• 1773 - 1775 Uprising led by Emelyan Pugachev.
• 1774 Signing of the Kuchuk-Kaynajir peace treaty between Russia and Turkey.
• 1775 Provincial reform.
• 1785 Charters granted to the nobility and cities.
• 1787 - 1791 II Russian-Turkish War.
• 1796 - 1801 Reign of Paul I.

"Enlightened absolutism" of Catherine II

“Have the courage to use your mind,” - this is how the German philosopher Immanuel Kant defined the mentality of the era, which was called the Age of Enlightenment. In the second half of the 18th century. in connection with the general economic recovery in ruling circles European countries There is a growing awareness of the need to modernize the economic and political system. This pan-European phenomenon is traditionally called Enlightened absolutism. Without essentially changing state forms absolute monarchy, within the framework of these forms, monarchs carried out reforms in various sectors.

The ideas of the French enlighteners Rousseau, Montesquieu, Voltaire, Diderot highlighted society, specific person, his personal prosperity, which was a reflection of the emerging ideology of a new class - the bourgeoisie. Rousseau proposed creating a democratic state in which everyone could take part in governance. Voltaire actively preached humanity and justice, insisted on the abolition of medieval forms of legal proceedings. Diderot called for the abolition of class privileges and the liberation of the peasants.

Catherine II became acquainted with the works of French educators while she was still a princess. Having ascended the throne, she made an attempt to implement these ideas on Russian soil. Keyword it became “law” for her.

In 1767, Catherine convened a special commission in Moscow to draw up a new set of laws of the Russian Empire to replace the outdated Council Code of 1649. 572 deputies representing the nobility, clergy, government agencies, peasants and Cossacks. Serf peasants, who made up half of the country's population, did not participate in the work of the commission.

Catherine prepared a special “Instruction” for the Commission to draft a new Code - a theoretical justification for the policy of enlightened absolutism. “The Mandate” consisted of 20 chapters and 655 articles, of which Catherine borrowed 294 from Montesquieu. “I only own the arrangement of the material, and here and there a line or another,” she wrote to Frederick II. The main provision of this document was the justification of the autocratic form of government and serfdom, and the features of enlightenment were visible in the creation of courts, separated from administrative institutions, and the recognition of the rights of people to do what the laws allow. deserve positive assessment articles that protected society from despotism and the arbitrariness of the monarch. Institutions were given the right to draw the attention of the sovereign to the fact that “such and such a decree is contrary to the Code, that it is harmful, obscure, and that it cannot be carried out according to it.” Articles that defined economic policy government, which included concern for the construction of new cities, the development of trade, industry and agriculture. The commission, having worked for just over a year, was dissolved under the pretext of starting a war with Turkey, but mainly because Catherine, having learned the positions various groups population, considered the task completed, although not a single law was adopted.

The nobility remained the main social support of the autocracy in Russia. It opposed the huge mass of the peasantry and the weak third estate. The autocracy was strong and relied on the army and the bureaucratic apparatus to carry out its policies.

It is important to emphasize that, in contrast to the overt pro-noble and pro-serfdom policy of the autocracy of the previous period, the policy of “enlightened absolutism” was carried out in new forms.

In February 1764, the secularization of church land ownership was carried out, as a result, more than a million souls of peasants were taken away from the church, and a special board was created to manage them - the College of Economics. Much former church land was transferred to the nobles in the form of grants.

A series of decrees of the 60s crowned the feudal legislation, which turned the serfs into people completely defenseless from the arbitrariness of the landowners, obliged to meekly obey their will. In 1765, a decree was issued in favor of the serf owners, providing for the assignment to the nobles of all lands seized by them from various categories of peasants. According to the Decree of January 17, 1765, the landowner could send the peasant not only to exile, but also to hard labor. In August 1767, Catherine II issued the most feudal decree in the entire history of serfdom. This decree declared any complaint from a peasant against a landowner to be a grave state crime. Legally, the landowners were deprived of only one right - to deprive their serfs of life.

In Catherine’s “enlightened age,” trade among peasants reached enormous proportions. The decrees adopted during these years testified to the deep development of serfdom. But serfdom It also developed in breadth, including new categories of the population within its sphere of influence. The decree of May 3, 1783 prohibited the peasants of Left Bank Ukraine from changing from one owner to another. This decree of the tsarist government legally formalized serfdom in the Left Bank and Sloboda Ukraine.

A manifestation of “enlightened absolutism” was the empress’s attempt to shape public opinion through journalism. In 1769, she began to publish the satirical magazine “All sorts of things,” where human vices and superstitions were criticized, and opened a printing house at Moscow University, headed by N.I. Novikov is a Russian educator, publicist and writer. Pushkin called him “one of those who spread the first rays of enlightenment.” He made the works of W. Shakespeare, J.B. available to a wide range of readers. Moliere, M. Cervantes, works of French enlighteners, Russian historians. Novikov published many magazines, where, for the first time in Russia, criticism of serfdom was voiced. Thus, it was in the age of Catherine that, on the one hand, the serfdom reached its apogee, and on the other hand, a protest against it arose not only from the oppressed class ( peasant war under the leadership of E. Pugachev), but also from the emerging Russian intelligentsia.

Foreign policy of Catherine II

Illustration 29. Russian Empire in the second half of the 18th century. (European part)

• Firstly, territorial - this is the task of promoting the southern border of the state (Black Sea, Crimea, Sea of ​​Azov, Caucasus Range).
• Secondly, the national one is the reunification of the Belarusian and Ukrainian lands that were part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth with Russia.

After the Seven Years' War, France became one of Russia's main opponents in the international arena, which sought to create the so-called “Eastern Barrier”, consisting of Sweden, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Ottoman Empire. The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth is becoming an arena for clashes between these states.

In the context of an aggravated situation, Russia managed to conclude an alliance with Prussia. Catherine II preferred to have a complete Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, while Frederick II strives for its territorial division.

Ottoman Empire, which closely followed the events in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, demanded the withdrawal of Russian troops from there. In 1768 she declared war on Russia. During the first years of the war, Turkish troops were forced to abandon Khotyn, Iasi, Bucharest, Izmail and other fortresses in the Danube theater of operations.

The first occurred on June 25-26, 1770, when the Russian squadron, having circumnavigated Europe, arrived in the Mediterranean Sea and won a brilliant victory near Chesma. A month later, the talented commander P.A. Rumyantsev inflicted a serious defeat on the Turks at the Battle of Kagul. The hostilities did not stop there.

France continued to push the Ottoman Empire into war with Russia. On the other hand, Austria supported Turkey, pursuing its own goals in this war - to conquer part of the Danube principalities that were in the hands of Russian troops. Under the current conditions, the Russian government was forced to agree to the division of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The Convention of 1772 formalized the first section of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth: Austria captured Galicia, Pomerania, as well as part of Greater Poland, went to Prussia. Russia received part of Eastern Belarus.

Now Türkiye in 1772 agreed to conduct peace negotiations. The main point of disagreement in these negotiations was the question of the fate of Crimea - the Ottoman Empire refused to grant it independence, while Russia insisted on it. Hostilities resumed. Russian troops under the command of A.V. Suvorov in June 1774 managed to defeat the Turkish troops at Kozludzha, this forced the enemy to resume negotiations.

On July 10, 1774, negotiations in the Bulgarian village of Kuchuk-Kainardzhi ended with the signing of a peace treaty. Through this world, Kerch, Yenikale, and also Kabarda passed to Russia. At the same time, she received the right to build a navy in the Black Sea, her merchant ships could freely pass through the straits. Thus ended the First Russian-Turkish War (1768 - 1774).

However, the Turks already in 1775 violated the terms of the treaty and arbitrarily proclaimed their protege Devlet-Girey Khan of the Crimea. In response, the Russian government sent troops into Crimea and confirmed its candidate, Shagin-Girey, on the khan’s throne. The rivalry between the two powers in the struggle for Crimea ended with the promulgation in April 1783 of Catherine II’s decree on the inclusion of Crimea into Russia.

Among other Russian foreign policy steps of that period, the Georgievsky Tract should be highlighted. In 1783, an agreement was concluded with Eastern Georgia, which went down in history under the name “Treaty of St. George”, which strengthened the position of the peoples of Transcaucasia in the fight against the Iranian and Ottoman yoke.

The Ottoman Empire, although it recognized the annexation of Crimea to Russia, was intensively preparing for war with it. She was supported by England, Prussia, and France. At the end of July 1787, the Sultan's court demanded the right to Georgia and Crimea, and then began military operations with an attack on the Kinburn fortress, but this attempt was repulsed by Suvorov.

In the defeat of the Ottoman army and navy, great credit goes to the outstanding Russian commander Suvorov, who was at the head of the army, and the extraordinary talent of naval commander F.F. Ushakova.

1790 was marked by two outstanding victories. At the end of August, a naval victory was won over the Turkish fleet. To others important event During this period there was an assault and capture of the Izmail fortress. This powerful fortress with a garrison of 35 thousand people and 265 guns was considered inaccessible. On December 2, A.V. appeared near Izmail. Suvorov, at dawn on December 11, the assault began, and the fortress was taken by Russian troops.

These victories of the Russian troops forced Turkey to end the war, and at the end of December 1791 to conclude a peace treaty, which confirmed the annexation of Crimea to Russia and the establishment of a protectorate over Georgia. Thus ended the Second Russian-Turkish War (1787 - 1791).

Poland continues to occupy a large place in Russian foreign policy these years. In the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth itself, some magnates and gentry turned to Russia for help. At their call, Russian and Prussian troops were brought into the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and conditions were created for its new division.

In January 1793, a Russian-Prussian treaty was concluded, according to which Polish lands (Gdansk, Torun, Poznan) went to Prussia, and Russia was reunited with Right Bank Ukraine and the central part of Belarus, from which the Minsk province was later formed - the second partition of Poland occurred.

The second partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth caused the rise of a national liberation movement led by General Tadeusz Kosciuszko. In the fall of 1794, Russian troops under the command of A.V. Suvorov entered Warsaw. The uprising was suppressed, and Kosciuszko himself was captured.

In 1795, the third partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth took place, putting an end to its existence. The agreement was signed in October 1795, Austria sent its troops to Sandomierz, Lublin and Chelmin, and Prussia to Krakow. The western part of Belarus, Western Volyn, Lithuania and the Duchy of Courland went to Russia. The last king of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth abdicated the throne and lived in Russia until his death in 1798.

The reunification of Belarus and Western Ukraine, ethnically close to the Russian peoples, with Russia contributed to the mutual enrichment of their cultures.

Paul I

The reign of Paul I (1796 - 1801) is called “unenlightened absolutism” by some historians, “military-police dictatorship” by others, and the reign of a “romantic emperor” by others. Having become emperor, the son of Catherine II tried to strengthen the regime by strengthening discipline and power in order to exclude all manifestations of liberalism and freethinking in Russia. Characteristics he was harsh, hot-tempered, unbalanced. He tightened the order of service for the nobles, limited the validity of the Charter of Grant to the nobility, and introduced Prussian order in the army, which inevitably caused discontent upper class Russian society. On March 12, 1801, with the participation of the heir to the throne, the future Emperor Alexander I, the last one in history was committed palace coup. Pavel was killed in the Mikhailovsky Castle in St. Petersburg.