What do you consider the main reasons for palace coups? Reasons for the “Palace coups of the 18th century”

It's called palace coups historical era in Russia, which began with the death of Emperor Peter the Great and ended with the accession to the throne of Catherine the Second and was accompanied by a transfer of power without respect for the law. The author of this expression is the historian V.O. Klyuchevsky.

Causes of Palace coups

  • the absence of a law regulating clear rules of succession to the throne and criteria for selecting heirs,
  • lack of legal political activity rulers and their heirs,
  • existing contradictions between the current monarch, the ruling elite and the rest of the major nobility,
  • intervention of the guard during the transfer of power.

Prerequisites and course of Palace coups

In 1722, Peter I issued the “Charter on Succession to the Throne,” according to which not only direct heirs in the male line could become the next rulers, but also any other person who had any kind of family connection with the reigning emperor. Those. the current ruler himself determined the heir to the throne and could change his decision at any time. This means that it was not primogeniture, but the subjective opinion of the ruler that was decisive.

A trap arose, into which Russia fell in 1725, after the death of Peter I. The Emperor did not name an heir, and the ruling elite split into 2 camps.

The first, led by Apraksin, insisted on enthroning the son of Tsarevich Alexei and the grandson of Peter I with the appointment of the monarch's widow, Ekaterina Alekseevna, as regent. The second, who was headed by Menshchikov, planned to make Ekaterina Alekseevna the sole ruler. As a result of court intrigues, Menshchikov's camp won.

But in 1727, Catherine I died, and the question of succession to the throne arose again. The new emperor was the grandson of Peter I, Peter II, who was married to the daughter of Prince Dolgoruky and therefore, in fact, the country was ruled by princes Golitsyn and Dolgoruky.

Then Anna Ioannovna’s niece, Anna Leopoldovna, and her son Ivan Antonovich, who were unforgivably far from the Russian throne, ruled for a short time, but who suited the ruling elite.

The logical continuation of the era was the coming to power of the daughter of Peter I, Elizabeth, and then the second grandson, Peter III Fedorovich, the son of the second daughter of Peter I, Anna.

Peter III dies under unclear circumstances, and in 1762, with the coming to power of the widow of Peter III, Catherine II, the era of Palace coups ends.

Results and conclusions

For 37 years the country was ruled by favorites and intriguers, whose main goal was wealth and power and its retention.

The rulers who were elevated to the throne in the conditions of a tough struggle for power were not legitimate rulers, boldly relying on the law for their right, but temporary workers, whose rule could end at any moment with the arrival of a stronger group of nobles who had their own protege.

The emperors and empresses who succeeded the throne did not carry out any reforms; they were not prepared to govern big country, and they didn’t have the desire or ability to do so.

Final reasons

  • Peter I, instead of strengthening a firm line of transfer of power, placed the decision on the heir into the hands of the current monarch and his subjective views, thereby preparing a crisis of succession to the throne,
  • absence of adult direct male heirs and a large number of distant relatives, who in fact only indirectly claimed the throne, who grew up in the German principalities, poorly understood the country and had no interest in strengthening and developing Russian Empire,
  • strong role of the guard and noble factions in the struggle for power. That is, in reality, a person became a ruler not according to the principle of closest kinship or even according to the will of a dying ruler, but a person on whose side the guard and a stronger group were, pursuing their own personal interests.

Causes palace coups and coups d'etat are very similar. This is greed and thirst for power. Several options are possible. Palace coups occur most often under a monarchy.

1. Absence or excess of direct heirs. In the absence of direct heirs, either wives or strangers. The dynasty ends here. When there are many heirs, murders often occur in order to eliminate a competitor.

Russia was ruled by Catherine II. Being a Prussian, second cousin and wife of the emperor, she received the throne after the coup.

2. Overthrow by third parties. At the same time, rich people, using any means, come to power.

Boyar conspiracy and coup with the murder of Dmitry.

It is very interesting that this issue is being traced in the era of palace coups in Russia.

Question. What were the reasons for palace coups?

Answer. Causes:

1) dynastic crisis (which occurred through the fault of Peter I, because because of him Tsarevich Alexei died, leaving only one heir) - from the descendants of not only Peter I, but also John V (Peter’s brother) except for the tsar’s grandson (Peter II) only women remained;

2) established by Peter I order of succession to the throne, according to which everything was determined by the will of the dying monarch - it turned out that if there was no such order left, or they did not want to take it into account, any of the contenders could count on power;

3) rivalry between different parties (at the first stage, “chicks of Peter’s nest” and boyars from ancient families), because the first palace coup was carried out when there was still a male heir in the direct line, but his rise to power could infringe on the interests of Peter I’s closest associates;

4) the increased role of the guard - the guard was serious armed force, which was always located near the capital and therefore was under the influence of one or another political ideas, and when the time came to act, she could very quickly find herself in the center of events.

Question. What political forces were the main ones in organizing the coups and why?

Answer. The main ones were the nobility and the guard (sometimes, as in the case of Elizabeth, even without the participation of officers). The Guards regiments were the brainchild of Peter, and under him they became privileged units. It was under Peter that the nobles received rights equal to the boyars. In case of departure from the political line of the reformer, both of them could lose their privileges, not yet sanctified by tradition. In addition, both the nobles who directly participated in the coups and the guard hoped that the new monarch would not forget to whom he owed the throne. This is usually what happened.

Question. What direction of domestic policy was the main one during the era of palace coups and why?

Answer. During the era of palace coups, the absolute power of the monarch, which relied on the nobility (sometimes foreign), was constantly strengthening. The influence of the nobility was constantly growing. By the end of the era, the differences between the boyars and the nobles were erased, or rather, the boyar families merged into the noble environment and ceased to distinguish themselves from it. The nobility grew stronger because its representatives carried out palace coups and installed candidates they liked on the throne. The nobility benefited from the absolute power of the monarch, because limiting it at that time would have meant strengthening the power of the boyars, and therefore could have led to the infringement of the rights of the nobles.

Question. Evaluate the air conditioning project. prepared by the supreme leaders.

Answer. Conditions greatly limited the power of the monarch, but not in favor of class representation, but in favor of the rulers. Fulfillment of the standards would mean very strong power of some boyar families and statesmen. This has never happened in the entire history of Muscovite Rus'; it would have been similar to the omnipotence of the boyars in Galicia-Volyn Rus'. It is not surprising that the nobility submitted a petition to Anna Ioannovna, in which they asked to renounce the conditions, and it is quite natural that the empress responded to the petition with consent.

palace coup succession to the throne absolutism

The general prerequisites for palace coups include:

  • * Contradictions between various noble factions in relation to Peter's legacy. It would be a simplification to consider that the split occurred along the lines of acceptance and non-acceptance of reforms. Both the so-called “new nobility”, which emerged during the years of Peter thanks to their official zeal, and the aristocratic party tried to soften the course of reforms, hoping in one form or another to give a respite to society, and, first of all, to themselves. But each of these groups defended their narrow-class interests and privileges, which created nutritious soil for internal political struggle.
  • * Fierce struggle various groups for power, which most often came down to the nomination and support of one or another candidate for the throne.
  • * The active position of the guard, which Peter raised as a privileged “support” of the autocracy, which, moreover, took upon itself the right to control the compliance of the personality and policies of the monarch with the legacy that its “beloved emperor” left.
  • * Passivity of the masses, absolutely far from political life capital Cities.
  • * Exacerbation of the problem of succession to the throne due to the adoption of the Decree of 1722, which broke the traditional mechanism of transfer of power.
  • * The spiritual atmosphere that developed as a result of the emancipation of the noble consciousness from traditional norms of behavior and morality pushed for active, often unprincipled political activity, instilled hope in luck and “omnipotent chance”, opening the way to power and wealth.

WITH light hand Many historians assessed V. O. Klyuchevsky’s period from the 1720s to the 1750s. as a time of weakening of Russian absolutism.

With all this, the struggle for the throne and around the throne, of course, greatly influenced the situation in the country.

The first coup was the accession of Catherine I. The formation of these parties was inevitable. On the one hand, elements hostile to the transformations of the first quarter gradually concentrated. 18th century, dissatisfied with the power and entourage of the king, on the other hand, the companions of Peter who suddenly lost their support, people who were created by turbulent times. There was a division over the issue of succession to the throne. Of the contenders for the throne in the male line, there was only one grandson of Peter I, the son of Tsarevich Alexei - Peter Alekseevich (the future Peter II). On the female side, Peter's last wife, Ekaterina Alekseevna Skavronskaya, had the greatest chances. Despite the consequences of the intrigue with Anna Mons's brother, the wife of the late king retained her influence and weight as the crowned wife of the sovereign.

The decree of February 5, 1722, which abolished the old rules of succession to the throne and ratified the personal will of the testator into law, contributed greatly to the ambiguity of the general situation. The figures of Peter the Great's era, who were always at odds with each other, temporarily rallied around Catherine's candidacy (A. D. Menshikov, P. I. Yaguzhinsky, P. A. Tolstoy, A. V. Makarov, F. Prokopovich, I. I. Buturlin, etc. ). Grouped around the grandson were mainly representatives of the high-born feudal aristocracy, now a few boyar families. Among them, the leading role was played by the Golitsyns and Dolgorukys, and they were also joined by some of Peter I’s associates (Field Marshal Prince B.P. Sheremetev, Field Marshal Nikita Repnin, etc.). Efforts by A.D. Menshikov and P.A. Tolstoy in favor of Catherine were supported by the guard.

The Life Guards - the Semenovsky and Preobrazhensky regiments - during this period represented the most privileged and generously paid stratum of the army. Both regiments were formed primarily from nobles. In particular, under Peter I there were up to 300 people in the life regiment among the rank and file of princes alone. The armed nobility at the imperial court was an important weapon in the struggle of court factions.

The reign of Anna Ioanovna (1730-1740) is usually assessed as a kind of timelessness; the empress herself is characterized as a narrow-minded, uneducated woman with little interest in state affairs, who did not trust the Russians, and therefore brought a bunch of foreigners from Mitau and from various “German corners”. “The Germans poured into Russia like rubbish from a leaky bag - they surrounded the courtyard, settled in the throne, and climbed into all the lucrative positions in government,” Klyuchevsky wrote.

Anna Ioanovna, although gifted with a sensitive heart and mind, did not have a strong will, and therefore easily put up with the leading role played by her favorite E. Biron at court and administration. But still, there is no reason to talk about a noticeable increase in the number of foreigners in the Russian service in the 30s of the 18th century.

Traditionally in historical literature it is argued that the coup of 1741 was of a “patriotic”, “anti-German” nature and was the culmination of the struggle of the Russian nobility against “foreign dominance” in the country. In fact, the guards who participated in the conspiracy were inspired by the idea of ​​​​restoring strong autocratic power in Russia, which had been shaken under the infant emperor. It is worth pointing out the active role of the “foreigners” Johann Lestock and the French ambassador J. Chetardy in preparing the coup.

It is also important that under Elizabeth there were no fundamental changes in the composition of the ruling elite of the state apparatus - only the most odious figures were removed. So, Elizabeth appointed A.P. as chancellor. Bestuzhev-Ryumin, who at one time right hand and Biron's creature. The highest Elizabethan dignitaries also included brother A.P. Bestuzhev-Ryumin and N. Yu. Trubetskoy, who by 1740 was the Prosecutor General of the Senate. The observed certain continuity of the top circle of people who actually exercised control over the key issues of foreign and domestic policy testified to the continuity of this policy itself.

Palace coups are special kind putsch (if you look at them “from the height of past years”), where everything is private, when the emperor, for example, is strangled during a friendly feast, like Peter the Third. These are feuds within one circle of people, one social circle, quite narrow and close to the emperor. This is a struggle between cliques of courtiers, this is a coup that does not affect the country. In this sense, the Decembrist uprising is much broader, because not only the guards are involved here, but also army regiments, and a very wide circle in the north and south.

The period of palace coups ends with the overthrow of Peter III and the accession of Catherine II. Historians see the reasons for palace coups in the decree of Peter I “on changing the order of succession to the throne”, in the clash of corporate interests of various groups of the nobility. Driving force coups became the guard. Palace coups did not pursue the goal of radical changes in the political structure; there was only a transfer of power from one group of nobles to another. The consequence of palace coups is the strengthening of the political and economic role of the nobility.

Thus, the reasons that determined this era of revolutions and temporary workers were rooted, on the one hand, in the state royal family, and on the other hand, in the peculiarities of the environment that governed affairs.

Reasons for palace coups in Russia

1722 – Decree on succession to the throne . He extremely expanded the circle of possible contenders for the throne. In fact, the monarch could appoint anyone as his heir. If for some reason he did not have time to do this, the question of a legal heir was left open. With maximum nationalization public life, the absence even in the embryo of legal political activity, coups began the only way resolving contradictions between the autocratic government, the ruling elite and the nobility.

02/1725 –I coup– Catherine I Alekseevna, as well as His Serene Highness Prince Peter II Alekseevich, and A.D. Menshikov.

Since Peter I did not appoint an heir for himself, the decision on who would ascend the throne had to be made by the Governing Senate. The old nobility (Golitsyns, Dolgorukovs) spoke for Tsarevich Peter, son of Alexei. However, the new nobility (Menshikov, Tolstoy, etc.) elevated Peter the Great’s wife, Catherine I, to the throne.

1726-1730 – activity Supreme Privy Council of the Russian Empire . It included 7 people (His Serene Highness Prince A.D. Menshikov, Prince D.M. Golitsyn, Counts F.M. Apraksin, P.A. Tolstoy, G.I. Golovkin, Baron A.I. Osterman). The governing senate and collegiums were placed under the supervision of this body. The Supreme Privy Council reduced the capitation tax on the population and gave the right to trade to the nobles.

09/1727 – II coup– Peter II Alekseevich and princes D.M. Golitsyn and Dolgorukovs.

After the death of Catherine I, as during her life, the country was actually ruled by Menshikov; by decree of the emperor, he appointed himself generalissimo. Menshikov hoped to marry his daughter Maria to Peter II. But during Menshikov’s illness, the Dolgorukov princes and Vice-Chancellor A.I. Osterman restored Peter II against his Serene Highness. Menshikov was arrested, deposed by decision of the Supreme Privy Council and exiled with his family to Berezov, where he died two years later. The daughter of one of the Dolgorukov brothers, Catherine, was declared the tsar’s bride.

02/1730 – III coup- Anna I Ioannovna, as well as John I Antonovich, and Duke E.I. von Biron.

Peter II died of smallpox on the eve of his wedding to Catherine. For enthronement, the choice fell on the niece of Peter the Great, Duchess of Courland Anna Ioannovna. However, the Supreme Privy Council wanted to legislatively limit imperial power in its favor. At the suggestion of Prince D. M. Golitsyn, written regulations of 8 points were drawn up.

rule jointly with the Supreme Privy Council;

make no laws;

not to manage the treasury;

do not favor or take away estates;

do not assign senior military ranks;

do not declare war, do not make peace;

not to marry;

do not appoint an heir.

Anna Ivanovna signed the Conditions and came to Moscow. However, 156 noblemen who came to Moscow for the coronation turned to Anna with a request to restore autocracy. Anna tore up the Conditions, restored autocracy, abolished the Supreme Privy Council, and expelled princes Dolgorukov and Golitsyn. Anna handed over all matters to her favorite E.I. von Biron.

1730-1740 –Bironovschina.

1731-1745 – activity Cabinet of Ministers of the Russian Empire of three cabinet ministers.

To win over the nobility, the government is taking a number of measures. The “Decree on Single Inheritance” was canceled, and a decree was issued on the establishment of a cadet corps, which allowed a nobleman to become an officer without having to serve as a soldier. And yet, many nobles were dissatisfied with the regime established in the country. An opposition emerges, led by Cabinet Minister A.P. Volynsky. The queen became aware of this and an investigation began. Volynsky was accused of insulting Anna, an attempt on the throne, and Biron. Volynsky and his friends after brutal torture were executed.

11/1740 –IV coup– John I Antonovich and Duchess A.L. of Luneburg-Brunschweig.

After the death of Anna I, according to her will, Duke von Biron became regent under the young Emperor John I. Among the highest nobility, as well as among the parents of the emperor himself, dissatisfaction with the regent was extremely great. Thanks to the actions of H. A. Munnich, von Biron was arrested and deported from St. Petersburg to Courland.

12/1741 –V coup– Elizabeth I and Counts A.G. Razumovsky and I.I. Shuvalov.

The dominance of the Germans at the throne irritated the Russian nobility, led by the Razumovskys and Shuvalovs, who began to support the daughter of Peter the Great, Elizabeth. The Life Guards also took her side. The imperial family was arrested and exiled. Elizabeth handed over all matters to her favorites A. G. Razumovsky and I. I. Shuvalov.

Minich, Osterman and their henchmen were exiled, the role of the Senate was restored, the rights of the nobles were expanded, and the merchants received new privileges. Has been cancelled death penalty, stopped mass practice torture, terror against the nobles stopped. Their service life has been shortened. The landowner was allowed to leave one of his sons to help with the housework, and a Manifesto on freedom for the nobility was being prepared. But at the same time, the duties of the peasants in favor of the landowners, who received the right to exile their peasants to Siberia, sharply increased.

07/1762 –VI coup– Catherine II Alekseevna and Count G. G. Orlov, then Prince G. A. Potemkin-Tavrichesky.

Taking the throne after the death of Elizabeth I Peter III carried out a number of actions that caused a negative attitude towards him from the officer corps and suspicions of treason national interests:

renounced all Russian conquests during the Seven Years' War, concluding a peace treaty with Prussia that was unfavorable for Russia and returning all the captured lands to it, thereby rendering all losses meaningless Russian army losses during the war;

was preparing, in alliance with Prussia, for a dynastic war with Russia’s longtime ally Denmark for Schleswig, thereby wanting to drag Russia into a new war that was senseless from the point of view of the officers;

treated Russians disrespectfully Orthodox Church, announcing sequestration - a ban or restriction by the state on the use or disposal of her own property, the abolition of monastic land ownership and wanting to carry out reforms of church rituals, as well as ban the use of icons.

Supporters of the coup did not want to participate in the indecent entertainment to which the emperor was prone, and given his eccentric character, they did not feel confident in the future. The emperor was also accused of ignorance, dementia, dislike for Russia, and complete inability to rule. Against his background, his wife Ekaterina looked advantageous - smart, well-read, regularly attending church services and a wife benevolent to the highest aristocracy who is persecuted by her husband.



As a result, the Life Guards took Catherine’s side and elevated her to the throne. Peter III was killed during the coup.

07/1764 – coup attempt - V. Ya. Mirovich wanted to enthrone John I. However, during the implementation of this plan former emperor was killed by his guards.

Activities of impostors:

1772-1775 – Princess Tarakanova, who called herself Princess Elizabeth of Volodymyr;

1773-1775 – E. I. Pugachev, who declared himself Emperor Peter III.

11/1796 –essentially a coup– Pavel I Petrovich – the legend about the will of Catherine II.

03/1801 –VII coup– Alexander I Pavlovich and Count P. A. Palen.

Both the Life Guards and the nobility were dissatisfied with the reign of Paul I. The reasons for this were the following:

tough methods of management, reaching the point of cruelty, a climate of fear and uncertainty, deprivation of freedom and privileges of the highest noble circles, instability of the political course, transfer of the emperor’s disgrace from his subjects to his relatives, which threatened the dynasty itself;

foreign policy Paul was contrary to the interests of Great Britain, which likely subsidized the conspirators;

rumors that Pavel allegedly wanted to imprison his wife and older children in a fortress and marry either Gagarina or Chevalier;

the issuance of a blatant decree to legitimize future illegitimate children of the emperor;

the arrival of Eugene of Württemburg, whom Paul allegedly intends to marry his eldest daughter and make him heir.

SOCIETY AND ECONOMY OF RUSSIA OF THE “GALANT AGE”

The process of decomposition of feudalism begins in the economy. Serf relations remain dominant, but by the end of the 18th century. The capitalist system is taking shape.

Agriculture

The landowner economy was actively drawn into market relations. This was largely due to the desire of the nobles to receive from their estates more money to pay for their increasing non-production expenses. The nobles saw the opportunity to increase the production of agricultural products for sale on the market, first of all, in the increased exploitation of serfs.

Corvee– chernozem regions (up to 6 days a week). Since the 1770s some landowners are beginning to transfer their peasants to month , taking away their allotment and obliging them to work on the lord’s arable land, paying the peasants a monthly allowance for this.

Cash dues(replaces natural) – non-chernozem areas

Corvée, monthly wages, and monetary dues separated the peasant from working on his own plot, which led the peasant and his farm to ruin. This meant undermining the basis of the feudal system.

The increasing exploitation of peasants deprived them of interest in work and led to increased resistance. The state went to extreme measures, bringing the personal dependence of the peasants practically to slavery.

In the II half. XVIII century serfdom was extended to the Left Bank and Slobodskaya Ukraine, Wild Field, Don, Trans-Volga region, and the Urals.

1760 - decree on the right of landowners to exile their peasants to Siberian regions suitable for arable farming, with those deported as recruits counted.

1762 – Manifesto on the freedom of the nobility.

1763 - decree on the maintenance by peasants of military teams sent to suppress their protests.

1764 - secularization of church lands - a million former monastic peasants were transferred to the jurisdiction of the College of Economy.

1765 – General survey - giving nobles a monopoly right to own land.

1765 - decree allowing landowners to send their serfs to hard labor.

1767 - a decree prohibiting peasants from filing complaints against their landowners to the emperor.

In the II half. XVIII century The routine nature of agricultural machinery began to be undermined. There was a sharp change in traditional methods farms, transition to commercial farming.

1765 – founding Free Economic Society to encourage agriculture and house-building in Russia (VEO) .

However, taking care of increasing profitability by introducing new methods of farming, the nobles maintained and strengthened serfdom, which hindered their implementation.

The death of Peter the Great marked the end of one era - the period of revival, transformations and reforms, and the beginning of another, which went down in history under the name "the era of palace coups", which is studied in History of Russia in the 7th grade. What happened during this period of time - 1725-1762 - is what we are talking about today.

Factors

Before speaking briefly about the era of palace coups in Russia, it is necessary to understand what the term “palace coup” means. This stable combination is understood as a forceful change of power in the state, which is carried out through a conspiracy by a group of courtiers and relies on the help of a privileged military force - the guard. As a result, the current monarch is overthrown and a new heir from the ruling dynasty, a protégé of a group of conspirators, is installed on the throne. With the change of sovereign, the composition of the ruling elite also changes. During the period of coups d'etat in Russia - 37 years, six sovereigns were replaced on the Russian throne. The reasons for this were the following events:

  • After Peter I, there were no direct heirs in the male line: son Alexei Petrovich died in prison, convicted of treason, and the youngest son Peter Petrovich died at an early age;
  • Adopted by Peter I in 1722, the “Charter on the Succession to the Throne”: according to this document, the decision on the heir to the throne is made by the ruling monarch himself. Thus, they gathered around possible contenders for the throne. various groups supporters - noble groups that were in confrontation;
  • Peter the Great did not have time to draw up a will and indicate the name of the heir.

Thus, according to the definition of the Russian historian V.O. Klyuchevsky, the beginning of the era of palace coups in Russia is considered to be the date of death of Peter I - February 8 (January 28), 1725, and the end - 1762 - the year Catherine the Great came to power.

Rice. 1. Death of Peter the Great

Distinctive features

The palace coups of 1725-1762 had several characteristic common features:

  • Favoritism : a group of favorites was formed around a possible contender for succession to the throne, whose goal was to be closer to power and have influence on the balance of power. In fact, the nobles close to the sovereign concentrated all power in their hands and completely controlled the sovereign (Menshikov, Biron, princes Dolgoruky);
  • Reliance on the Guards Regiment : Guards regiments appeared under Peter I. Northern War they became the main striking force of the Russian army, and then were used as the personal guard of the sovereign. In other words, their privileged position and proximity to the king played a decisive role in their “fate”: their support was used as the main striking force in palace coups;
  • Frequent change of monarchs ;
  • Appeal to the legacy of Peter the Great : each new heir laying claim to the throne demonstrated his intention to strictly follow the course of Peter I in foreign and domestic policy. However, what was promised often ran counter to current affairs and deviations from his program were observed.

Rice. 2. Portrait of Anna Ioannovna

Chronological table

In the next chronological table All six Russian rulers are represented, whose reign is historically associated with the era of palace coups. The first line answers the question of which ruler opened the gap in question in the political life of Russia in the 18th century - Catherine I. This is followed by other monarchs in chronological order. In addition, it is indicated with the help of what forces and court groups each of them came to power.

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Ruler

Reign dates

Coup participants

Coup prop

Main events

Catherine I

(wife of the late Peter the Great)

Supreme Privy Council, power in which belonged to A.D. Menshikov

Guards regiments

Bypassing the main contenders: the grandson of Peter I - Peter Alekseevich and the crown princesses Anna and Elizabeth.

Peter II (grandson of Peter I from the eldest son of Alexei Petrovich)

Supreme Privy Council, Princes Dolgoruky and Andrei Osterman

Guards regiments

Catherine I

She named the name of Peter II as a successor with the condition of his further marriage to Menshikov’s daughter. But Menshikov was deprived of all privileges and exiled to Berezov.

Anna Ioannovna (daughter of Peter I's elder brother Ivan)

Andrei Osterman, Biron and associates of the German nobles

Guards regiments

Bypassing the main contenders - the daughters of Peter the Great - Anna and Elizabeth.

Ivan Antonovich under the regency of Biron (son of Anna Leopoldovna - grandniece of Peter I)

Duke of Courland Biron, who was arrested a few weeks later. Anna Leopoldovna and her husband Anton Ulrich of Brunswick became regent for the young emperor.

German nobility

Bypassing Tsarevna Elizabeth

Elizaveta Petrovna (daughter of Peter I)

Doctor to the Crown Princess Lestok

Preobrazhensky Guards

As a result of the coup, Anna Leopoldovna and her husband were arrested and imprisoned in a monastery.

Peter III (grandson of Peter I, son of Anna Petrovna and Karl Friedrich of Holstein)

Became sovereign after the death of Elizabeth Petrovna according to her will

Catherine II (wife of Peter III)

Guardsmen brothers Orlov, P.N. Panin, Princess E. Dashkova, Kirill Razumovsky

Guards regiments: Semenovsky, Preobrazhensky and Horse Guards

As a result of the coup, Pyotr Fedorovich abdicated the throne, was arrested and soon died of a violent death

Some historians believe that the era of palace coups does not end with the arrival of Catherine II. They name other dates - 1725-1801, related to the administration of the state of Alexander I.

Rice. 3. Catherine the Great

The era of palace coups led to the fact that noble privileges expanded significantly.

What have we learned?

According to the new decree of Peter I on changes in the order of succession to the throne, the person entitled to inherit the royal throne in Russia was indicated as the current monarch. This document did not contribute to the establishment of order and stability in the state, but on the contrary, it led to an era of palace coups that lasted 37 years. The activities of six monarchs date back to this period.

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