ELIZABETH PETROV'NA, empress of Russia, (laughter of Peter the great and Cath arine I., was b. in the year 1709. On the death of Peter II., in 1730, she allowed Anna, duchess of Courland, to ascend the throne, she herself being apparently indifferent to anything but the indulgence of her passions. Anna died in 1740, and Ivan, the son of her niece (also called Anna), an infant of two months, was declared emperor, and his mother regent during his minority. Shortly after this, a plot was formed to place E. upon the throne; the two principal agents in it were Lestocq, a surgeon, and the marquis de la Chetardie, the French ambassador. The officers of the army were soon won over; and on the night of the 5th Dec., 1741, the regent and her husband were taken into custody, and the child Ivan conveyed to Schltisselburg. The leading adherents of Anna. were condemned to death, but pardoned on the scaffold, and exiled to Siberia. By eight o'clock in the morning, the revolution was completed, and in the afterncon all the troops did homage to the new empress. La Chetardie was handsomely rewarded; and Lestocq was created first physician to the empress, president of the college of medicine, and privy councilor. E., however, did not possess the qualities requisite in a ruler. She wanted energy, knowledge, and love of business, and allowed herself to be guided by favorites. In order to strengthen her position, E. took pains to win over her nephew, the young prince Peter, the son of her sister, the duchess of Holstein-Gottorp. She
summoned him to Petersburg in the year 1742, and proclaimed him her successor. E. took part in the Austrian war of succession, and in spite of the opposition of France, dispatched an army of 37,000 men to the assistance of Maria Theresa, and thereby has tened the conclusion of the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1748. E. showed herself less placable towards Frederick II., against whom she cherished a personal enmity, excited by some severe expressions he had employed respecting her. At the commencement of the seven years' war, she allied herself with Austria and France, and marched her troops into the Prussian states. Her troops gained the victory in the battles of Gross jitgerndorf and Kunersdorf, and took possession of Berlin, but without any decisive result. E. died before the expiration of the war, 5th Jan., 1762. She founded the uni versity of Moscow and the academy of art at St. Petersburg. Though no person was put to death her reign, the most shocking punishments were inflicted, and thou sands were exiled to Siberia and Kamtchatka. E. had several illegitimate children. Profligacy, espionage, and persecution reigned in her court, the administration of justice was restrained, and the finances,neglected; but E. was nevertheless extremely strict in the observance of the pUblic ordinances of religion.