With all her defects of character, Catharine was one of the most remarkable rulers of modern times. Iler boundless ambition and tireless ener p- served chiefly one aim—that of developing all the resources of Russia and transforming it into the most powerful and 1110,4 splendid State of Europe. During, the first twelve years of her reign, while under the influence of Orloff, her activity was almost wholly beneficent. She con voked representatives of all the provinces at Moscow, to dismiss plans for reforming the ad ministration of justice, and as a result completely reorganized the laws of the Empire. She en couraged immigration, introduced inoeulation for smallpox, and other sanitary measures, estab lished elementary schools in all the cities and many small towns, founded institutions of learn ing, military and naval schools and hospitals, built canals and fortresses, and sent Russian scholars and artists abroad. to profit by foreign example. The principal defect of her methods lay in her seeking to adapt to the government of a half-civilized country like Russia the prin ciples derived from her study of French models. She invariably turned to French thinkers as her source of inspiration and was flattered by their applause. She corresponded with Voltaire and invited him to her Court: patronized Diderot, who lived some time in Saint Petersburg; asked D'Alembert to complete the Encychim'ilic there; made Grimm her literary agent ill Paris; trans lated Alarmontel's Relisaire into Russian, and in reorganizing the laws of the Empire took Montes quieu as her model. Der foreign piney, fantas tic as to her dream of expelling the Turks from Europe and foundMg a new Byzantine empire under a prince of her house, bore substantial fruit in securing for Russia the lion's share in the partitions of Poland, in humbling the Turks, annexing the Crimea and Courland, and extend ing the boundaries of Russia to the Dniester.
During the early part of her reign she was called upon to frustrate the plots to place on the throne Ivan, son of -tuna Carlo•na. and, later, to suppress the formidable revolt, in the Volga region, of the Cossack Pug:itched% a pseudo-Peter (1771-71) who had enlisted the support of the peasantry and the extreme orthodox party. To ward the end of her reign her eXtra yap nee and the corruption of her Court brought her into discredit in Russia, as well as among the so• crei1_,ms of Europe. The progress of the French Revolution checked her ardor for reform accord ing to French models, and she finally prohibited the publication of 'Prem.]] works in Russia. She died of an attack of apoplexy in November. 179(1.
Consul t : Memoirs of the Einpres Catharine I I., translated from the French (New York, 1859) ; Bury, Catharine II. (New York, 1900) ; Casticra, de Catherine II., in two English trans lations, by Tooke (London, 1798). and by Hun ter (London, 1800) Dashkffir, memoirs of the Prinrcss Dasch•aw (London, 18-10); K. The Romance: of an Catharine of Thissia (London, 159-1); Geschichte Katharina translated from the Russian (Berlin, 1S93) ; Briickner, Katharine die Zweite, (lneken series (Berlin. 1883). A good bibliography is contained in Lavisse and Ram baud. Ilistoirc Generale, Vol. V1I. (Paris. 1Stui1.