Catherine II Alekseevna ruled from 1762 to 1796. She tried to continue the course that Peter I took. But at the same time, she also wanted to follow the conditions of the New Age. During her reign, several deep administrative reforms were carried out and the territory of the empire expanded significantly. The empress possessed the mind and abilities of a major statesman.
The purpose of the reign of Catherine II
Legislative registration of the rights of individual estates is the goals set by Catherine 2. The policy of enlightened absolutism, in short, is a social system when the monarch realizes that he is the guardian of the empire, while the estates voluntarily realize their responsibility to the ruling monarch. Catherine the Great wanted the union between the monarch and society to be achieved not through coercion, but through voluntary awareness of her rights and obligations. At this time, the development of education, trade and industry, and science was encouraged. Also during this period, journalism was born. The French Enlightenment - Diderot, Voltaire - were those whose writings guided Catherine 2. The policy of enlightened absolutism is briefly presented below.
What is enlightened absolutism?
The policy of enlightened absolutism was adopted by a number of European states (Prussia, Sweden, Portugal, Austria, Denmark, Spain, etc.). The essence of the policy of enlightened absolutism is the monarch's attempt to carefully change his state in accordance with the changed living conditions. This was necessary so that there was no revolution.
The ideological basis of enlightened absolutism was two things:
- Enlightenment Philosophy.
- Christian creed.
With such a policy, state intervention in the economy, updating and codification of laws, and legislative registration of the estate should have been reduced. The church also had to obey the state, censorship was temporarily weakened, book publishing and education were encouraged.
Senate Reform
One of the first reforms of Catherine II was the reform of the Senate. The decree of December 15, 1763 changed the powers and structure of the Senate. Now he was deprived of legislative powers. Now he performed only the function of control and remained the highest judicial authority.
Structural changes divided the Senate into 6 departments. Each of them had a strictly defined competence. Thus, the efficiency of his work as a central authority increased. But at the same time, the Senate became a tool in the hands of power. He had to obey the empress.
Stated Commission
In 1767, Catherine the Great convened the Stated Commission. Its purpose was to demonstrate the unity of the monarch and subjects. In order to form a commission, elections were held from the estates, they did not include private property peasants. As a result, the commission had 572 deputies: the nobility, state institutions, peasants and Cossacks. The commission's tasks included drawing up a code of laws, and the Council Code of 1649 was also replaced. In addition, measures should be developed for serfs to facilitate their lives. But this led to a split in the commission. Each group of deputies defended their interests. The debate lasted so long that Catherine the Great seriously thought about stopping the work of the convened deputies. The commission worked for a year and a half and was dissolved at the beginning of the Russo-Turkish war.
Certificate of Merit
In the mid-70s and early 90s, Catherine II carried out major reforms. The reason for these reforms was the Pugachev uprising. Therefore, the need arose to strengthen monarchical power. The power of the local administration strengthened, the number of provinces increased, the Zaporizhzhya Sich was abolished, serfdom began to extend to Ukraine, the landowner's power over the peasants increased. The province was headed by the governor, who was responsible for everything. Governor-generals united several provinces.
A deed of letters to cities from 1775 expanded their rights to self-government. She also freed merchants from recruitment and cap taxes. Entrepreneurship began to develop. The mayor governed the cities, and the commander-in-chief, elected by the noble assembly, controlled the counties.
Each estate now had its own special judicial institution. The central authorities moved the center of gravity to local institutions. Problems and questions began to be solved much faster.
In 1785, the Charter was a confirmation of the nobility of freemen, which was introduced by Peter III. Nobles were now freed from corporal punishment and confiscation of property. In addition, they could create self-government bodies.
Other reforms
A number of other reforms were carried out when enlightened absolutism was pursued. The table shows the other equally important reforms of the Empress.
Reforms of Catherine II| Year | Reform | Total |
| 1764 | Secularization of Church Domains | Church property has become state property. |
| 1764 | Hetmanism and elements of autonomy are eliminated in Ukraine |
| 1785 | City reform |
| 1782 | Police reform | The "Statute of the Deanery, or Police Officer" was introduced. The population began to be under police and church moral control. |
| 1769 | Financial reform | banknotes are introduced - paper money. Noble and Merchant banks were opened. |
| 1786 | Educational reform | A system of educational institutions appeared. |
| 1775 | The introduction of free enterprise |
The new course has not taken root
The policy of enlightened absolutism in Russia did not last long. After the revolution in France in 1789, the empress decided to change her political course. Censorship of books and newspapers began to intensify.
Catherine the Second turned the Russian Empire into an authoritative, powerful world power. The nobility became a privileged estate, the rights of the nobility in self-government expanded. Favorable conditions were created for the country to continue to develop economically. Catherine 2. managed to do all this. The policy of enlightened absolutism, in short, in Russia, preserved and strengthened the absolute monarchy, as well as serfdom. The main ideas of Diderot and Voltaire did not take root: forms of government were not abolished, and people did not become equal. Rather, on the contrary, the difference between the estates only intensified. Corruption flourished in the country. The population did not hesitate to give large bribes. What did the policy pursued by Catherine 2, the policy of enlightened absolutism, lead to? Briefly, it can be described as follows: the financial system and, as a result, a severe economic crisis completely collapsed.