Palace coups, which can not be briefly described, are a whole era in the long history of our country. Conspiracies, poisonings, murders - all this accompanied the Russian Empire for almost a century. What caused the appearance of such a period? Now let's figure it out.
Palace coups: briefly about the reasons
There is a point of view that the order of the succession of Great Peter I became the main reason for this era. Its essence was that each ruling monarch could appoint his next successor, bypassing the traditional inheritance of the Russian throne. In principle, the decree was not so bad if it were not for one “but”: the emperor himself did not announce the name of the heir. From that moment on, palace coups in Russia originate. Another reason was the political instability of society. At that time, the bureaucratic-military apparatus played a special role in governing the whole country. And of course, a great influence was exerted by a significant class stratification of the population. It is also worth noting another key feature: all the coups occurred with the support of the guard. In other words, the one on whose side was the military force won.
Palace coups: briefly about the changing monarchs
So, his wife Catherine became a kind of heiress to the throne of Great Peter the Great . She was not particularly puzzled by state affairs, as she entrusted this mission to the created Supreme Privy Council. She did not rule for long - only two years. After her, the grandson of the first emperor - Peter the Second, enters the throne. For influence on him, there was a fierce struggle between the nobles: the adherents of Peter and the princes Dolgoruky. But his rule was short: at the age of 14 the young monarch dies. The next empress, Anna Ioannovna, stayed on the throne for 10 years. The period of her reign went down in history under such a name as “Bironovschina”. It was the time of the German nobility, which in the person of the empress's favorites ruled Russia. Anna demonstratively breaks traditions and abolishes the authority created by Catherine the First. After her, by testament, power in the country passes into the hands of the Braunschweig dynasty for less than a year. Anna Leopoldovna was far from political intrigues and the needs of the state, and therefore could not keep such a large territory under control.
Now comes the time of prosperity and political stability, for Elizabeth Petrovna, who is the daughter of Peter the Great, ascends the throne. Over the 20 years of rule, she takes Russia to the world level and does everything to ensure that everything inside the empire happens as planned by Peter I. And she succeeds. After the death of Elizabeth, her nephew Peter III receives the throne, whom his wife overthrows. The palace coup of 1762 went down in history forever, as Catherine the Great became the ruler of the country as a result of it. This time will be the heyday of the Russian state.
The palace coups, which were briefly described above, are an important part in the history of our country. For several years, the throne saw various monarchs who were able and unable to rule such a huge country. The era ended beautifully: a wise woman on the throne showed how to lead.