Catherine the Great is a controversial leader. She was born a minor German princess and married Peter III, heir to the throne of Russia. Peter was not a good ruler. He had many lovers, was an alcoholic, he was juvenile, he was neurotic, and he was rebellious. Catherine was especially angered when Peter considered having one of is mistresses rule with him rather then her. She started a rebellion against Peter, forcing him to step down. She later planned his assassination with one of her lovers. Even her way to the throne can be seen as controversial, just like her rule. The major negatives to the rule of Catherine the Great include her many lovers, her treatment of peasants, and her poor skills at handling money. Catherine the Great did not handle the state treasury well. She exempted people from paying taxes, but still planned large military missions. These ate up the state treasury. Under her rule she drained the treasury, leaving Russia almost bankrupt. She sacrificed the economy of her country so the people could have more luxury. This may seem good at first, but when Russia was drained of money things were …show more content…
She gave the upper class more power and wealth, forcing the peasants to suffer. She also allowed serfdom to continue under her rule. This also led to a larger divide between the upper and lower classes. Her mistreatment of the lower class may have led to her servants making up stories about her, such as her having died in an accident with a horse in the bedroom. Peasantry now bound servants to their owners, who enforced harsh rules and punishments, which Catherine the Great did not address. They were still taxed, even though many nobles were exempted. They had no way to approach authority or attempt to fix their situation, so they were stuck in a terrible lifestyle, and felt abandoned by the throne. The discontent among the peasants grew, and under her rule was the largest peasant revolt in Russian