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Catherine II of Russia (1729-1796), also known as Catherine the Great, was one of the best leaders in Russian history, ruling from 1762 to her death. A princess from an obscure but well-connected royal family, Catherine was chosen by Empress Elizabeth of Russia as a bride for her nephew and heir, Peter III. Catherine and Peter were horribly mismatched; she was intellectual, ambitious, pensive, witty, and eager to become the Empress; Peter was pockmarked, immature, boorish, lacked common sense, scorned Russia, and adored Prussia (which earned him many detractors). Catherine, neglected by Peter, studied politics and philosophy while gaining allies for herself. In 1762, she led a coup d'état against Peter, who had become Emperor and was thoroughly disdained.

With Peter out of the way, Catherine set to work on improving and modernizing Russia. Under her, the empire expanded, improved administration, and was revitalized with her humanitarian ideals, although she was ruthless when threatened. In July 1796, she suffered a stroke in her powder room and died in bed the following day.

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