Catherine II: the policy of enlightened absolutism (briefly). Empress Catherine the Great

Catherine II Alekseevna rules from 1741 to 1796. She tried to continue the course, which was taken by Peter I. But at the same time she also wanted to follow the conditions of the New Time. 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 Catherine II's reign

Legislative registration of the rights of individual estates - 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 trustee of the empire, while the class realizes voluntarily 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 their rights and responsibilities. At that time, the development of education, trade and industry, science was encouraged. Also in this period, journalism was born. The French Enlighteners - Diderot, Voltaire - were those whose work was guided by Catherine 2. The policy of enlightened absolutism is briefly presented below.

What is enlightened absolutism?

The policy of enlightened absolutism was taken 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 change his state cautiously in accordance with the changed conditions of life. This was necessary in order that there was no revolution.

The ideological basis of enlightened absolutism was two things:

1. Philosophy of the Enlightenment.
2. Christian doctrine.

With such an ongoing policy, government intervention in the economy, updating and codification of laws, legalization of the estate should have been reduced. Also, the church had to obey the state, censorship was temporarily weakened, book publishing and education were encouraged.

Reform of the Senate

One of the first reforms of Catherine II was the reform of the Senate. Decree of December 15, 1763 changed the authority and structure of the Senate. Now he was deprived of legislative powers. Now he fulfilled only the control function and remained the supreme judicial body.

Structural changes divided the Senate into 6 departments. Each of them had a strictly defined competence. Thus, the effectiveness of his work as a central authority was improved. But at the same time the Senate has become an instrument in the hands of the authorities. He had to obey the empress.

Standing commission

In 1767, Catherine the Great convened the Commission. Its purpose was to demonstrate the unity of the monarch and subjects. In order to form a commission, elections were conducted from estates, private peasants did not belong to them. As a result, the commission had 572 deputies: the nobility, state institutions, peasants and the Cossacks. The task of the commission was to compile a set of laws, and also to replace the Sobornoye Code of 1649. In addition, it was necessary to develop measures for serfs to facilitate their lives. But this led to the split of the commission. Each group of deputies defended their interests. Disputes lasted for so long that Catherine the Great seriously thought about stopping the work of the deputies assembled. The commission worked for a year and a half and was dissolved at the beginning of the Russo-Turkish war.

Charter of Honor

In the mid-70s and early 90s, Catherine II carried out major reforms. The reason for these reforms was the Pugachev uprising. Therefore, there was a need to strengthen the monarchical power. The power of the local administration increased, the number of provinces increased, Zaporozhskaya Sich was abolished, serfdom began to spread to Ukraine, the power of the landowner over the peasants intensified. Gubernia was headed by the governor, who was responsible for everything. The governor-general united several provinces.

The gratuitous letter to cities since 1775 has expanded their rights to self-management. She also freed merchants from recruitment and a poll tax. Entrepreneurship began to develop. The governor ruled the cities, and the captain, a police chief elected by a noble assembly, ruled the uyezds.

Each class now had its own special judicial institution. The central authorities shifted the center of gravity to local institutions. Problems and issues began to be solved much faster.

In 1785, the Charter became a confirmation of the noble libertine, which was introduced by Peter III. The nobles were now exempt 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 the policy of enlightened absolutism was conducted. The table shows other equally important reforms of the empress.

The new course did not take root

The policy of enlightened absolutism in Russia did not last long. After the revolution in France in 1789, the Empress decided to change the political course. Censorship over books and newspapers began to intensify.

Catherine II turned the Russian Empire into an authoritative, powerful world power. The nobility became a privileged class, the rights of noblemen in self-management were extended. Favorable conditions were created for the country to continue to develop economically. All this was done by Catherine 2. The policy of enlightened absolutism, briefly speaking, in Russia preserved and strengthened the absolute monarchy, as well as serfdom. The basic ideas of Diderot and Voltaire did not take root: the forms of government were not abolished, and people did not become equal. Rather, on the contrary, the difference between estates only increased. Corruption flourished in the country. The population did not hesitate to pay large bribes. What was the result of the policy pursued by Catherine 2, the policy of enlightened absolutism? Briefly, it can be described as follows: the entire financial system collapsed and, as a result, a severe economic crisis.