Palace revolutions of the 18th century. The era of palace coups: causes, chronology, brief description of the reigns

Palace coups- a period in the history of the Russian Empire of the 18th century, when supreme state power was achieved through palace coups carried out with the help of the guard or courtiers. In the presence of absolutism, this method of changing power remained one of the few ways of influence of society (the noble elite) on the supreme power in the state.

The origins of palace coups should be sought in the policies of Peter I. Published "Decree on succession to the throne" (1722), he maximized the number of potential candidates for the throne. The current monarch had the right to leave anyone as heir. If he did not do this, the question of inheriting the throne remained open.

In the political situation that developed in Russia in the 18th century, coups performed a regulatory function in the relationship between the key systems of absolutism - the autocracy, the ruling elite and the ruling nobility.

Brief chronology of events

After the death of Peter I, his wife reigned Catherine I(1725-1727). Created under her Supreme Privy Council (1726), who helped her in governing the country.

Her heir Peter II(1727-1730), grandson of Peter I, moved the capital of Russia from St. Petersburg to Moscow.

The Supreme Privy Council, having forced the signing of “conditions” - conditions limiting the power of the monarch (1730), invited Anna Ioannovna(1730-1740), Duchess of Courland, daughter of Ivan V, to the Russian throne. The future empress first accepted them and then rejected them. The time of her reign is known as "Bironovism" (name of her favorite). Under her, the Supreme Privy Council was liquidated, the decree on single inheritance was canceled (1730), the Cabinet of Ministers was created (1731), the Gentry Corps was created (1731), the term of noble service was limited to 25 years (1736).

In 1740 he inherits the throne five month nephew of Anna Ioannovna Ivan VI(1740-1741) (regents: Biron, Anna Leopoldovna). The Supreme Privy Council has been restored. Biron reduced the amount of the poll tax, introduced restrictions on luxury in court life, and issued a manifesto on strict observance of the laws.

In 1741, Peter's daughter - Elizabeth I(1741-1761) carries out another coup d'état. Liquidates the Supreme Privy Council, abolishes the Cabinet of Ministers (1741), restores the rights of the Senate, abolishes internal customs duties (1753), creates the State Loan Bank (1754), a decree is passed allowing landowners to send peasants to settle in Siberia (1760).

From 1761-1762 ruled by nephew of Elizabeth I, Peter III. He issues a decree on the secularization of church lands - this is the process of turning Church property into state property (1761), liquidates the Secret Chancellery, and issues a Manifesto on the freedom of the nobility (1762).

Main dates:

1725-1762 - era of palace coups
1725-1727 - CATHERINE I (second wife of Peter I), years of reign.
1727-1730 — PETER II (son of Tsarevich Alexei, grandson of Peter I), years of reign.
1730-1740 - ANNA IOANNOVNA (niece of Peter I, daughter of his brother-co-ruler Ivan V)
1740-1741 - IVAN VI (second cousin, great-grandson of Peter I). Regency of Biron, then Anna Leopoldovna.
1741-1761 — ELIZAVETA PETROVNA (daughter of Peter I), years of reign
1761-1762 - PETER III (grandson of Peter I and Charles XII, nephew of Elizabeth Petrovna).

Table "Palace coups"

Palace coup- this is the seizure of political power in Russia in the 18th century, the reason for which was the lack of clear rules for succession to the throne, accompanied by the struggle of court factions and carried out, as a rule, with the assistance of guard regiments.

There is no single scientific definition of a palace coup, and there are no clear time boundaries for this phenomenon. Thus, V. O. Klyuchevsky (the author of the term) dates the era of palace coups from 1725 to 1762. However, today there is another point of view - 1725-1801. (The fact is that V. O. Klyuchevsky could not mention the coup of March 11, 1801 in a public lecture given in the mid-80s of the 19th century - this was strictly prohibited).

There is an opinion that the Decembrist uprising of 1825 was also, in its own way, a palace coup, but most scientists consider this judgment controversial and unfounded.

Soviet historical science denied the existence of this “special” period in history; and in scientific literature the concept of “the era of palace coups” has always been enclosed in quotation marks. This showed the attitude towards both the term and the phenomenon itself.

Reasons for palace coups in Russia

The culprit of the instability of the supreme power in the 18th century in Russia turned out to be Peter I, who in 1722 issued the “Decree on Succession to the Throne.”

This regulatory legal act became the cause of palace coups in Russia.

Thus, the circle of possible contenders for the throne expanded.

After the death of Peter I, Russia entered a long period of palace coups. The emergence of this unique tradition in Russia was determined, on the one hand, by the enormous overstrain of the country’s forces during the twenty-five-year period of wars and reforms and the need, in connection with this, to adjust the government course, and on the other, by the conditions of the military-police state created by Peter I.

With the maximum nationalization of public life, the absence of legal political activity even in the bud, coups became the only way to resolve the contradictions between the main components of the system of absolutism - autocratic power, the ruling elite and the ruling class. By the end of the reign of Peter I, the tension in relations in this triangle reached a critical point, which was caused by an extremely unfavorable relationship between the system of benefits and the force of pressure “from above” for the nobility, as well as a sharp strengthening of autocratic power, which led to some separation from its own social support. These factors were complemented by a lack of unity within the ruling camp.

Already on the eve of the death of Peter I, January 25-26, 1725, a split arose among the highest ranks of the empire. One group (President of the Justice Collegium F. M. Apraksin, President of the Commerce Collegium D. M. Golitsyn, President of the Military Collegium A. I. Repnin, Senator V. L. Dolgoruky, President of the State Office Collegium I. A. Musin -Pushkin and Chancellor G.I. Golovkin) advocated the enthronement of Peter I’s grandson, Tsarevich Peter Alekseevich, and the establishment of a regency system - the rule of Peter I’s wife, Ekaterina Alekseevna, together with the Senate.

Another group (His Serene Highness Prince A.D. Menshikov, Prosecutor General of the Senate P.I. Yaguzhinsky, General I.I. Buturlin, diplomat and head of the Secret Chancellery P.A. Tolstoy, Vice-President of the Synod Feofan Prokopovich, etc.) defended Catherine's candidacy as an autocratic empress. The dispute went far, but assertiveness, skillful maneuvering and, most importantly, reliance at a critical moment on the Guards (Preobrazhensky and Semyonovsky) regiments ensured the enthronement of Ekaterina Alekseevna after the death of Peter the Great on January 28, 1725.

Coup in favor of Ekaterina Alekseevna

After the death of the emperor, diplomat and associate of Peter I Andrei Ivanovich Osterman entered into an alliance with the most influential person of the Peter I era - A. D. Menshikov with the aim of enthroning Empress Catherine. Although, there were other contenders, in particular, the son of Tsarevich Alexei - Peter (the future Peter II).

The Duke of Holstein - the husband of the eldest crown princess Anna Petrovna - also tried to influence the outcome of events, although according to the marriage contract of 1724 this couple was deprived of the right to inherit the Russian throne. In contrast to the Menshikov-Osterman alliance, there was another group in Russia that rallied around the Duke of Holstein, Anna Petrovna’s husband.

However, even his introduction to the Supreme Privy Council did not help the duke to influence events in any way (he did not speak Russian and generally had a very weak idea of ​​\u200b\u200blife in Russia).

As a result of the coup organized by Menshikov with the support of the guard, it was Catherine I who came to power.

Catherine's inability to govern was compensated for by the creation in February 1726 of the highest government institution - the Supreme Privy Council, staffed by the new nobility, Peter's closest associates. Menshikov quickly took over the Supreme Privy Council and, taking advantage of the boundless trust of the sick Catherine, became the de facto ruler of the country.

Political reshuffles in the era of Peter II

After the death of Catherine I in 1727, the question of power arose again. This time, it was Alexei’s son, Peter II, who was declared emperor (according to the will of Catherine I). By the way, it should be noted that in July 1727 (that is, a month and a half after Catherine’s death), the “Charter on the Succession to the Throne” was withdrawn by Decree of the Supreme Privy Council.

Anna Petrovna and the “Holstein” group led by her made an unsuccessful attempt to plot against Menshikov-Osterman, and, ultimately, against the accession of the young Peter. (By the way, not only the Holstein Germans took part in this conspiracy, but also Count P. A. Tolstoy and General Buturlin). The planned coup failed. A.I. Osterman, having become the educator and mentor of the young tsar, tried to do his work in the most conscientious manner. However, despite all his efforts, Osterman was never able to exert the proper influence on the boy autocrat.

Of course, personal, informal communication with the sovereign gave Osterman truly limitless opportunities - this is how he gradually prepared overthrow of Menshikov. The latter did not want to be content with his already enormous power, which ultimately alienated the entire political and court elite. It should be noted that A.I. Osterman again does not play the most important role in the overthrow of the “semi-sovereign ruler”: Osterman only assists the Dolgoruky clan. The fact is that it was this family, thanks to the friendship of Ivan Dolgoruky with the young tsar, that quickly gained strength at court and in politics. Menshikov, who openly pushed Peter around, on the contrary, was losing his former power.

Osterman “bet” on the Dolgorukys: a foreigner in Russia (even if crowned with the glory of a skilled diplomat) can make his policy only in a close alliance with the Russian oligarchs.

However, in 1730 Peter II dies.

Anna Ioannovna and her “conditions”

After the death of Peter II, the question of succession to the throne arose again. The Dolgorukys' attempt to enthrone the former royal bride, Ekaterina Dolgoruky, was unsuccessful.

The Golitsyn family, which traditionally competed with the Dolgorukys, nominated Anna of Courland, the niece of Peter I, as heir.

Anna Ioannovna received the crown at the cost of signing the Conditions limiting her power in favor of the Supreme Privy Council. In Russia, instead of an absolute monarchy, a limited monarchy was established.

However, the majority of aristocrats (and representatives of other segments of the population) did not like this idea of ​​the “supreme leaders”. They considered the Conditions an attempt to establish a regime in Russia in which all power would belong to two families - the Golitsyns and the Dolgorukys. After Anna Ioannovna publicly broke the Conditions, the Dolgoruky clan was subjected to repression.

The reign of Anna Ioannovna was a time of fierce struggle around the throne. Her all-powerful favorite Biron, Field Marshal B. Kh. Minikh, the same Osterman and a new face in court politics - Artemy Petrovich Volynsky - took part in the struggle.

As a result, Volynsky was executed on charges of high treason and attempting to carry out a palace coup against Anna.

Already in 1730, Anna Ioannovna became concerned about the issue of an heir. Since she did not have her own children, she placed all her hopes on her niece, Elizabeth Christina of Mecklenburg. Having received the name Anna Leopoldovna at baptism, she was declared successor. Or rather, the future child of Anna Leopoldovna was declared the heir.

By decree of December 17, 1731, the autocrat restored Peter’s “Charter on Heritage” of 1722 into force. And then the population of Russia took an oath of allegiance to the unborn son of the Tsar’s niece.

In 1732, Prince Anton Ulrich of Brunswick Bevern of Blakenburg of Luneburg, a scion of one of the most ancient royal families in Europe - the Welfs, arrived in Russia. He came to Russia under the guise of entering the Russian service, but his main mission was to become the husband of Anna Leopoldovna. In 1739, his engagement and wedding to Anna Leopoldovna took place, and in 1740 the long-awaited heir was born.

Thus, the threat from possible contenders - Elizaveta Petrovna and Karl Peter Ulrich of Holstein (the future Peter III) was eliminated.

In 1740 Anna Ioannovna died. In Russia, despite the fact that the heir, John VI, has been proclaimed (some authors call him John III), another palace coup is brewing...Biron is proclaimed regent.

Biron's regency - Minich's coup

The short period of the regency of Ernst-Johann Biron in historical works is covered and assessed quite unambiguously.

Biron's regency, which became possible with the active support of the same Minikh, Osterman, Cherkassky, lasted no more than three weeks. This speaks exclusively of E.I. Biron’s inability to govern the state independently, of his inability (or rather, unwillingness) to consolidate with those who could be useful to him.

Even having received the right to regency, Biron continues to fight with Minich. This time is also characterized by the confrontation between the regent and Anna Leopoldovna. In addition, Biron finally turns the princess’s husband, Anton Ulrich, against himself.

Discontent with the regent was brewing in the country. On November 8, 1740, another palace coup took place, only the “soul” of the conspiracy was Field Marshal General B. Kh. Minich.

The extremely ambitious Minikh counted on one of the first places in the state, but he did not receive either new posts or the expected title of generalissimo from the regent.

Adjutant G. Kh. Manstein describes in detail the arrest of Biron and his family in his “Notes on Russia”. In other words, the Germans carried out a coup against the Germans. In addition to the Germans, of course, Russian supporters of the regent also suffered.

For example, A.P. Bestuzhev-Ryumin - later a famous politician of the Elizabethan reign.

“Patriotic” coup of Elizaveta Petrovna

On November 25, 1741, another (and not the last in the 18th century) palace coup took place, and it was initiated by Elizaveta Petrovna, the youngest daughter of Peter I.

A lot has been written about this coup and almost all historical (and even more so fiction) literature interprets this event as "triumph of the Russian spirit", as the end of foreign dominance, as the only possible and even completely legal act.

V. O. Klyuchevsky calls Elizabeth as follows: “The most legitimate of all the successors and successors of Peter I.”

The name of Tsarevna Elizabeth was mentioned at every change of rulers since 1725, but each time the crown went to someone else.

Elizabeth has always been very calm about advice and calls to act for the sake of accession to the throne. It must be said that in 1741, “Petrov’s daughter” succumbed to the persuasion of her entourage only under the influence of fear of an unknown future.

In public opinion, Elizabeth, by the will of political circumstances, earned the reputation of the head of a certain “Russian” party opposing the dominance of foreigners at the courts of Anna Ioannovna and Anna Leopoldovna.

In this respect, the Elizabeth of 1741 was the exact opposite of the Elizabeth of 1725.

After the death of Peter, it was his daughters who, along with Catherine, were considered the main patrons of foreigners. Elizabeth in alliance with Anna Petrovna were symbols of Holstein influence on the Russian court. (Moreover, at that moment Elizabeth was considered the bride of the Lubeck Prince-Bishop Karl August, who later died of a transient illness. According to some sources, it was smallpox).

The patriotic feelings of Elizabeth's supporters were caused not so much by rejection of foreigners, but by their own interests.

The ease with which Minikh eliminated Biron also influenced the determination of Elizabeth’s supporters. In addition, the guards felt like a special force, a “hegemon,” so to speak. Minich himself once told them this: “Whoever you want to be a sovereign can be”.

In addition, there are inexorable facts indicating that Elizabeth collaborated with French and Swedish agents of influence - Shetardy and Nolken.

The night of the coup entered not only the history books, but also legends. There is a well-known phrase with which the crown princess led the guards on the assault: “You know whose daughter I am!” This was quite enough - Peter's authority was too great in all strata of society.

Elizabeth's victory brought to power a new generation of courtiers and prominent politicians - the Shuvalov family, M. I. Vorontsov, the Razumovsky brothers, and elevated A. P. Bestuzhev-Ryumin.

Of course, after the overthrow of Minich, Osterman, Levenwolde, as well as the Brunswick family, German influence at the Russian court practically disappeared.

However, having established herself on the throne, Elizabeth declared as her heir the Holstein-Gottorp Prince Karl-Peter-Ulrich, the son of Anna Petrovna, whose wife some time later became Sophia-Augusta-Frederica of Anhalt-Zerbst (Fike). The young princess has learned well the lessons that the Russian history of revolutions taught her - she will successfully implement them.

186 days of Peter III

The coup of June 28, 1762 (July 9, new style) in Russian and Soviet historical literature has always been interpreted unambiguously - smart, determined, patriotic Catherine overthrows her insignificant husband (in her opinion, an outcast and a traitor to Russian interests).

Vasily Klyuchevsky spoke about this event like this: “Mixed with the indignant national feeling in her (Catherine) was a smug consciousness that she was creating and giving the Fatherland her own government, albeit illegal, but which better than legal will understand and respect his interests.”

Catherine was already planning her future seizure of power in 1756. During the serious and prolonged illness of Elizabeth Petrovna, the Grand Duchess made it clear to her “English comrade” H. Williams that he had to wait only for the death of the Empress. (England at that moment was very beneficial from a change in political course in Russia).

However, Elizabeth died only in 1761 and her legal heir, Peter III, ascended the throne.

During his short reign, Peter implemented a number of measures that were supposed to strengthen his position and make his figure popular among the people. So, he abolished the Secret Investigation Office and gave the nobles the opportunity to choose between service and a carefree life on their estate. ( “Manifesto on the granting of freedom and liberty to the Russian nobility”).

It is believed, however, that the reason for the coup was precisely the extreme unpopularity of Peter III among the people. He was accused of disrespect for Russian shrines and the conclusion of a “shameful peace” with Prussia.

Peter led Russia out of the war, which depleted the country’s human and economic resources, and in which Russia fulfilled its allied duty to Austria (It should be noted that the thesis about the absence of “Russian interest” in the Seven Years’ War is controversial: during the hostilities it was not only conquered , but East Prussia was also officially annexed to Russia).

However, Peter made an unforgivable mistake by declaring his intention to move to recapture Schleswig from Denmark. The guards, who, in fact, supported Catherine in the upcoming coup, were especially worried.

In addition, Peter was in no hurry to be crowned, and in fact, he did not have time to comply with all the formalities that he was obliged to observe as emperor. Frederick II, in his letters, persistently advised Peter to quickly take the crown, but the emperor did not listen to the advice of his idol. Thus, in the eyes of the Russian people he was, as it were, a “fake tsar.”

As for Catherine, as the same Frederick II said: “She was a foreigner, on the eve of her divorce.” and the coup was her only chance (Peter emphasized more than once that he was going to divorce his wife and marry Elizaveta Vorontsova).

• Peter III: a modern sculptural portrait.

The signal for the start of the coup was the arrest of the officer, Preobrazhensky Passek. Alexey Orlov (brother of the favorite) early in the morning brought Catherine to St. Petersburg, where she addressed the soldiers of the Izmailovsky regiment, and then the Semyonovites. This was followed by a prayer service in the Kazan Cathedral and the oath of office of the Senate and Synod.

On the evening of June 28, a “march to Peterhof” was made, where Peter III was supposed to come to celebrate his name day and the name day of his heir Paul. The emperor's indecisiveness and some kind of childish obedience did their job - no advice or actions of those close to him could bring Peter out of states of fear and numbness.

He quickly abandoned the struggle for power and, essentially, for his life. The overthrown autocrat was taken to Ropsha, where, according to most historians, he was killed by his jailers.

Frederick II commented on this event: “He allowed himself to be overthrown like a child being sent to bed.”

Overthrow of Paul I

Paul I was strangled in his own bedroom on the night of March 11, 1801 in the Mikhailovsky Castle. The conspiracy included Agramakov, N.P. Panin, vice-chancellor, L.L. Benningsen, commander of the Izyuminsky light horse regiment P.A. Zubov (Catherine’s favorite), Palen, governor-general of St. Petersburg, commanders of the guards regiments: Semenovsky - N. I. Depreradovich, Cavalry Guard - F.P. Uvarov, Preobrazhensky - P.A. Talyzin, and according to some sources - the emperor's aide-de-camp, Count Pyotr Vasilyevich Golenishchev-Kutuzov, immediately after the coup was appointed commander of the Cavalry Regiment.

Initially, the overthrow of Paul and the accession of an English regent were planned. Perhaps the denunciation to the tsar was written by V.P. Meshchersky, the former chief of the St. Petersburg regiment stationed in Smolensk, perhaps by Prosecutor General P.Kh. Obolyaninov. In any case, the conspiracy was discovered, Lindener and Arakcheev were summoned, but this only accelerated the execution of the conspiracy. According to one version, Pavel was killed by Nikolai Zubov (Suvorov’s son-in-law, Platon Zubov’s older brother), who hit him with a golden snuffbox (a joke later circulated at court: “The Emperor died of an apoplectic blow to the temple with a snuffbox”). According to another version, Paul was strangled with a scarf or crushed by a group of conspirators who, leaning on the emperor and each other, did not know exactly what was happening. Mistaking one of the killers for the son of Constantine, he shouted: “Your Highness, are you here too? Have mercy! Air, Air!.. What have I done wrong to you?” These were his last words.

The funeral service and burial took place on March 23, Holy Saturday; committed by all members of the Holy Synod, headed by Metropolitan of St. Petersburg Ambrose (Podobedov).

After his death in 1725, the reigning the house split into two lines - imperial and royal.

According to the figurative expression of V.O. Klyuchevsky, the period from the death of Peter I to the accession of Catherine II was called the “era of palace coups”: during this time, six monarchs occupied the Russian throne, receiving it as a result of complex palace intrigues or coups with the direct participation of the guard (a privileged part of the army created by Peter I) .

In 1722, Peter I abolished the order of succession to the throne by will or conciliar appointment, replacing it with personal appointment. But he did not have time to appoint a successor. After his death, representatives of the family nobility (Golitsyn, Dolgoruky), who recognized Prince Peter as the heir, clashed with the bureaucratic authorities, who relied on Catherine I and won this fight with the help of the guards regiments. From that time on, the noble guard regiments became the main weapon of struggle between rival factions. All persons who came to the throne through a palace coup could not do without the support of the guard.

Under these conditions, there could be no question of continuing major reforms. A. D. Menshikov became the de facto ruler of the country. To help the empress govern the country, the Supreme Privy Council was created - the highest state body, the composition of which reflected the compromise between rival political forces. It included A. D. Menshikov, F. M. Apraksin, G. I. Golovkin, P. A. Tolstoy, A. I. Osterman, D. M. Golitsyn and the Holstein Duke Karl Friedrich, the husband of Peter’s eldest daughter. The majority turned out to be from the inner circle of Peter I.

After the death of Catherine I in 1727, according to her will, the grandson of Peter I, Peter II, was proclaimed emperor, and the functions of regent were transferred to the Supreme Privy Council, in fact to A.D. Menshikov.

Menshikov's policies aroused dissatisfaction even on the part of his recent allies. In September 1727, he was arrested and exiled to distant Berezov, where he soon died. Having achieved predominant influence in the Supreme Privy Council, the aristocratic group seeks to revise the transformations and, if possible, restore the order that existed in Russia before they were carried out.

In January 1730, the young emperor caught a cold during another hunt and died suddenly. During the discussion of possible candidates for the throne, the choice fell on the Duchess of Courland Anna Ioannovna, the daughter of Peter I’s brother, Ivan Alekseevich. Conditions were drawn up in deep secrecy, i.e. conditions for Anna Ioannovna's accession to the throne. Prince Golitsyn suggested: “We should make it easier for ourselves... to add more will. We should send points to Her Majesty.”

Conditions limited autocracy, but not in the interests of the entire nobility, but in favor of its aristocratic elite of eight people, who sat in the Supreme Privy Council. According to the conditions, the right to conclude peace, establish new taxes, promote ranks, command the army, choose a successor to the sovereign, and much more passed into the hands of the Supreme Privy Council. As S.M. notes Soloviev: “All the guarantees for eight, but against eight for the rest - where are the guarantees?”

These plans did not find support among either the nobles or the guards. Taking advantage of this, Anna Ioannovna proclaimed herself an autocratic empress, abolished the Supreme Privy Council, and sent its most active members to Siberia.

During the reign of Anna Ioannovna, the influence of foreigners reached unprecedented proportions. The tone at court was set by the empress's favorite, the Duke of Courland Biron, who enjoyed her boundless trust. He took a dominant position at court. During the years of Bironovism, foreigners were promoted to lucrative positions, which caused protest from the Russian nobility.

The symbol of Anna Ioannovna’s reign became the Secret Chancellery (successor to the Preobrazhensky Order), which monitored the trustworthiness of Russian subjects and was literally inundated with political denunciations. No one could consider themselves safe from “words and deeds” (an exclamation that usually began the procedure of denunciation and investigation)
Shortly before her death, the Empress appointed herself a successor - Ivan VI - the grandson of Catherine Ivanovna (daughter of Ivan V), and Biron, not his mother, was appointed regent of the child. In the conditions of general dissatisfaction with Biron, Field Marshal Minich, without much difficulty, managed to carry out another palace coup, which in November 1740 deprived Biron of the rights of regent. Ivan's mother was proclaimed regent

The coup could not satisfy the interests of wide circles of the Russian nobility, since the Germans still retained the leading position in the state. Taking advantage of the weakness of the government and her popularity, Elizabeth, the daughter of Peter I, dressed in a man's dress, appeared at the barracks of the Preobrazhensky Regiment with the words: “Guys, you know whose daughter I am, follow me. Do you swear to die for me?” - asked the future empress and, having received an affirmative answer, led them to the Winter Palace. So, during the next coup, carried out on November 25, 1741 in favor of the daughter of Peter I, Elizabeth, representatives of the Brunswick family who were on the Russian throne were arrested. The participants in the coup received generous rewards; those who did not have the title of nobility were elevated to the nobility.

Empress Elizaveta Petrovna reigned for twenty years from 1741 to 1761. The most legitimate of all the successors of Peter I, raised to the throne with the help of the guards, she, as V.O. wrote. Klyuchevsky, “inherited the energy of her father, built palaces in twenty-four hours and traveled from Moscow to St. Petersburg in two days, peaceful and carefree, she took Berlin and defeated the first strategist of the time, Frederick the Great... her courtyard turned into a theater foyer - everyone was talking about French comedy, Italian opera, but the doors did not close, there was a draft in the windows, water flowed down the walls - such “golden poverty”.
The core of her policy was the expansion and strengthening of the rights and privileges of the nobility. The landowners now had the right to exile rebellious peasants to Siberia and dispose of not only the land, but also the person and property of the serfs. Under Elizaveta Petrovna, the rights of the Senate, Chief Magistrate, and collegiums were restored. In 1755, Moscow University was opened - the first in Russia.

An indicator of Russia's increased influence on international life was its active participation in the pan-European conflict of the second half of the 18th century. — in the Seven Years' War 1756 - 1763.

Russia entered the war in 1757. In the first battle near the village of Gross-Jägersdorf on August 19, 1757, Russian troops inflicted a serious defeat on the Prussian troops. At the beginning of 1758, Russian troops captured Konigsberg. The population of East Prussia swore allegiance to the Empress of Russia, Elizabeth.

The culmination of the military campaign of 1760 was the capture of Berlin on September 28 by the Russian army under the command of Chernyshov. Frederick II was on the verge of death, but he was saved by a sharp turn in Russian foreign policy caused by the accession to the throne of Peter III, who immediately broke the military alliance with Austria, stopped military operations against Prussia and even offered Frederick military assistance.

Peter III was on the Russian throne for a short time from 1761 to 1762. Elizabeth Petrovna’s nephew turned out to be unable to lead the state. Particular censure of Russian society was caused by his admiration for Frederick II, the presence in many of his actions, as contemporaries expressed, of “shakyness and caprice.” The breakdown of the state mechanism was obvious to everyone, which led to a new palace coup. His wife Catherine II, relying on the support of the Izmailovsky and Semenovsky Guards regiments, proclaimed herself empress in June 1762. The Senate and Synod swore allegiance to her. Peter III's attempt to enter into negotiations did not lead to anything, and he was forced to personally sign the act of “spontaneous” oath abdication sent by Catherine.

Thus ended the era of “palace coups.”

The era of palace coups begins in 1725 and ends in 1762. The first date is the death of Peter I (pay attention to the spelling, sometimes they mistakenly write “the death of Peter 1”, but emperors were always designated by Roman numerals). Because of his “Decree on Succession,” which arose due to the emperor’s large and serious conflict with his own son, the circle of possible heirs increased significantly. And now it became unclear who to give preference to – Catherine I or Peter II? A struggle broke out between the nobles, and the winner was often the one who managed to secure in time the opportunity to rely on bayonets in the literal sense of the word. That is, to the guard.

This period ends in 1762, when Empress Catherine II came to power with the active support of Count Vorontsov. At the same time, her legal husband Peter III, through whose marriage she received the right to the throne, was rumored to have been killed. However, the official version insisted that he had colic. In a word, Russia after Peter turned out to be torn apart by a struggle for power. So, the era of palace coups refers to a very specific period when power was established by force. And the ruler, by design, was chosen by a group of nobles. Please note that the assassination of Paul I does not belong here, although it can also be called a coup. But this event no longer has anything to do with the era: it was not connected with the actions of Peter I, it had completely different reasons, Alexander became the emperor, who should have been the ruler from the beginning.

For students of palace coups, the era often becomes a difficult topic. Therefore, if, for example, there is a test, it is best to first try to learn the dates in order to understand exactly how long this or that board occupied. At the same time, this will allow you to see the big picture. If it’s difficult to imagine everything, a table will definitely help you.

So, the reign of Catherine I did not last long, until 1727. She died of consumption, according to one source. She was brought to power by Menshinkov. Power was greatly limited by the Supreme Privy Council. Then Peter II was crowned, who relied on the Dolgorukys. The Council continued to act, since the ruler was still frankly small and had little interest in state affairs. But in 1730 he dies of smallpox. And Anna Ioannovna, who ruled until 1740, becomes the empress. At first she was supported by some of the nobles and guards, and at the end of her reign - by the Secret Chancellery.

Then, in 1740-1741, Anna Leopoldovna was in power as regent of Peter the Great’s grandnephew Ioann Antonovich. She was deprived of power because support here was minimal, she relied mainly on the German nobility, and the people and nobles of Russian origin were terribly tired of this over the previous decade.

In 1741, Elizabeth I, daughter of Peter I, ascended the throne. She enjoyed extensive support from the guards regiments. Ruled until 1761, when the throne passed to Peter III. But he lacked support, and as a result, in 1762, Catherine II began to rule, who had the throne until 1796. She died a natural death.

Actually, this is the era of palace coups in brief; it clearly shows how many problems one rash Decree can cause. On the other hand, it gave women the opportunity to take the throne, and the Elizabethan and Catherine (meaning Catherine II) periods turned out to be very favorable for the empire. And from this point of view, the results of the palace coups cannot be called purely negative. After all, if it were not for Peter I, they would not have had the opportunity to take the throne. And all the heirs in the male line did not inspire confidence.

The era of palace coups: reasons

The main reason was the “Decree” of Peter I, dedicated to the succession to the throne, and also the fact that it gave the monarch the opportunity, in fact, to transfer the throne at his discretion to almost anyone. In general, this is enough, but if the 10th grade takes the test, they may be asked to list several factors. And here it is necessary to clarify that we were talking about the struggle for power between the nobles, that the coup as such was their only way to somehow influence what was happening in the country. When choosing this or that ruler, each clan also determined its policy, the direction in which everyone would move. Thus, the 10th grade must understand: what is important is what everyone saw in each of the candidates.

When Menshikov nominated Catherine I, he did not perceive her as a monarch. She was a woman who was convenient for him in this position, rather quiet, and not particularly knowledgeable about managing government affairs. An excellent option for actually taking power into your own hands.

A similar category is Peter II, only for the Dolgorukys for a long time. The young emperor was too young, understood little about what was happening in the country, and was practically not interested in anything. And for a long time I did not notice how they really treated him. The nobility, who relied on obedient puppets, were fine with this.

A similar situation was with Anna Ioannovna, and she really did not have a strong spirit. True, here the nobles did not take into account one important fact: the empress had already found someone to listen to. And this person turned out to be not a Russian courtier, but Count Ernst Biron, who, in fact, received full power.

Anna Leopoldovna practically did not choose to know, so it is not surprising that she did not stay long. And the same thing with Peter III, who was not popular with anyone. The strongest support came first from Elizabeth I, and then from Catherine II, who gradually gained supporters. And they both died a natural death. By the way, the presentation can clearly show all this, demonstrate the existence of a relationship between the number of supporters, the balance of the policy and the years of government. This way you can find a cause-and-effect relationship if you wish.

Russian foreign policy in the era of palace coups

If you have a test coming up, need a presentation, or are expecting a test, this issue should not be ignored. As you might guess, foreign policy during the era of palace coups was rather sluggish, because everyone shared power. In addition, changes in political course began to be perceived with caution, since rulers changed too quickly, and the views of the new emperor or empress often turned out to be completely different from those of his predecessor. And it was not entirely clear whether they should be accepted or is it better to just wait a little until the next ruler?

Something has changed more or less seriously since the times of Peter the Great, except with the advent of Elizabeth I. Russia began to influence the balance of power in Europe, took over part of Prussia, and successfully participated in the Seven Years' War. In fact, Russia almost captured the Prussian king, but Peter II, who simply adored everything Prussian, intervened in the situation. As a result, he ordered all the conquered territories to be given back, which became the reason for the strongest dissatisfaction with him as emperor.

In general, the period of palace coups was named so for a reason. It is characterized by instability, and one of its results was a categorical ban on women occupying the throne of the Russian Empire. So if you have a test coming up, this point is also worth keeping in mind.