Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1904-01-23
The GATHERINGS


of peter the Great. the hopes of the
rsar were ceutered on his little three
year-old SON Peter Petro"ltz' his
bapes were short-Hved however for the
little prince died "a year after his han
BROTHER Alexis.
Peter was overwhelmed with grief
and must now name new successor 10
the throne He formed a plan Of rails
ing his second wife Catherine to nm
equal place on the throne with hihiSeIi
and to be his successor as Fsarln1'
after his death. Shortly after this IN
f725 Peter died TWO parties then
sprang up. one favoring Catherine ana
the other wishing to put Peter the
Greats grandson, Peter AleXieyitch ana
son of Alexis on the throne.
GATHERINGS side, however, was the
stronger and the minority seeing they
could not win tried to compromise.
They would have Peter Alexievitch
crowned with Catherine as regent but
GATHERINGS advisors deemed it best for
themselves to keep all the power they
eould She was therefore crowned as
Catherine T. Czarina of Russia. This
was a unique event in Russian history
Cor Catherine was a foreigner by birth
aIfterate and a second wife and many
suffered exile and torture rather than
take the oath of allegiance to this
xoman At the sack of Manenburg in
tT02 Catherine had been taken a pris
oner. She was serf and a servant in
the house of Gluck and was bethrothed
to a Swedish dragoon, Though her ma
tionality is not positively known she
was probably a Lioonian. Despite the
naee of her ignorance and low birth she
had a bright vivacious mind and sound
Judgment. She reigned for two years
and the poljcy and reforms Of Peter
we're continued.
Menchikof. one of GATHERINGS favor
tes created about the only disturbance
during her reign. She gave him Ba
torernie the capital of MeZeppa but
he ruled with such despotism and his
character was so bad that many Of the
mobiles were inclined to rebel. Catherine
succeeded in quoting the outbreak by
sending some of them to Siberia and by
curbing the ambition of Menchikof. In
1886 the academy of science was
founded.
Two years after the death of the first
catherine was born Sophia Frederick
Augusta the daughter of Christian Au
gust,s. Prince of Anhalt -Zerbst. who
was destined to hold as Catherine II.
place in history that few have equalled.
She was brought up in a simple manner
In Strettni and Zerbst occasionally
visiting Hamberg. She was a great ad-
mirer of frederick II of Germany and
1t was at his court that she learned
much in way Of intrigues that helped
her so well during her reign.
She Joined the Lutheran church but
on marrying Peter Fedorovitch. heir
apparent To the Russian throne she
Joined the Greek church. The marriage
was supposed to have been the result
at mutual attractions, but difficulties
suou arose between them.
Peter had lived a life of Incidence
and idleness not seeming to care for
anything but drilling his battalion. He
never studied. cared nothing for Rus
sian customs or traditions but was a
great admirer OF Frederick of Prussia
aud tried to initiate him even drilling
his men according to Prussian meth
DDS. His disposition seems to have
been good but both his face and form
were ugly in appearance.
On the other hand Catherine was
handsome aud graceful, with a mind
quick and crafty and inscriptions in
gaining her ambitions. Difficulties soon
sprang M between them and each be-
gan to plot against the other though
Peter was no match for the crafty
Catherine
She succeeded in ingrotiatinG her
self with the Empress Elizabeth and
used her power and the influence of
Count Panin who was afterwards
GATHERINGS prime minister against
Peter till he was In danger of being eX-
eluded from the throne, Though Peter
had planned on a divorce he saw II
was best to have reconciliation with
his wife and as she saw the plan was
fur her pest interests an assurance
nom Peter that hostile measures
against her would discontinue, she
consented.
Elizabeth on her death bed
forgave them and when shortly after.
wards on the 9Th of January, 1862, she
died Peter assembled the throne under
the title of Peter III, Peter did not
succeed in making himself popular.
either with his own subjects or with
the other nations. His great admira
ton for the king of Prussia and the
latter's power over him caused the for
sign ministers to look on him with
suspicion. He antagonized the Greek
church by taxing the priests heavily
and taking much of the church prop
erty over to the crown. Catherine on
the contrary showed great piety at
least in her attendance to public wor-
ship.
Peters enemies were Catherine
friends and they used all OF Peters un-
wise actions to influence the soldiers
ann AGAINST y.