It has often been said that the greatest Frenchman who ever lived wasin reality an Italian. It might with equal truth be asserted that thegreatest Russian woman who ever lived was in reality a German. But theEmperor Napoleon and the Empress Catharine II. resemble each other insomething else. Napoleon, though Italian in blood and lineage, madehimself so French in sympathy and understanding as to be able to playupon the imagination of all France as a great musician plays upon asplendid instrument, with absolute sureness of touch and an ability toextract from it every one of its varied harmonies. So the EmpressCatharine of Russia—perhaps the greatest woman who ever ruled anation—though born of German parents, became Russian to the core andmade herself the embodiment of Russian feeling and Russian aspiration.
At the middle of the eighteenth century Russia was governed by theEmpress Elizabeth, daughter of Peter the Great. In her own time, andfor a long while afterward, her real capacity was obscured by herapparent indolence, her fondness for display, and her seemingvacillation; but now a very high place is accorded her in the historyof Russian rulers. She softened the brutality that had reigned supremein Russia. She patronized the arts. Her armies twice defeated Frederickthe Great and raided his capital, Berlin. Had Elizabeth lived, shewould probably have crushed him.
In her early years this imperial woman had been betrothed to Louis XV.of France, but the match was broken off. Subsequently she entered intoa morganatic marriage and bore a son who, of course, could not be herheir. In 1742, therefore, she looked about for a suitable successor,and chose her nephew, Prince Peter of Holstein-Gottorp.
Peter, then a mere youth of seventeen, was delighted with so splendid afuture, and came at once to St. Petersburg. The empress next sought fora girl who might marry the young prince and thus become the futureCzarina. She thought first of Frederick the Great's sister; butFrederick shrank from this alliance, though it would have been of muchadvantage to him. He loved his sister—indeed, she was one of the fewpersons for whom he ever really cared. So he declined the offer andsuggested instead the young Princess Sophia of the tiny duchy ofAnhalt-Zerbst.
The reason for Frederick's refusal was his knowledge of thesemi-barbarous conditions that prevailed at the Rus