Russia's Irresistible Iron Lady (Catherine the Great)

Catherine the Great ( Екатери́на Вели́кая) was the enlightened despot of Russia, the princess turned benevolent tyrant, the warrior tsarina and the passionate paramour. She’s remembered for having scores of lovers, but she also expanded Russia way beyond her borders, and fostered a great cultural and artistic flourishing in Russia that turned a kingdom once considered a barbarian state into a respectable European power. Let's profile her.

Credits:
Host - Iain Russell
Video Editors - Alicia Gómez, Asif Afridi
Script editor - Helen Emmanuel

Sources:
Simon Dixon, ‘Catherine the Great’
Marc Raeff, ‘Catherine the Great, A Profile’
Virginia Rounding, ‘Catherine the Great: Love, Sex and Power
The Memoirs of Catherine the Great
BBC Radio 4 - In Our Time: Catherine the Great
Encyclopaedia Britannica: Catherine the Great

00:00 Intro
01:04 Bio
4:28 The Dutiful Princess
10:18 The Machiavelian Opportunist
15:27 The Charming Hedonist
20:35 Renaissance Woman
26:16 A Tyrant?
31:56 Final Thoughts