什麼是凱薩琳二世

Catherine II

俄羅斯語作Yekaterina Alekseyevna，原名Sophie Friederike Auguste, Prinzessin (Princess) von Anhalt-Zerbst。

別名凱薩琳大帝（Catherine the Great）。

俄國女皇（1762～1796年在位）。她是德意志親王的女兒，十四歲被選作未來成為彼得三世的妻子。這門婚事是一樁完全失敗的婚姻，因為她患有精神病的丈夫根本無能力治理國家，具有野心的凱薩琳打算將來除掉彼得，自己統治俄國。1762年彼得登上帝位後，她與情夫奧爾洛夫合謀逼迫彼得讓位給她（不久彼得即被謀殺），宣佈自己是女沙皇。在位三十四年期間，她讓俄國全力參與歐洲政治和文化活動。她與群臣重組俄國的行政和法律，並擴張俄國領土，取得克里米亞和大部分的波蘭土地。即位之前曾認為農奴制度不人道，曾想要解放黑奴，但即位後，卻加強執行農奴制。她精力充沛，興趣廣泛，擁有多位情夫，其中包括波坦金。

1729～1796年

Catherine II

ie Friederike Auguste, Prinzessin (Princess) von Anhalt-Zerbst,known asCatherine the GreatGerman-born empress of Russia (1762-96). The daughter of an obscure German prince, she was chosen at 14 to be the wife of the future Peter III. The marriage was a complete failure. Because her neurotic husband was incapable of ruling, the ambitious Catherine saw the possibility of eliminating him and governing Russia herself. After Peter became emperor in 1762, she conspired with her lover, Grigory G., Count Orlov, to force Peter to abdicate (he was murdered soon after) and have herself proclaimed empress. In her 34-year reign, she led Russia into full participation in European political and cultural life. With her ministers she reorganized the administration and law of the Russian empire and extended Russian territory, adding the Crimea and much of Poland. Though she had once intended to emancipate the serfs, she instead strengthened the system she had once condemned as inhuman. She had great energy and wide interests, and her personal life was notable for her many lovers, including Grigory Potemkin.