How did Catherine the Great come to power?

Catherine's parents, who had been hoping for a son, did not show a great deal of affection toward their daughter. ... Rise to power. Catherine was ambitious as well as intelligent and looked forward to the time she would rule Russia. read more

Catherine had great hopes about what the commission might accomplish, but it made little progress, and Catherine suspended the meetings at the end of 1768. War and revolt (1768–1774) Foreign affairs began to demand Catherine's attention. read more

Pretenders plagued Catherine the Great's reign in a way unmatched by any other period in Russian history. At least seventeen of the twenty-six pretenders during Catherine's reign appeared in one of three clusters; six from 1764–1765, six from 1772–1774, and five from 1782–1786. read more