REIGN OF CATHARINE II.

From 1774 to 1781.

Peace with Turkey.—­Court of Catharine II.—­Her Personal Appearance and Habits.—­Conspiracy and Rebellion.—­Defeat of the Rebels.—­Magnanimity of Catharine II.—­Ambition of the Empress.—­Court Favorite.—­Division of Russia into Provinces.—­internal Improvements.—­New Partition of Poland.—­Death of the Wife of Paul.—­Second Marriage of the Grand Duke.—­Splendor of the Russian Court.—­Russia and Austria Secretly Combine to Drive the Turks out of Europe.—­The Emperor Joseph II.

CHAPTER XXVII.

Termination of the reign of Catharine II.

From 1781 to 1786.

Statue of Peter the Great.—­Alliance Between Austria and
Russia.—­Independence of the Crimea—­The Khan of the Crimea.—­Vast
Preparations for War.—­National Jealousies.—­Tolerant Spirit of
Catharine.—­Magnificent Excursion to the Crimea.—­Commencement of
Hostilities.—­Anecdote of Paul.—­Peace.—­New Partition of
Poland.—­Treaty with Austria and France.—­Hostility to Liberty in
France.—­Death of Catharine.—­Her Character.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

The reign of Paul I.

From 1796 to 1801.

Accession of Paul I. to the Throne.—­Influence of Hereditary Transmission of Power.—­Extravagance of Paul.—­His Despotism.—­The Horse Court Martialed.—­Progress of the French Revolution.—­Fears and Violence of Paul.—­Hostility to Foreigners.—­Russia Joins the Coalition Against France.—­March of Suwarrow.—­Character of Suwarrow.—­Battle on the Adda.—­Battle of Novi.—­Suwarrow marches on the Rhine.—­His Defeat and Death.—­Paul Abandons the Coalition and Joins France.—­Conspiracies at St. Petersburg.

CHAPTER XXIX.

Assassination of Paul and accession of Alexander.

From 1801 to 1807.

Assassination of Paul I.—­Implication of Alexander in the Conspiracy.—­Anecdotes.—­Accession of Alexander.—­The French Revolution.—­Alexander Joins Allies Against France.—­State of Russia.—­Useful Measures of Alexander.—­Peace of Amiens.—­Renewal of Hostilities.—­Battle of Austerlitz.—­Magnanimity of Napoleon.—­New Coalition.—­Ambition of Alexander.—­Battles of Jena and Eylau.—­Defeat of the Russians.

CHAPTER XXX.

Reign of Alexander I.

From 1807 to 1825.

The Field of Eylau.—­Letter to the King of Prussia.—­Renewal of the War—­Discomfiture of the Allies.—­Battle of Friedland.—­The Raft at Tilsit.—­Intimacy of the Emperors.—­Alexander’s Designs upon Turkey.—­Alliance Between France and Russia.—­Object of the Continental System.—­Perplexities of Alexander.—­Driven by the Nobles to War.—­Results of the Russian Campaign.—­Napoleon Vanquished.—­Last Days of Alexander.—­His Sickness and Death.