Catherine I and Peter II reigned for a total of only 5 years. However, during this time they were able to destroy many of the institutions that their great predecessor had created with great difficulty. No wonder Peter I before his death could not choose a worthy heir to whom he could give the throne with a pure heart.
The reign of the grandson of the first Russian emperor was especially mediocre.
Parents
The future Emperor Peter II is the last representative of the Romanov family in the direct male line. His parents were Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich and the German Princess Charlotte of Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel. His father was an unloved child who was constantly bullied by a great father. Alexei's marriage was dynastic and he married on the orders of Peter I. Princess Charlotte was also not thrilled at the prospect of going to the Muscovy as the wife of a strange, awkward young man who did not pay attention to her.
Anyway, the weddingtook place in 1711. The marriage lasted only four years, ending with the death of his wife after the birth of a boy named Peter after his grandfather.
Biography: childhood
At the time of his birth (October 12, 1715), the future Emperor Peter II was the third pretender to the Russian throne. However, this situation did not last very long. The fact is that a few days later his uncle was born. The baby was also named Peter, contrary to all customs, and in February 1718 he was declared the heir, bypassing his brother, Alexei. Thus, the childhood of the emperor's grandson was bleak and orphan, since he had no mother, and his father, who initially did not show much interest in him, was executed. Even after the death of Pyotr Petrovich, he was not brought closer to the court, since his grandfather, who decided to examine the prince, discovered his complete ignorance.
Question of Succession
According to all dynastic laws, after the death of Peter I, his only heir in the male line should take the throne. However, many representatives of the great boyar families who signed the death warrant for Tsarevich Alexei or had a relationship with her, rightly feared for their lives in the event of his son's accession to the throne.
So two parties were formed at the court: supporting the young Peter and consisting of his opponents. The latter received the strongest support of the emperor, who signed a decree on the abolition of the previous laws, which allowed the appointment of anyone whom the monarch considered to be the heir.worthy to take the throne. Since Peter the Great did not have time to do this during his lifetime, his closest colleague - Menshikov - managed to put Empress Catherine on the throne. However, the all-powerful prince understood that she would not rule for long, and he had the idea to marry the only male Romanov to his daughter Maria. Thus, over time, he could become the grandfather of the heir to the throne and rule the country at his discretion.
To do this, he even upset the engagement of Maria Menshikova and achieved recognition of the alleged son-in-law as the heir to the throne.
Ascension to the Throne
Catherine I died on May 6, 1727. When the will was announced, it turned out that she not only appointed her husband's grandson as the heir, but also ordered everyone to contribute to the conclusion of a marriage alliance between him and the daughter of Alexander Menshikov. The last will of the Empress was carried out, however, since Peter II had not reached marriageable age, they limited themselves to announcing the engagement. At the same time, the country began to be ruled by the Supreme Council, which was manipulated by the Most Serene Prince, who was going to eventually become the father-in-law of the emperor.
Peter II: reign
The teenage emperor, due to his age and abilities, was not able to rule on his own. As a result, power at first was almost entirely in the hands of his alleged father-in-law. As under Catherine I, the country was ruled by inertia. Although many courtiers tried to follow the precepts of Peter I, however, the political system he created could not operate effectively without his presence.
However,Menshikov tried in every possible way to increase the popularity of the young tsar among the people. To do this, he compiled two manifestos on his behalf. According to the first of them, those exiled to hard labor for non-payment of taxes were pardoned, and the serfs were canceled long-standing debts to the treasury. In addition, punishments have been significantly reduced. For example, it was forbidden to expose the bodies of the executed to the public.
In the field of foreign trade, the need for a radical reform is also long overdue. Peter II, or rather Alexander Menshikov, who ruled for him, reduced the duty on hemp and yarn sold abroad in order to increase the revenues of the treasury in this way, and the Siberian fur trade was generally exempted from paying a percentage of income to the state.
Another concern of Menshikov was to prevent palace intrigues in order to overthrow his power. To do this, he, as best he could, tried to caress his old associates. In particular, on behalf of the emperor, he conferred the rank of field marshal to princes Dolgorukov and Trubetskoy, as well as Burkhard Munnich. Menshikov granted himself the title of Commander-in-Chief and Generalissimo of the Russian Army.
Change of power
With age, the young emperor began to grow cold towards the Menshikovs. In this matter, Osterman played an important role, who was his tutor and tried in every possible way to wrest his student from the clutches of the Most Serene Prince. He was assisted by Ivan Dolgoruky, who wanted to marry Peter II to his sister, Princess Catherine.
When Menshikov fell ill in the summer of 1727, his opponents showed the young emperormaterials of the investigation in the case of Tsarevich Alexei. From them, he learned about the role of the father of his bride in the issue of condemnation and execution of the son of Peter I.
When Menshikov returned to work, it turned out that the future son-in-law left his palace and now discusses all issues only with Osterman and Dolgoruky.
Soon, His Serene Highness Prince was accused of embezzlement and treason and exiled with his family to the Tobolsk Territory.
Peter II himself moved to Moscow and announced his engagement to Ekaterina Dolgoruky. Now he indulged in entertainment, and the state was ruled by relatives of his fiancee.
Death
On January 6, 1730, after water lighting on the Moskva River, Peter II received a military parade and caught a bad cold. Upon arrival home, it turned out that he had smallpox. According to witnesses, in delirium, he was eager to go to his sister Natalia, who had died a few years before. The emperor died 12 days later and became the last Russian ruler to be buried in the Kremlin's Archangel Cathedral.
Peter II personality
According to the memoirs of contemporaries, the teenage emperor was neither smart nor diligent. In addition, he had little education, which is not surprising given that he was never properly supervised by adults. His whims and bad manners often caused bewilderment among ambassadors and foreigners who came to Russia and were presented to the court. Even if he could live to adulthood, it is unlikely that his reign would have been successful for the country.
