Latest / The Romanov Dynasty: Rise, Power, and Bloody End — Fexingo History / Empress Elizabeth and Russia's Seven Years' War Triumph
Transcript
- Lucas: So Luna, we've covered a lot of Romanov ground — Peter the Great's reforms, Catherine's art, the tragic end. But one ruler who often gets overlooked is Elizabeth Petrovna, Peter's daughter, who reigned from 1741 to 1762. She was a fascinating mix: a lover of luxury and balls, but also a shrewd leader who put Russia on the map as a European great power. Luna: I didn't know much about her. Wasn't she the one who came to power in a coup? Lucas: Exactly right. After Peter the Great died in 1725, Russia had a chaotic succession — his wife Catherine I, then his grandson Peter II, then Anna Ioannovna, and then the infant Ivan VI, who was only two months old when he became tsar. The real power behind Ivan was his mother, Anna Leopoldovna, and a German-dominated court. That didn't sit well with the Russian guards regiments. Lucas: Elizabeth, who was Peter the Great's daughter by his second wife, Catherine I, had been living quietly, almost under suspicion. On the night of December 6, 1741, she walked into the barracks of the Preobrazhensky Regiment — the same regiment her father had started — and said, 'Whom do you want to serve: me, the daughter of Peter the Great, or the foreigners?' The soldiers cheered, followed her to the Winter Palace, and arrested the infant Ivan and his family. It was practically bloodless. Luna: So she was seen as a legitimate heir because she was Peter's daughter. Lucas: That was the key. Elizabeth had been born before her parents formally married, so technically she was illegitimate. But Peter had later recognized her and she had been raised as a princess. The guards and the people remembered Peter's glory, and Elizabeth positioned herself as his true successor. Once in power, she declared that she would restore Peter's policies and expel foreign influence. Lucas: And she did, in many ways. She revived the Senate, reduced the power of the German faction, and promoted native Russians. But she also kept many of Peter's administrative reforms and continued the westernization of Russia. Culturally, Elizabeth's court became one of the most glittering in Europe. She adored French fashion, architecture, and theatre. It was under her that the Winter Palace we think of today — the one that burned in 1837 — was built, designed by the Italian architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli. Luna: That palace must have been incredible. Rastrelli's work is so ornate. Lucas: It was — all blue, white, and gold, with hundreds of rooms, vast halls, and a huge chapel. Elizabeth also commissioned the Smolny Convent and the Catherine Palace at Tsarskoye Selo, which is that stunning blue and white building we see in photos today. But perhaps her most lasting legacy in education was the founding of Moscow University in 1755, at the urging of the great scientist Mikhail Lomonosov. Luna: Moscow University — that's the oldest in Russia, right? Lucas: Yes, and it was a landmark. Before then, higher education was mostly limited to the clergy or the Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg. Elizabeth's decree establishing the university stated that it would be open to all classes except serfs. Lomonosov, a peasant's son who became Russia's first great scientist and poet, argued that Russia needed its own institution for learning. And she listened. Lucas: Now, domestically, Elizabeth was no radical. She was deeply religious and conservative in many ways. She made a personal vow never to execute anyone, and she kept it — during her entire reign, no one was put to death, which was remarkable for the time. But she also faced a huge challenge: the Seven Years' War, which broke out in 1756. Luna: The Seven Years' War — that's the one with Frederick the Great, right? Lucas: Exactly. It was a global conflict, but in Europe, it pitted Prussia against Austria, France, Russia, and Sweden. Frederick II of Prussia, known as Frederick the Great, was a brilliant military commander. Russia entered the war in 1757, and initially things went poorly. The Russian commander, Stepan Apraksin, won a bloody battle at Gross-Jägersdorf but then withdrew, which seemed suspicious. Elizabeth had him court-martialed — he died in prison. Lucas: Then in 1758, at the Battle of Zorndorf, the Russians under William Fermor fought Frederick's army to a standstill. It was a draw, but both sides suffered huge losses. The real turning point came the next year, at Kunersdorf, near Frankfurt an der Oder. The Russian army, now commanded by Pyotr Saltykov, joined with Austrian forces. Frederick attacked them on a hill called the Mühlberg, and it was a disaster for him. Luna: I've heard Kunersdorf was Frederick's worst defeat. Lucas: It was arguably the moment Prussia almost collapsed. Frederick himself wrote, 'I have no more resources, and to tell the truth, I consider everything lost.' Over 20,000 Prussians were killed or wounded. Only Frederick's personal courage and the exhaustion of the allies prevented a complete rout. Still, the Russians took Berlin briefly in 1760 — they occupied the city for a few days, though they didn't destroy it. Lucas: Elizabeth was determined to crush Frederick. She said, 'I will not make peace until this king is brought to reason.' And she might have succeeded, but in January 1762 she died — of a stroke, after a period of poor health. And her successor, Peter III, was an ardent admirer of Frederick. He immediately pulled Russia out of the war, returned all captured territories, and even allied with Prussia against Austria. That's the famous 'Miracle of the House of Brandenburg'. Luna: And it was Peter's pro-Prussian policies that made him so unpopular and led to his overthrow by Catherine. Lucas: Exactly. Peter III reigned only six months before his wife, Catherine, overthrew him in a coup, with the help of the same guards regiments that had supported Elizabeth. So Elizabeth's death was the turning point of the war. Her stubbornness and Russia's performance on the battlefield had demonstrated that Russia was now a major European power, capable of humbling even Frederick the Great. Luna: You mentioned she never executed anyone. What was she like personally? Lucas: She was famously pleasure-loving — she loved dancing, banquets, and beautiful clothes. She had a collection of over 15,000 dresses. She never married, but she had a long-term relationship with Alexei Razumovsky, a Ukrainian Cossack who became a count. Some say they secretly married, though it was never acknowledged. She also had a strong temper, but she was genuinely popular with the common people. Lucas: One thing we've seen with the Romanovs is how often the wrong successor can undo progress. Peter III almost threw away everything Elizabeth had fought for. But Catherine the Great, his usurper, turned out to be one of Russia's greatest rulers — and she built on Elizabeth's foundations. Luna: Speaking of foundations, I really appreciate how you dive into these less-known reigns. It makes the whole story make more sense. Lucas: That's the idea — if you're getting something out of these deep dives, it's because listeners like you support the show. We keep it ad-free so we can explore topics like this without interruption. If you find these conversations useful, you can help keep them going at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It's a small thing that really makes a difference. Luna: Yeah, it's nice to know there's a way to say thanks without intrusive ads. So back to Elizabeth — what about the peasants during her reign? Lucas: That's a good question. Elizabeth continued the trend of tightening serfdom. She allowed nobles to exile serfs to Siberia, and she increased the number of state peasants assigned to factories. The burden on the peasantry grew worse, which sowed seeds for later unrest. But she also reduced the poll tax for some categories and forbade cruel punishments for criminals. It was a mixed record. Lucas: One fascinating detail: Elizabeth was deeply superstitious and religious. She made a pilgrimage on foot from Moscow to the Trinity Lavra, a distance of over seventy kilometers, and she often visited monasteries. She also banned capital punishment, but she used other forms of punishment like exile and forced labor. The irony is that while she was merciful in some ways, she didn't hesitate to use secret police against political opponents. Luna: So she was a woman of contradictions. Lucas: Absolutely. And that's what makes her so interesting. She was the last direct descendant of Peter the Great on the throne. After her, the Romanov line continued through Peter's nephew's line, which brought in German blood. Elizabeth's reign was a golden twilight of the old Muscovy mixed with a new, European-style court. Lucas: When she died, Russia was at the height of its military prestige, its culture was flourishing, and its universities were being born. Yet within a year, all that seemed to be reversed by Peter III. But Catherine the Great would pick up where Elizabeth left off, and she often credited Elizabeth as a model. Luna: I feel like I need to read more about her. Is there a good biography? Lucas: There's a classic one by Virginia Rounding, called 'Catherine the Great: Love, Sex, and Power' — but actually, there's a specific book on Elizabeth: 'Empress Elizabeth of Russia' by Tamara Talbot Rice. It's older but still solid. Or you could dive into the Russian-language primary sources, but that's a rabbit hole. Lucas: So next time, maybe we'll look at Catherine's early years and how she outmaneuvered everyone to become the empress we remember. But for now, I think we've given Elizabeth her due. Luna: Absolutely. Thanks for bringing her story to light.