Latest / The Romanov Dynasty: Rise, Power, and Bloody End — Fexingo History / Catherine the Great and the Crimean Annexation
Transcript
- Lucas: So we've talked a lot about Peter the Great and his push to the Baltic, but Catherine the Great turned Russia's gaze southward in a way that really reshaped the empire. And the big prize was Crimea. Luna: Crimea — that's a place with a long, complicated history. Lucas: Absolutely. When Catherine came to power in 1762, Crimea was a vassal state of the Ottoman Empire, ruled by the Crimean Khanate — descendants of the Mongol Golden Horde. They'd been raiding Russian and Ukrainian lands for centuries, even burning Moscow in 1571. So taking Crimea wasn't just expansion; it was revenge. Lucas: Catherine fought a major war with the Ottomans from 1768 to 1774. The Russians won decisively on land and sea — literally burned the Ottoman fleet at Chesme. The resulting Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca in 1774 was a game-changer. Crimea became independent from the Ottomans, but effectively a Russian protectorate. Luna: So Crimea was independent in name only? Lucas: Exactly. And that didn't last long. Catherine's lover and right-hand man, Grigory Potemkin, saw Crimea as essential for Russia's security and its ancient dream of controlling Constantinople. He convinced Catherine that annexation was the only way to stabilize the region. So in 1783, she issued a manifesto annexing Crimea outright. Lucas: Potemkin then rushed to develop the region, now called Novorossiya — New Russia. He founded cities like Kherson, Nikolayev, and most famously, Sevastopol, which became the home of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. And he resettled the area with Russians, Ukrainians, Germans, Greeks — anyone willing to farm the steppes. Luna: And what about the Crimean Tatars, the native population? Lucas: Many fled to the Ottoman Empire. Those who stayed were allowed to practice Islam, but their leadership was replaced. Over time, a steady stream of Tatar emigration continued, especially after the Crimean War in the 1850s. It's a demographic shift that still shapes the region today. Lucas: Potemkin also embarked on a famous tour of Crimea in 1787 with Catherine and foreign dignitaries. That's where the myth of 'Potemkin villages' comes from — the idea that he built fake settlements to impress the empress. In reality, he did stage some displays, but he also genuinely built real towns and infrastructure. Luna: So it's partly a smear campaign? Lucas: Partly. Rivals and later historians exaggerated the fakery to diminish Potemkin's achievements. But his work was real. The annexation gave Russia a warm-water port and a springboard for future wars with the Ottomans. Catherine even dreamed of a 'Greek Project' — restoring Byzantium under her grandson Constantine. Luna: Constantine — that's a loaded name. Lucas: Very. She named him after the last Byzantine emperor and had him raised by Greek nurses. The project never happened, but it shows how grand Catherine's ambitions were. By the time she died in 1796, Russia was a Black Sea power, and Crimea was its crown jewel. Luna: And that set the stage for every conflict over Crimea afterward — from the Crimean War to today. Lucas: Exactly. So when you look at Catherine's reign, the annexation of Crimea wasn't just a military conquest. It was a statement: Russia was now a Mediterranean power, a player in European affairs, and an empire that had finally avenged the old Tatar raids. And it all started with Potemkin's vision and Catherine's steel.