Latest / The Romanov Dynasty: Rise, Power, and Bloody End — Fexingo History / Catherine the Great and the Annexation of Crimea
Transcript
- Lucas: Luna, for anyone coming with us through these conversations about Eastern Europe — we've talked a lot about the Romanovs, but I think we need to spend some time with Catherine the Great. She wasn't a Romanov by blood — she was a German princess who married into the family — but she became one of Russia's most transformative rulers. Luna: Absolutely. Catherine is one of those figures everyone's heard of but maybe doesn't know the specifics. Lucas: Exactly. And there's one episode in her reign that has massive echoes right up to today: her annexation of Crimea in 1783. If today was actually useful to you, the way these stay ad-free is listener support — buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It's a small gesture that keeps us going without any ads. Luna: That's a good point. I think many listeners find that helpful. Lucas: So, Crimea. Before Catherine, the Crimean Khanate had been a vassal of the Ottoman Empire for centuries, and it was a major source of slave raids into Russia and Poland. But by the late 18th century, the Khanate was weakening. Catherine saw an opportunity. Luna: She wasn't the first Russian ruler to eye Crimea, was she? Lucas: No, Peter the Great had tried and failed to secure a foothold on the Black Sea. But Catherine had a key advantage: the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca in 1774, signed after a decisive Russian victory over the Ottomans. That treaty gave Russia the right to 'protect' the Crimean Khanate, effectively making it a Russian puppet state. Luna: So they used that as a pretext for annexation? Lucas: Exactly. Over the next few years, Russia installed a series of puppet khans, but there was constant unrest. Catherine's lover and advisor, Prince Grigory Potemkin, convinced her that the only solution was outright annexation. In April 1783, Catherine signed a manifesto incorporating Crimea into the Russian Empire. Luna: Potemkin — he's the one famous for the 'Potemkin villages', right? Lucas: Yes, though the story is more complicated than the myth. The idea is that Potemkin built fake villages along the Dnieper River to impress Catherine during her 1787 journey to Crimea. In reality, he was showing off genuine development — new towns, fortresses, and the naval base at Sevastopol. But his enemies spread the rumor that it was all a facade. Luna: So the myth may have been political sabotage? Lucas: Exactly. Potemkin was a brilliant administrator and military commander. He personally oversaw the annexation, negotiating with the Tatar nobility, and he founded the city of Sevastopol as the home of Russia's Black Sea Fleet. That city would become a strategic linchpin for centuries. Luna: What happened to the Crimean Tatars? Lucas: It's a tragic chapter. Many Tatars resisted Russian rule, and there were mass deportations. Over the following decades, hundreds of thousands fled or were forced to relocate, especially after the Crimean War. The Tatar population was reduced from a majority to a minority. Catherine also encouraged Russian and other settlers to move in. Luna: So they were essentially colonized. Lucas: Yes. Catherine also had a grander vision — the so-called 'Greek Project'. She dreamed of restoring the Byzantine Empire under Russian control, with her grandson Constantine — named after the last Byzantine emperor — as its ruler. Crimea, with its ancient Greek colonies, was a stepping stone. Luna: That's audacious. Did it ever come close to happening? Lucas: Not really. The Ottomans were weakened but still powerful, and other European powers like Britain and Austria were wary of Russian expansion. The Greek Project remained a fantasy. But the annexation itself was a huge success. It gave Russia a warm-water port and control of the Black Sea, which Catherine proudly called 'the key to our house'. Luna: I can see why it still resonates today. Lucas: Absolutely. The 1783 annexation set a precedent for Russian claims that resurfaced in 2014. And the region's ethnic mix — Russians, Ukrainians, Tatars — still reflects those 18th-century policies. Catherine even renamed many places: the old Tatar capital Bakhchysarai remained, but new cities like Sevastopol and Kherson were given Greek names to emphasize continuity with ancient civilization. Luna: Did the annexation face any immediate international backlash? Lucas: The Ottomans were furious but couldn't do much — they were still recovering from the war. France and Britain protested diplomatically but didn't intervene. Catherine famously responded by saying, 'I have no enemies in Europe, only rivals.' She knew the balance of power was shifting in her favor. Luna: So it was a relatively bloodless conquest? Lucas: On the Russian side, yes. The annexation itself didn't involve a major battle — the Khanate collapsed internally. But the subsequent integration was harsh. There were uprisings in the 1780s and 1790s, brutally suppressed. And the Tatars who stayed were subjected to land confiscations and religious restrictions. Luna: Potemkin died before he could see the full fruits of his work, right? Lucas: Yes, he died in 1791, just a few years after Catherine's grand tour. Catherine outlived him by five years. She continued to consolidate power in the region, and her successors added more territory along the Black Sea coast. But Crimea remained the jewel. Luna: It's fascinating how one event — the annexation — had so many layers: geopolitics, ethnic cleansing, urban planning, even theatrical myth-making. Lucas: Exactly. And it all starts with Catherine's ambition and Potemkin's execution. The two of them, whatever their personal relationship, were a formidable team. Catherine once said of him, 'He is my right hand, my everything.' And in Crimea, that partnership changed history.