History of Russia from the Earliest Times. Volumes 19, 20

45 hrs. 27 min.

Language Russian

Author Sergey Solovyov

Narrator Ilya Prudovsky

Volume 19. From the reign of Empress Catherine I Alekseyevna to the reign of Empress Anna Ioannovna. 1727-1730.

Volume 19. Contents

Chapter 01. The End of the Reign of Empress Catherine I Alekseyevna
Foreign affairs. — The Persian War. — Osterman’s opinion on Persian affairs. — Prince Vasily Vladimirovich Dolgoruky appointed commander-in-chief. — His reports. — Turkish affairs. — Turkish setbacks in Persia. — Dolgoruky’s activities. — The French envoy’s suggestions to the Turks. — Russia’s relations with France. — The Hanover Alliance. — The appearance of an English squadron off Russian shores in a threatening posture. — Russia’s alliance with Austria. — Polish affairs. — The Thorn affair. — Activities of Commissioner Rudakovsky in Mogilev. — Courland affairs. — Yaguzhinsky’s embassy to Poland. — Swedish affairs; the dispatch of Prince Vasily Lukich Dolgoruky to Stockholm. — Sweden’s accession to the Hanover Alliance. — Relations with Denmark. — Relations with Prussia. — A general view of Russia’s foreign relations under Catherine I. — The question of succession to the throne. — Osterman’s opinion on reconciling interests. — The Duke of Holstein, Bishop of Lübeck—the bridegroom of Tsesarevna Elizabeth. — Concern for the army. — Menshikov goes over to the side of Grand Duke Peter. — The movement of the opposing side. — The Devier case. — Catherine’s testament. — Her death. — The proclamation of Grand Duke Pyotr Alekseyevich as Emperor.
Chapter 02. The Reign of Emperor Peter II Alekseyevich
Menshikov. — His measures to strengthen his power. — The emperor’s move to Menshikov’s house. — Peter’s instruction with Menshikov’s daughter. — Osterman, Münnich, Golitsyn, and the Dolgorukys. — The Duke of Holstein and his departure from Russia. — The grandmother-tsarina. — Shafirov. — The dispersal of Bestuzhev’s circle. — Makarov, Matveyev, and Volynsky. — The curriculum for the young emperor. — The Supreme Privy Council; the Senate. — Finances. — Abolition of the Chief Magistrate. — Activities of the Commerce Commission. — Softening of manners. — Church affairs. — Feofan Prokopovich’s struggle with his enemies. — Restoration of the hetmanate in Little Russia. — The fall of Menshikov. — The position of the Golitsyns. — Osterman’s position. — Reasons for the advantageous position of the Dolgorukys. — The grandmother-tsarina; her correspondence with Osterman. — The court’s move to Moscow. — The emperor’s relations with his paternal grandmother. — Relations with his other grandmother, on his mother’s side, the Duchess of Blankenburg. — The decisive favor of the Dolgorukys. — Menshikov in Berezov. — A new trouble with Bestuzhev’s circle. — Duchess Anna of Courland and her favorite Biron. — Duchess Anna Petrovna of Holstein; the birth of her son Karl Peter Ulrich; her death. — Court movements. — Activities of the Supreme Privy Council. — Abolition of the Preobrazhensky Prikaz. — The colleges. — Provincial administration. — Police. — Efforts to compile a new law code. — Activities of the Commerce Commission. — The poor state of the army and navy. — The case of Admiral Zmayevich. — The work of the geodesists. — The Academy of Sciences. — The state of the church. — Continuation of Feofan Prokopovich’s struggle with his enemies. — Affairs on the borderlands. — Foreign activity; Persian, Turkish, French, Austrian, Polish, Courland, Swedish, Danish, Prussian, and Chinese affairs. — The decision of the question of joining Asia with America. — The emperor’s betrothal to Princess Dolgorukaya. — Peter’s illness. — The Dolgorukys’ plan. — The emperor’s death.
Chapter 03. The Reign of Empress Anna Ioannovna
Anna’s election to the throne. — Restriction of autocracy. — Discontent among the clergy, the generals, and the gentry. — Embassy to Mitau. — Anna agrees to the terms proposed to her. — Yaguzhinsky’s behavior; his arrest. — Opinions on the state system submitted to the Supreme Privy Council. — Projects of the Supreme Privy Council. — Anna’s arrival. — Peter II’s funeral. — Anna’s ceremonial entry into Moscow. — A new form of oath. — Party movements. — Restoration of autocracy. — A second oath. — The character of the new empress. — Abolition of the Supreme Privy Council. — Restoration of the Senate to its former significance. — The empress’s presence in the Senate. — Abolition of primogeniture. — Establishment of the Cadet Corps. — Measures concerning justice. — Efforts regarding the law code. — Changes in legal proceedings. — Division of the Senate into departments. — Restoration of the office of Prosecutor General. — Establishment of the Judicial and Investigative prikazes. — Restoration of the Siberian prikaz. — Measures regarding voivodes’ abuses. — Financial measures. — Care for the army. — The fleet. — The question of staff establishments. — Activities of the Commerce Commission. — Police. — Church. — Affairs on the borderlands. — Persecution of the Dolgorukys. — Biron, Levenwolde, and Osterman. — Enlargement of the guard. — Luxury at court. — Discontents. — Rumiantsev’s disgrace. — Strong embitterment. — The death of Prince Mikhail Mikhailovich Golitsyn and the disgrace of Prince Vasily Vladimirovich Dolgoruky. — Reasons for the triumph of foreigners. — Restoration of the Preobrazhensky Prikaz. — Establishment of the Cabinet. — Removal of Yaguzhinsky and Shafirov. — The court’s move to Petersburg. — Foreign activity in the first three years of Anna’s reign.
Appendices to Volume 19

Volume 20. The Reign of Empress Anna Ioannovna. 1730-1740.

Volume 20. Contents

Chapter 01. Continuation of the Reign of Empress Anna Ioannovna
Events in Warsaw after the death of Augustus II. — Strengthening of the party of Stanisław Leszczyński. — France’s conduct. — Actions of the Polish magnates. — Russia demands the exclusion of Leszczyński from the candidates for the Polish throne. — Declarations of France and Austria. — The Convocation Sejm. — Actions of the Russian plenipotentiary Count Karl Gustav Levenwolde in Warsaw. — Poniatowski, the Princes Czartoryski, Primate Fyodor Potocki. — The appeal of Leszczyński’s opponents to Russia. — Russia and Austria put forward the Elector of Saxony as their candidate for the Polish throne. — Prussia’s resistance and relations with it. — The failure of Rudomina, sent by the Stanisław party to Petersburg. — The Electoral Sejm. — The majority elects Leszczyński. — The protest of the minority. — Arrival of Russian troops. — Reasons that compelled Russia to use armed intervention. — General Lacy’s campaign. — Election of Augustus III as King of Poland. — Relations between Levenwolde and the Russian generals. — Formation of confederations in favor of Leszczyński, who had established himself in Danzig. — Lacy’s march on Danzig. — Münnich replaces him. — Münnich takes the suburbs and bombards the city. — His correspondence with the Prussian king. — The confederates’ movement to aid Danzig and their failures. — The unsuccessful Russian assault on Hagelsberg. — French aid to Danzig. — The first battle of the Russians with the French. — The surrender of Danzig. — Levenwolde’s trips to Vienna, Leipzig, and Berlin. — Relations with Denmark, Sweden, and England. — The state of affairs in Poland. — Successes of Russian troops against the Stanisław party. — Münnich in Poland. — Discontent of the inhabitants of Lithuania. — General Lacy’s march to the Rhine to assist Emperor Charles VI. — Russia’s clash with Turkey. — Prince Golitsyn’s embassy to Persia. — Causes of the Turkish war.
Chapter 02. Continuation of the Reign of Empress Anna Ioannovna
General Leontyev’s unsuccessful campaign against Crimea. — Münnich’s conference with the Zaporozhians about the future campaign. — Münnich’s quarrel with the Prince of Hesse-Homburg. — News from Persia and Austria. — The campaign of 1736. — The siege of Azov. — Münnich’s Crimean campaign. — His clash with Prince Shakhovskoy. — The taking of Perekop, Kozlov, and Bakhchisarai. — Münnich’s return to the Dnieper. — The taking of Kinburn and Azov. — Münnich’s clash with Lacy. — His correspondence with the empress. — Reports of Resident Veshnyakov from Constantinople. — His departure from there. — News from Persia and Vienna. — The campaign of 1737. — The taking of Ochakov. — Report of the Austrian military agent Berenklau. — Lacy’s Crimean campaign. — Actions of the Austrians. — The Nemirov Congress. — The campaign of 1738. — Lacy’s second campaign in Crimea. — Austrian reports on the Russian manner of warfare. — Actions of the Persians and Austrians. — French mediation. — Reports of the Russian envoy Kantemir from Paris. — The campaign of 1739. — Orlik’s intrigues. — The Battle of Stavuchany. — The taking of Khotyn. — Occupation of Jassy. — Peace.
Chapter 03. Continuation of the Reign of Empress Anna Ioannovna
The Cabinet. — The Senate. — The colleges. — Provincial administration. — The army. — Term of noble service. — Decree concerning landless retired servicemen. — Recruitment levies. — The fleet. — Finances. — Industry. — Tatishchev’s activities at the Siberian mining works. — Peasants. — The first bank. — Justice. — Police. — Fires. — Epidemics. — Banditry. — Morals and customs. — Education. — The Cadet Corps. — The Academy of Sciences. — The Russian Assembly. — Trediakovsky. — Mankiev. — Tatishchev. — Kantemir. — Feofan Prokopovich; his final struggles and death. — The clergy.
Chapter 04. The End of the Reign of Empress Anna Ioannovna
Affairs on the borderlands. — Little Russia. — The Orenburg expedition and the Bashkir revolt. — Siberia. — Dangers to the western borderlands from Sweden. — Relations with Poland, Prussia, and England. — French policy regarding Russia. — France wishes to take advantage of Russian discontent against the government. — Causes of discontent. — Exiles and executions. — Biron’s might. — Feud among the Germans. — Yaguzhinsky, Volynsky, Bestuzhev-Ryumin. — The empress’s illness. — The question of the regency. — Anna’s death.
Appendices to Volume 20