Catherine became well-versed in French philosophy, the Russian language and the ins and outs of statecraft.
She met him on the day of the 1762 coup that put her in power; he was part of the guard that overthrew her husband.
Catherine knew that the best way to hold on to her power was to avoid marriage.
Once the peasant army saw what they were up against, most deserted Pugachev, who was soon captured and publicly executed.
Other notable names in Catherine's life included Russian nobleman Grigory Potemkin and Polish noble Stanislaw Poniatowski.
To do this, we need to have happy horses that enjoy their job.
According to , Catherine was determined to remake Russia's world image.
Once Paul had children of his own, Catherine stepped in and took over their upbringing.