Empire

76. The Empress & The General

Aug 31, 2023

Historian and author Simon Sebag Montefiore joins to discuss Catherine the Great's partnership and love affair with Grigory Potemkin. They consolidate her rule, expand the Russian Empire, build new cities and ports in New Russia, discuss Russia's growing power in Europe, Potemkin's extravagant lifestyle, and the reign of a brutal Shah.

52:20

Episode guests

Simon Sebag Montefiore

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Quick takeaways

Catherine the Great and Grigory Potemkin formed one of history's greatest partnerships, consolidating her rule and expanding the Russian Empire.

Catherine the Great's reign set the stage for future Russian expansion and shaped the empire's ambitions in the 19th century, leading to conflicts with other European powers.

Deep dives

Legacy of Catherine the Great

Catherine the Great's reign was a golden age for Russia, marked by territorial expansion, military achievements, and administrative reforms. She left a lasting legacy as one of Russia's most influential rulers, known for her intellect, diplomacy, and cultural patronage. However, her legacy also includes controversial policies, such as the partition of Poland and the betrayal of Georgian allies. Catherine's reign set the stage for future Russian expansion and shaped the empire's ambitions in the 19th century, leading to conflicts with other European powers and the emergence of the Great Game in Central Asia.

Introduction

3min

Challenges and Solutions for Catherine the Great

14min

Building New Cities and Ports in New Russia

12min

Russia's Growing Power and European Opinions

2min

Potemkin's Expansionism and Extravagant Lifestyle

7min

The Reign of the Shah: Betrayal, Brutality, and Expansion

15min

With her reign in peril in three separate arenas, Catherine begins to turn her attention to a young soldier, Grigory Potemkin. What follows is one of the great partnerships (and love affairs) of history. Together, they consolidate her rule then rapidly expand; seizing vast parts of modern Ukraine, annexing Crimea, building Kherson and Sevastopol, and taking the Russian Empire to its apogee. Listen as William and Anita are joined by Simon Sebag Montefiore for the final time as they tell the tale of the Russian Empire’s finest moment.

Twitter: @Empirepoduk

Email: empirepoduk@gmail.com

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Producer: Callum Hill

Exec Producer: Jack Davenport + Neil Fearn

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