Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman by Robert K. Massie | Book Club

Suggested by: Book Shop Extra
Pages to read: 572
ISBN: 9780345408778 (Originally listed edition, & Edition Eugene is using)

Eugene's review of the book (Blog Link, Click Here)

Community Guidelines (Meetup Link, Click Here)

All Upcoming event (Meetup Link, Click Here)

Forthcoming Similar Events:
TBD

While reading the book, consider the below questions:
•What is the raison d’etre of the book? For what purpose did the author write the book? Why do people read this book?
•What are some limitations of the book?
•To whom would you suggest this book?
•Who was Catherine the Great?
•Who is Peter the Great?
•Who was Elizabeth?
•Who are Elizabeth’s parents?
•Why was Elizabeth able to take the throne?
•Why was Elizabeth not able to marry?
•What did Elizabeth think of Catherine?
•What were the features of Elizabeth’s evening balls?
•Who is Peter Ulrick of Holstein?
•What did Catherine think of Russia?
•What did Peter think of Russia?
•How did Sophia become Catherine?
•How did Catherine’s and Peter’s relationship change?
•What happened during the marriage of Catherine and Peter?
•How did Catherine change after Paul was born?
•What threats did Catherine face when Elizabeth was close to death?
•Why did the Count Nikita Panin support Catherine?
•Why did the Gregory Orlov support Catherine?
•Why did the Catherine Dashkova support Catherine?
•How was Catherine treated during the reign of Peter III?
•What policies were enacted during the reign of Peter III?
•How did Catherine take the throne of Russia?
•What happened to Peter III after Catherine took the throne?
•How was Catherine’s succession different than what was expected?
•How did Catherine effect Russian sovereignty?
•How did Catherine effect Russian religion?
•How did Catherine effect Russian army?
•How did Catherine effect Russian navy?
•How did Catherine effect Russian medicine?
•What happened to the Catherine’s imperial allowance?
•What kind of authority did Catherine think was needed in Russia?
•What did Catherine and Voltaire correspond on?
•What did Catherine think of the French Revolution?
•What did Catherine think of Diderot?
•What did Arseniy want for Religion?
•How did Catherine effect serfdom?
•What was Catherine’s love life as empress?
•How did Catherine handle Gregory Orlov?
•Who was Potemkin?
•What were Potemkin villages?
•How did Catherine change Russian laws?
•Did Catherine marry someone after Peter?
•What was Catherine’s relationship with her son, Paul?
•What happened to Paul’s marriage?
•How did rumors change the court of Russia?
•Who is Otto Brümmer?
•How did Brümmer treat Peter?
•Who was Staehlin?
•How did Johanna treat Sophia (Catherine) as a child?
•Who was George Lewis?
•What was Prussia’s status during the 18th century?
•What did Frederick think of Sophia (Catherine)?
•What happened to Ivan VI?
•Who was Bestuzhev?
•What was Johanna’s responsibility in Russia?
•Who is Madame Krause?
•Who were the Chernyshevs?
•What did Catherine think of the treatment of Elendsheim?
•What happened when Catherine wanted to go to Carnival in 1758?
•What was the situation with Khitrovo?
•What was Poland’s political structure?
•How did Catherine effect Poland?
•Why was Poland partitioned?
•How did the Ottoman Empire effect Russia?
•Who are the Cossacks?
•Who was Pugachev?

Your questions are important and will take priority. If you have questions about the book's content or related ideas, either let me know what your questions are or raise them during the discussion.