Catherine the great new biography of ingemars

Perhaps one of the most important leaders of the Russian Empire, Catherine the Second, or "The Great," helped set the foundations for the Russian “Westernization” in the 19th and 20th centuries.  Known for her intelligence and ambitions to rule the Russian Empire, Catherine not only challenged the social norms of the time but also set the precedent for women in powerful positions.  Catherine ruled through corruption, scandal, political reforms, and land expansion.  She consolidated power from the serfs and feudal lords by continuing the political reforms started by Peter the Great.  Land expansion dramatically increased during the Polish civil war in the late 1760's and again in 1768 when a Russian victory over the Ottoman Empire resulted in new territory stretching to the banks of the .  In addition to this, Catherine imported many great works in literature, art, and print from the Western European nation