Tsar Peter III of Russia: Tragic, Foolish, and Psychotic

 

 

By late 1761, Russian forces had seriously weakened Prussia in the Seven Years’ War. Frederick the Great’s setback at Zorndorf and Kunersdorf augured for a ruinous end to the war for Prussia. All of this changed when Empress Elizabeth died on Christmas Day 1761, her nephew ascending the throne as Tsar Peter III. On open admirer of Prussia and Frederick, Peter immediately ended the war, giving up Russian gains, and treating the Prussian king as the victor. This began a process of alienation that resulted in his death six months later.

 

Peter of Holstein

 

Having grown up in Holstein, south of Denmark, Peter III retained his German influences once arriving in Russia as heir to Elizabeth. Unlike his wife Catherine, a German princess from Anhalt-Zerbst, Peter refused to convert to Orthodoxy, favoring Lutheranism. Given to parties and wild carousing, the future Tsar refused to learn Russian or understand the culture and people.

 

Upon ascending the throne in December 1761, he exacerbated the growing distrust against him. Concluding a peace with Prussia on less than favorable terms alienated members of the military. Catherine, recalling the events in a letter sent to a friend, stated that “Peter III lost what little intelligence he ever had.”

 

He promoted Protestantism, ordered the confiscation of church property, eliminated some icons, and forced the elite Guards regiments into Prussian uniforms. Perhaps his only positive act was the Charter to the Nobility of February 18, 1762 which freed the nobility from compulsory state service, in place since the reign of Peter I.

 

Bloodless Revolution

 

On June 28^th, Peter arrived at Peterhof, intending to meet his wife, Catherine. Soon the news of the coup d’etat reached him out of St. Petersburg. Catherine had been proclaimed Empress at the Kazan Cathedral and was supported by the three elite Guards units that had been so instrumental in the revolution. In desperation, Peter sailed to Kronstadt, the Russian naval base on the Gulf of Finland, in hopes of rallying troops.

 

Kronstadt was already loyal to Catherine, however. By now the Empress was riding back to Peterhof at the head of her Guards when two letters from Peter arrived. The first offered Catherine joint-rulership of Russia; the second requested that he be allowed to return to Holstein with his mistress. Neither letter was considered.

 

Peter III was imprisoned at an estate in Ropsha. From there, he would be taken to the Schleusselburg Fortress. Within a week, however, Peter III was dead, most probably murdered by Alexis Orlov, one of Catherine’s lovers. Catherine, writing of the event, states that she had Peter “opened” and it was found that he had died of “inflammation of the bowels and apoplexy.” Colic was the official cause of death.  Historians are in agreement that no evidence exists that Catherine planned or knew of his impending murder.

 

Summary

 

Peter III’s death ended an extended period of palace revolutions sometimes referred to a “second Time of Troubles.” Inept and mentally unbalanced, Peter III virtually drove Russia’s disaffected nobility, churchmen, and military leaders into the hands of Catherine, whose wise coalition building for several years ensured not only her bloodless accession to the throne but a long and successful reign. 

Copyright of this article is owned by Michael Streich. This article first appeared in Suite101 on-line in 2008.