Catherine the Great: How to survive on the Russian throne

During the turbulent 18th century, few leadership positions in Europe were as dangerous as the Russian throne. Yet Catherine the Great – empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796 – managed to navigate this position of peril with aplomb. How did she succeed where so many others failed?

In this episode, historian, author and broadcaster Simon Sebag Montefiore talks to Mike Soutar about the remarkable powers of leadership that Catherine harnessed to shore up her authority, and why her networking sills remain an invaluable asset two centuries later.

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GO BEYOND THE PODCAST

For more on Catherine the Great's life and times, don’t miss our curated collection of articles, podcasts and videos: https://www.historyextra.com/period/general-history/beyond-the-podcast-historys-greatest-leaders/

Watch Mike’s interview with Simon on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@historyextra

And check out the HistoryExtra app for our full archive here: https://www.historyextra.com/the-historyextra-app/

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