Peter III of Russia

Peter III
Peter III
	Portrait by Lucas Conrad Pfandzelt, c. 1761
Emperor of Russia
Reign	5 January 1762 – 9 July 1762
Predecessor	Elizabeth
Successor	Catherine II
Duke of Holstein-Gottorp
Reign	18 June 1739 – 9 July 1762
Predecessor	Charles Frederick
Successor	Paul
Born	Karl Peter Ulrich of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp; 21 February 1728; Kiel, Holstein-Gottorp, Duchy of Holstein
Died	17 July 1762 (aged 34); Ropsha, Russian Empire
Burial	Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral, Saint Petersburg
Spouse	Catherine II of Russia (m. 1745)
Issue	Paul I; Grand Duchess Anna Petrovna of Russia;
House	Romanov-Holstein-Gottorp
Father	Charles Frederick, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp
Mother	Grand Duchess Anna Petrovna of Russia
Religion	Russian Orthodox; prev. Lutheran
Signature

Peter III Fyodorovich (Russian: Пётр III Фёдорович, romanized: Pyotr III Fyodorovich; 21 February [O.S. 10 February] 1728 – 17 July [O.S. 6 July] 1762) was Emperor of Russia from 5 January 1762 until 9 July of the same year, when he was overthrown by his wife, Catherine II (the Great). He was born in the German city of Kiel as Charles Peter Ulrich of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp (German: Karl Peter Ulrich von Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp), but he was a grandson of Peter the Great and a great-grandson of Charles XI of Sweden.

Peter III could barely speak Russian and pursued a strongly pro-Prussian policy, which made him an unpopular leader. The two countries were on opposing sides of the Seven Years' War, and Russian troops were threatening Berlin at the time of Peter's accession to the throne. He immediately switched sides in the war and withdrew his troops from Prussia, undoing hard-earned gains. He was deposed by troops loyal to his wife, Catherine, who, despite her own German origins, was a Russian nationalist. She succeeded him as empress. Peter died in captivity soon after his overthrow, perhaps with Catherine's approval as part of the coup conspiracy. However, another theory is that his death was unplanned, resulting from a drunken brawl with one of his guards.^[1]

Despite his generally poor reputation, Peter made some progressive reforms during his short reign. He proclaimed religious freedom and encouraged education, sought to modernize the Russian army, abolished the secret police, which had been infamous for its extreme violence, and made it illegal for landowners to kill their serfs without going to court. Catherine reversed some of his reforms and carried through others, notably the annexation of church property.^[2]

^ Dixon, Simon (2009). Catherine the Great. London, England: Profile Books. pp. 124–25. ISBN 978-1615237326.
^ "Романовы. Исторические портреты".

[1] Dixon, Simon (2009). Catherine the Great. London, England: Profile Books. pp. 124–25. ISBN 978-1615237326.

[2] "Романовы. Исторические портреты".

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