CATHERINE II
(1762 - 1796) "Catherine the Great", Czarina of Russia who murdered her husband Peter III and proclaimed herself Czarina (1762). She added huge tracts of land to the Russian Empire, while suppressing the peasants and serfs within her realm. Important, superb content manuscript L.S. boldly signed "Yekaterina" as Czarina, 2pp., 4to, St. Petersburg, Dec.8, 1791, to Mikhailo Vasilievich regarding orders for the 1791 Polish partition campaign. In part: "...For the greater success of our military campaign in Poland we consider it necessary to divide our troops that are now in Poland into two divisions: one of which is to be commanded by General Baron Igelstrom...after handing over all the finances and all the documents pertaining to our campaign against Poland to General Baron Igelstrom, we order you to return...". Poland, long considered with the Ukraine as the "breadbasket of Europe" for its bountiful wheat yields, was traditionally seen by Russia as a part of its territory. Coupled with fear over Poland's 1791 May Constitution in the spirit of anti-autocrat, revolutionary France, Catherine II sought to clamp down hard on Poland and force at least its eastern half into the Russian Empire, which she accomplished by 1792. Foxing on bottom right corner and left margin of recto, else fine.