Technological
Catherine the Great won two major wars against the Ottoman Empire, which expanded Russia to the Black Sea's shores. Agreements made with Austria and Prussia created partitions with Poland, which meant more land for Russia. The greatest hardship in Catherine the Great's reign would most likely be the Pugachew Rebellion. This rebellion was started by a man named Yemelyan Pugachew. This man claimed that he was Catherine's husband Peter III, but Peter had actually been killed a while back by one of her lover's brother. Pugachew said that he, being Peter, had actually not died. Many people began to support Pugachew and soon they took the city of Kazan' and were very close to getting the city of Moscow. However, the Russian army was too powerful for them, and quickly put an end to the rebellion. Pugachew was surrendered by his men, tried in Moscow, and executed after being found guilty. Catherine was preparing to fight the French Revolution when she died.