AQA · A-Level · History

    Course version: 7042 · Version from Sept 2017

    Foreign affairs and wars: Sweden; Turkey and Crimea; wars with Poland and…

    Full specification wording

    1E Russia in the Age of Absolutism and Enlightenment, 1682–1796 (A-level only) – Catherine the Great and Russia, 1762–1796: Foreign affairs and wars: Sweden; Turkey and Crimea; wars with Poland and its partition

    Catherine’s foreign policy aggressively expanded Russian borders, securing her status as a great European power.

    Checked against the AQA 7042 specification (opens in a new tab) on .

    • Point 6 of 6

    Study notes

    From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.

    The idea

    Catherine’s foreign policy aggressively expanded Russian borders, securing her status as a great European power. Wars with Turkey (1768–1774 and 1787–1792) were highly successful, resulting in the Treaty of Kuchuk Kainarji, granting Russia access to the Black Sea, and the 1783 annexation of Crimea. Conflict with Sweden (1788–1790) tested Russian resources but ended in a status quo peace. In Poland, Catherine manipulated internal weaknesses, placing Stanislaw Poniatowski on the throne. Following wars against Polish confederates, Russia orchestrated three partitions of Poland (1772, 1793, 1795). While Prussia participated in all three, Austria was excluded from the 1793 partition, ultimately erasing Poland from the map and vastly increasing Russian territory.

    What earns the marks

    • Assess the strategic aims and outcomes of the Russo-Turkish Wars, focusing on the acquisition of Black Sea ports and the annexation of Crimea.
    • Explain the context and resolution of the Russo-Swedish War (1788–1790), noting how it diverted Russian attention but ultimately maintained the balance of power in the Baltic.
    • Analyse Catherine's methods in Poland, including political interference, military intervention against the Bar Confederation, and diplomatic negotiations with Prussia and Austria.
    • Evaluate the significance of the three Partitions of Poland (1772, 1793, 1795) in expanding the Russian Empire and altering the geopolitical map of Eastern Europe.

    Common mistakes and how to put them right

    • Claiming Russia partitioned Poland alone.

      Put it right: Emphasise that the partitions were complex diplomatic agreements involving Russia, Prussia, and (in 1772 and 1795) Austria to maintain a balance of power.

    • Confusing the outcomes of the two Russo-Turkish wars.

      Put it right: Specify that the first war (1768–1774) led to the Treaty of Kuchuk Kainarji and independence for Crimea, while the second (1787–1792) confirmed Russia's 1783 annexation of Crimea.

    • Assuming Austria participated in all three partitions of Poland.

      Put it right: Clarify that Austria was excluded from the Second Partition in 1793, which was carried out solely by Russia and Prussia.

    Exam tips

    • Link Catherine's foreign policy successes to her domestic standing; military victories helped legitimise her usurped rule.
    • When evaluating foreign affairs, consider the financial and human cost of these wars on the Russian state and peasantry.
    • Accurately identify the participating powers in each partition of Poland to demonstrate precise historical knowledge.

    Try the lesson

    The start of the 1E Russia in the Age of Absolutism and Enlightenment, 1682–1796 (A-level only) – Catherine the Great and Russia, 1762–1796: Foreign affairs and wars: Sweden; Turkey and Crimea; wars with Poland and its partition lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.

    Have a go first

    Which three European powers participated in the partitions of Poland during the reign of Catherine the Great?

    Listen

    Catherine’s foreign policy aggressively expanded Russian borders, securing her status as a great European power. Wars with Turkey (1768–1774 and 1787–1792) were highly successful, resulting in the Treaty of Kuchuk Kainarji, granting Russia access to the Black Sea, and the 1783 annexation of Crimea. Conflict with Sweden (1788–1790) tested Russian resources but ended in a status quo peace. In Poland, Catherine manipulated internal weaknesses, placing Stanislaw Poniatowski on the throne. Following wars against Polish confederates, Russia orchestrated three partitions of Poland (1772, 1793, 1795). While Prussia participated in all three, Austria was excluded from the 1793 partition, ultimately erasing Poland from the map and vastly increasing Russian territory. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Assess the strategic aims and outcomes of the Russo-Turkish Wars, focusing on the acquisition of Black Sea ports and the annexation of Crimea. Explain the context and resolution of the Russo-Swedish War (1788–1790), noting how it diverted Russian attention but ultimately maintained the balance of power in the Baltic. Analyse Catherine's methods in Poland, including political interference, military intervention against the Bar Confederation, and diplomatic negotiations with Prussia and Austria. Evaluate the significance of the three Partitions of Poland (1772, 1793, 1795) in expanding the Russian Empire and altering the geopolitical map of Eastern Europe. A common slip: Claiming Russia partitioned Poland alone. Instead, Emphasise that the partitions were complex diplomatic agreements involving Russia, Prussia, and (in 1772 and 1795) Austria to maintain a balance of power. Exam tip: Link Catherine's foreign policy successes to her domestic standing; military victories helped legitimise her usurped rule.

    See it

    A flowchart beginning with a single node, Catherine's foreign policy, which branches into three theatres: Wars with Turkey, Conflict with Sweden, and Poland. The Turkey branch splits into the First war 1768–1774, leading to the Treaty of Kuchuk Kainarji granting access to the Black Sea, and the Second war 1787–1792, which confirmed the 1783 annexation of Crimea. The Sweden branch leads to a status quo peace. The Poland branch leads to Stanislaw Poniatowski being placed on the throne and to wars against Polish confederates, which lead to the three partitions of 1772, 1793 and 1795, and finally to Poland being erased from the map.
    It shows Catherine the Great's main foreign-policy theatres and the outcomes the note attributes to each.

    Put the events in order

    Put these events in the order they happened, earliest first.

    1. 1. Annexation of Crimea
    2. 2. Second war with Turkey begins
    3. 3. War with Sweden begins
    4. 4. First partition of Poland
    5. 5. First war with Turkey begins
    6. 6. Second partition of Poland

    Label the diagram

    Some boxes have lost their names. Pick the right name for each number.

    The diagram again, with 3 boxes numbered instead of named. A flowchart beginning with a single node, Catherine's foreign policy, which branches into three theatres: Wars with Turkey, Conflict with Sweden, and Poland. The Turkey branch splits into the First war 1768–1774, leading to the Treaty of Kuchuk Kainarji granting access to the Black Sea, and the Second war 1787–1792, which confirmed the 1783 annexation of Crimea. The Sweden branch leads to a status quo peace. The Poland branch leads to Stanislaw Poniatowski being placed on the throne and to wars against Polish confederates, which lead to the three partitions of 1772, 1793 and 1795, and finally to Poland being erased from the map.

    • 1Box 1

    • 2Box 2

    • 3Box 3

    0 of 3 labelled

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