AP European History

Answer - B - False. Catherine the Great was limited in the enlightenment-era reforms she was able to make-but not because she was female.

Key Takeaway: Catherine II, also known as Catherine the Great, reigned as the Empress of Russia in the 18^th century. Under her rule, the Russian Empire greatly expanded and modernized. Catherine worked endlessly to re-vitalize Russia, which soon became one of the great powers of Europe.

Catherine the Great enjoyed friendships with many of the great western European thinkers of the Enlightenment, like Voltaire, Diderot, and Montesquieu. These men believed in improving the lot of the poor masses and Catherine longed to do this in Russia, though she found it rather impractical. Toward the end of her reign, she passed several charters to attempt to improve the lives of people in her country. She attempted to control the power of the noble class and provide rights and securities to the middle and lower classes. Unfortunately, each of the charters was deeply flawed and Catherine simply could not achieve the reform she longed for before her death.