Home > Peter III of Russia

Peter was born in Kiel. His parents were Karl Friedrich, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp (nephew of Charles XII of Sweden), and Grand Duchess Anna Petrovna, a daughter of Emperor Peter the Great of Russia and his second wife, Catherine I of RussiaCatherine I (In Russian: I ) ( April 15, 1683/ 1684 May 17, 1727) was the second wife of Peter the Great and Empress of Russia from 1725 until her death. With Peter, she was also co-ruler from 1724 until his death in the next year. Catherine was born in J (a former Latvian peasant, Martha Skavronskaya). In 1739, Peter's father died, and he became Duke of Holstein-Gottorp as Karl Peter Ulrich. Two years later, Karl Peter Ulrich's aunt ElizabethYelizaveta Petrovna ( December 29 1709 January 5, 1762) was an Empress of Russia ( 1741 1762). Life before becoming Empress Born in Kolomenskoye, Elizabeth, the daughter of Peter I and of his second wife, Catherine I (a former Latvian peasant, Martha Skav, became Empress of Russia, and brought Peter from Germany to Russia and proclaimed him her heir. She arranged for Peter to marry Princess Sophia Augusta Frederica of Anhalt-Zerbst, who formally converted to Russian OrthodoxyThe Russian Orthodox Church is that body of Christians who are united under the Patriarch of Moscow, who in turn is in communion with the other patriarchs of the Eastern Orthodox Church. In this way Russian Orthodox believers are in communion with all oth and took the name Ekaterina Feodorovna, or Catherine. The marriage was not a happy one, and Catherine took numerous lovers, as did her husband.

Peter favored Prussia in many respects: after he gained the throne in 1762, he withdrew from the Seven Years' WarThis article is about the 1756 1763 war. For the 1592 1598 war in Korea, see Seven Year War. The Seven Years' War ( 1756 1763) pitted Great Britain, Prussia and Hanover against France, Austria, Russia, Sweden, and Saxony. It was the first " world war"; mo and made peace with Prussia on terms that were somewhat unfavorable for Russia. He formed an alliance with Prussia and planned an unpopular war against DenmarkKongeriget Danmark ( In Detail) Motto of the Queen: Guds hjaelp, Folkets kaerlighed, Danmarks styrke (English: God's help, the love of the people, Denmark's strength) Official language Danish Capital Copenhagen Kobenhavn Monarch Margrethe II Prime Ministe in order to restore Schleswig to his Duchy of Holstein-Gottorp. He also attempted to force the Russian Orthodox ChurchThe Russian Orthodox Church is that body of Christians who are united under the Patriarch of Moscow, who in turn is in communion with the other patriarchs of the Eastern Orthodox Church. In this way Russian Orthodox believers are in communion with all oth to adopt Lutheran practices.

Catherine, along with her lover Grigori Orlov , planned to overthrow Peter. He was arrested and forced to sign his own abdication; Catherine became Empress with wide popular support. Shortly thereafter, Peter was killed while in custody. While Catherine did not punish the responsible guards, doubts remain as to whether she ordered the murder.

In DecemberDecember is the twelfth and last month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 31 days. From the Latin decem for " ten" (it was originally the tenth month of the year, before January and February were inserted). The winter solstice falls in December. 1796, Peter's son the tyrannical Emperor Paul, who disliked his mother, arranged for his remains to be exhumed and then reburied with full honors in the Cathedral of the St. Peter and St. Paul fortress, St. Petersburg.