Portrait of Catherine the Great
From history

Catherine the Great

Empress of Russia, 1762 to 1796

Expanded Russia southward and westward and corresponded with Enlightenment thinkers, while strengthening serfdom.

Catherine the Great sits in the left-authoritarian part of the Caucus economy and liberty compass: slightly state-led and strongly authoritarian. The clearest positions are strongly authoritarian on liberty and authority, strongly strength-first on war and peace and strongly nationalist on nation.

Read more about Catherine the Great on Wikipedia →

Where Catherine the Great sits on eight dimensions

Each scale runs from one pole to the other, and the dot shows the overall tendency of this leader's record and public life. These are simplified estimates and open to debate.

💰EconomySlightly state-led
State-ledFree market
⚖️Liberty and authorityStrongly authoritarian
LibertarianAuthoritarian
🎭CultureSlightly traditional
ProgressiveTraditional
🌍NationStrongly nationalist
GlobalistNationalist
🌱EnvironmentLeaning growth-first
Growth-firstNature-first
🤖TechnologyLeaning tech-optimist
Tech-cautiousTech-optimist
🕊️War and peaceStrongly strength-first
Peace-firstStrength-first
🏛️InstitutionsLeaning institutional
Anti-establishmentInstitutional

Leaders most like Catherine the Great

Mohammed bin Salman Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, 2017 to present82%Augustus First Roman Emperor, 27 BCE to 14 CE82%Abdel Fattah el-Sisi President of Egypt, 2014 to present82%Emperor Meiji Emperor of Japan, 1867 to 191281%Charles de Gaulle President of France, 1959 to 196980%Otto von Bismarck Chancellor of Germany, 1871 to 189080%

Leaders furthest from Catherine the Great

Mahatma Gandhi Leader of the Indian independence movement2%José Mujica President of Uruguay, 2010 to 201514%Václav Havel President of Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic, 1989 to 200319%

Political views closest to Catherine the Great

Hawkish realismSees the world as a contest between states, where military strength and alliances secure…80%GaullismA French tradition of national independence, a strong presidency and a leading role for…80%MilitarismTreats military strength and martial values as central to national life.78%

Percentages show how close two profiles are across all eight dimensions. Including a person here is for historical study and comparison, not approval. Portrait: After Alexander Roslin, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons; see all photo credits.