Catherine the Great fostered unity among her people, and although she was easily accepted by the masses, she endeavored to build strong relationships among the nobility and military elite.

She helped establish a strong foreign policy that sought to maintain peace. Her efforts towards promoting peace internally and externally accorded her an opportunity to pursue the much-needed reforms in her territory.

By employing reason in most of her decisions, Catherine’s administration was able to strengthen the confidence of the people. She pursued reforms in Russia’s legal system by supporting equal protection for the people.

The Russo-Turkish War ended in her favor with Russia taking over Southern Ukraine, Crimea and the Northern Caucasus. She later pursued peace with Turkey and made some gains which included sailing of Russian merchant ships in the Black Sea.

After an internal rebellion led by Cossack Pugachev, self-proclaimed Peter III, Catherine the Great sought to improve the provincial administrative authority of the nobility in order to ensure there was no resurgence of such rebellion.

She also built a number of cities to encourage human settlement and the growth of Russia’s general economy. Apart from supporting settlement in the vast Russian empire, she also lifted some trade restrictions for the benefit of the country’s economy.

How did Catherine the Great modernize and westernize Russia?

Catherine the Great, who was German by birth, considered herself an "Enlightened" monarch, and made some attempt to rule by Enlightenment ideals. Catherine imported Western architects, scholars, and even sculptors and musicians to make Russia more Western. She also introduced the use of the French language at the Russian Court. She improved education and strengthened local governments; and also restricted the use of torture and allowed some degree of religious tolerance.

All this came to a crashing halt when a revolt by Emelian Pugachev, who claimed to be her dead husband, convinced her that the peasants were dangerous and she must rely on the nobility. She then confiscated church lands, expanded serfdom, and freed the nobles from paying taxes. By the time of her death; Russia was in worse shape than when she ascended the throne.