Assess Catherine II's achievements as a reformer.

Assess Catherine II's achievements as a reformer. Catherine II's achievements are often seen as simple extensions of the politics and ideas set in place by Peter I, two generations earlier. However, Catherine tried hard to merit the title 'reformer' in her own right. One of the biggest projects that Catherine II undertook during her reign was the decentralisation of government. This entailed a massive restructuring, namely of administration and legal affairs. Due to Russia's huge …

…too much at once. Furthermore, despite real enthusiasm for Russia to adopt European principals, indeed "Russia is a European State" was the first instruction in her 'Nakaz', any attempts at reform always ranked second to military accomplishments. Therefore, although Catherine herself may have possessed the attitudes and qualities of a reformer, the actual achievements do not back up this claim. She was more a potential reformer in a country which just wasn't ready for reform.