In Anisimov's book The Five Empresses, he devotes an entire chapter to the ill-starred Anna Leopoldovna:
It then goes on to compare Anna and her husband's cousin, Maria Theresia, especially the similarities in how inexperienced the latter was when arriving on the throne and yet still managed to turn her reign into a triumph at the end of which Austria was a respected power in Europe. However, Anisimov points out Russia is unlike Austria, and very much unlike anywhere else.
What does everyone else think? Given a less successful coup by Elizabeth Petrovna, could Anna be the Empress Russia would need? Or would she spend days with Mengden and Comte Lynar?
Thoughts and opinions appreciated.
On the 23rd of August [1741] the Russian forces under Field Marshal Peter Lacy's command had dealt a crushing blow to the Swedes at the fortress of Vilmanstrand Fortress in Finland...they [the regency] failed to make use of the victory in Finland to strengthen their regime and thus sealed their doom. Ostermann held the reins of government at that time. He tried to prevail on Anna [Leopoldovna] and prevent her from listening to anyone else's advice. But she suspected her prime minister's true intentions and considered the opinions of others as well, like [Mikhail] Golovkin and Brylkin, who urged her to immediately take the title of empress and with it assume absolute power. The necessary documents were already in preparation, and on December 7, 1741, her 23rd birthday, the regent was to be crowned as Empress Anna II...
It then goes on to compare Anna and her husband's cousin, Maria Theresia, especially the similarities in how inexperienced the latter was when arriving on the throne and yet still managed to turn her reign into a triumph at the end of which Austria was a respected power in Europe. However, Anisimov points out Russia is unlike Austria, and very much unlike anywhere else.
What does everyone else think? Given a less successful coup by Elizabeth Petrovna, could Anna be the Empress Russia would need? Or would she spend days with Mengden and Comte Lynar?
Thoughts and opinions appreciated.