Catherine the Great and the Annexation of Crimea

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Catherine the Great's annexation of Crimea in 1783, a pivotal moment that redrew the map of Eastern Europe and set the stage for centuries of conflict. They discuss the weakening of the Crimean Khanate, the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca (1774), and the role of Prince Grigory Potemkin, Catherine's advisor and rumored lover, whose 'Potemkin villages' became legendary. The episode also covers the founding of Sevastopol as a naval base, the incorporation of the Tatar population, and Catherine's famous 'Greek Project' to revive Byzantium. They touch on the 1787 journey to Crimea, which solidified Russia's claim, and the long-term implications for the Ottoman Empire and European balance of power. Listeners will learn about the diplomatic maneuvering, the ethnic cleansing of Crimean Tatars, and how this 18th-century expansion echoes into modern geopolitics. #CatherineTheGreat #Crimea #Potemkin #RussianEmpire #CrimeanKhanate #TreatyOfKucukKaynarca #Sevastopol #BlackSea #OttomanEmpire #GreekProject #CatherineIITravel #PotemkinVillages #Tatars #Annexation #History #FexingoHistory #EasternEurope #18thCentury Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo