Charles Frederick, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp

The northwest of the Holy Roman Empire at the time of the Great Northern War is a patchwork, with the Swedish dominion of Bremen-Verden located between the largely autonomous cities of Bremen and Hamburg, bordered to the south by the Electorate of Hanover, whose prince-elector George Louis becomes king of Great Britain in 1714, and to the north by the Duchy of Holstein, divided into Holstein-Glückstadt, ruled by the Danish king, and Holstein-Gottorp, whose duke Charles Frederick, a cousin and ally of Charles XII of Sweden, resides in Stockholm while Danish forces have occupied his share of the duchy, only disturbed by Stenbock's march from Wakenstädt to Tønning in 1713.

Catherine is the first woman to rule Imperial Russia, opening the legal path for a century almost entirely dominated by women including her daughter Elizabeth, and Catherine the Great, all of whom are to continue the policies of Peter the Great in modernizing Russia.

She is said to be a just and even-handed ruler.

The Supreme Privy Council concentrates power in the hands of one party, and for this reason is an executive innovation.

In foreign affairs, Russia joins the Austro-Spanish league to reluctantly defend the interests of Catherine's son-in-law Charles Frederick, the Duke of Holstein, against England.

She continues the work of Peter in establishing the Russian Academy of Sciences, gives her name to Catherinehof near St. Petersburg, and builds the first bridges in the new capital.

She is also the first royal owner of the Sarskoje Selo estate, where the Catherine Palace still bears her name.

In general, her policies are reasonable and cautious.