History of Anna of Russia

Anna Ioannovna, known as Anna of Russia, was an empress of Russia who reigned from 1730 to 1740. She was born on January 28, 1693, in Moscow, into the Romanov dynasty as the daughter of Tsar Ivan V and Praskovia Saltykova. Her reign is notable for its political intrigues as well as attempts at centralizing and consolidating power within the Russian monarchy.

Anna's political journey began not directly within Russia but from a peripheral seat of power. Her father, Ivan V, co-reigned with his half-brother Peter the Great, a dynamic and visionary leader who sought to modernize Russia. Ivan V's family, overshadowed by Peter’s towering accomplishments, was relatively marginalized in the political arena. Following Peter's death, a power vacuum emerged that the nobility and the Supreme Privy Council sought to fill by installing a pliable monarch.

Anna's initial entry into politics came with her marriage to Frederick William, Duke of Courland, in 1710. This match was orchestrated by Peter the Great himself, aiming to strengthen Russian influence in the Baltic region. However, Frederick died on their return journey from their wedding, leaving Anna a widow within months. She stayed in Courland, a duchy significant for Russian regional policies, for nearly two decades as duchess regnant—though largely a figurehead under the watchful eye of Russian emissaries ensuring Courland's subservience to Russian interests.

In 1730, the death of Peter II prompted the Russian nobility to consider Anna for the throne, seeing her as a candidate who could be controlled through constitutional concessions known as the "Conditions". These Conditions were designed to curtail autocratic rule, emphasizing power-sharing with the Supreme Privy Council. They limited Anna’s ability to declare war, raise taxes, or decide on a royal marriage without the council’s permission. However, shortly after ascending the throne, Anna dramatically overturned these limitations. Supported by segments of the nobility and the emerging guard units within the military who resented the power of the Supreme Privy Council, she reasserted autocratic rule by tearing up the Conditions.

Anna’s regime became notorious for its heavy reliance on foreign advisors, particularly Germans, leading to resentment among the Russian boyars. This reliance was epitomized by her appointment of Ernst Johann Biron as her chief advisor. Biron’s influence aggravated tensions among the Russian nobility, who saw the concentration of power within a small, foreign circle as an affront to their privileges. This period, often known as ‘Bironovschina’, is marked by episodes of political repression, centralization efforts, and an unpopular secret police.

Economically, Anna's reign is noted for strengthening state monopolies over key resources, ensuring the treasury’s stability—a necessity given her lavish spending, including on the arts and her ostentatious courtly lifestyle. Despite controversies, her government achieved some level of progress in terms of economic development and territorial integration, continuing policies of Westernization albeit not as fervently as Peter the Great had.

Militarily, Anna's reign was marked by involvement in the War of the Polish Succession (1733-1735) and the Russo-Turkish War (1735-1739). Russia’s engagement in these conflicts served to increase its influence in Europe and the Caucasus, although at significant economic and human cost.

Despite these achievements, her reign is often criticized as a period of cultural stagnation and political repression. Anna's court became infamous for its peculiar mix of lavishness and cruelty, epitomized by her infamous "Ice Palace" episode—a grotesque pageant that forced a couple to marry and spend their wedding night in an ice house, a stunt reflecting the empress’s austere sense of humor and power. Such incidents bolstered her reputation as a capricious ruler.

Anna's health began to decline in the late 1730s, prompting discussions about succession. With no direct heirs, she designated her grandnephew, the infant Ivan VI, as her successor, under the regency of her favorite, Biron. However, following her death on October 28, 1740, Biron’s regency lasted only a few weeks before he was ousted, leading to a coup orchestrated by Ivan VI's mother, Anna Leopoldovna. This period of transition marks the continuing instability that plagued the Russian monarchy after her death, setting the stage for subsequent rulers like Elizabeth and, much later, Catherine the Great, who would address and capitalize on the governance vacuums left by predecessors.

In summary, Anna of Russia’s political career was shaped by her background as an underestimated member of the Romanov family, strategic external alliances, her robust challenge to constitutional limitations, and her controversial rule characterized by significant foreign influence and autocratic determination. Despite harsh evaluations, her reign laid groundwork for subsequent developments and centralization efforts in the vast Russian empire, underscoring the complexities of monarchical power in 18th-century Europe.