In1711,PetertheGreatofRussiadidbattlewiththeOttomanEmpire.AtthePruthRiver,heandhisarmyweretrappedandsurroundedbyforcesfourtimesasstrong.Peterwantedtobreakoutoftheencirclement,buthiswifeCatherine,whoaccompaniedhimonthecampaign,realisedthatsuchamovewouldbesuicidal.ShepersuadedPetertosentalettertotheGrandVizier,towhichsheappendedallhervaluables.Thisdecidedthematter.TheTurksagreedtonegotiations,andpeacewasconcluded.
Catherinewasnotonlywise,buthadheartandcompassion.AfterPeter'sdeath,sheascendedthethrone.UnlikethedespotswhohadruledRussiabeforeher,shewantedherreigntobeunderpinnedbythewillofthepeopleratherthantheirfear."Ihope,"shesaid,"Ishallalwaysactasamotherofmypeople."Andshedidwhatshesaid.
一七一一年，俄國彼得大帝率軍和土耳其帝國交戰，在普魯特河中伏，被四倍他兵力的敵軍圍困。他準備突圍，但陪同他出征的凱瑟琳皇后知道突圍等於送死，於是說服丈夫致函土耳其大宰相。凱瑟琳還把自己所有珍貴物品隨函送出。這一着十分成功。土耳其人答應談判，雙方締結和約。
凱瑟琳不但聰明，而且慈愛為懷，彼得去世後，繼承帝位。她和俄國歷代獨裁者不同，不要恐怖統治，而要以民意為政權的基礎。她說：「我希望能夠做百姓的母親。」她沒有食言。