Episode 95 - Variolation, Expansion and Rebellion

About this episode

The episode discusses Catherine the Great's efforts against smallpox, Russian territorial expansion, and the rebellion led by Tsar Peter III.

In the first part of the episode we’ll be heading back to the 1760s and looking at the steps Catherine and others had taken to counter the effects of another of the 18th century’s fatal diseases - the dreaded smallpox. And then after that we’ll be taking a look at some further Russian territorial expansion and then finally the very beginning of and the reasons for the most serious rebellion of Catherine’s reign which was led by - Tsar Peter III, that’s right, that Peter III, the one who had died or been murdered back in 1762.  Like the last episode some of today’s content, especially during the first half is a little bit on the uncomfortable side and so perhaps the whole thing is best listened to late at night when little ears are safely tucked up in bed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People in this episode

Host: Damon Boar

Topics covered

• smallpox
• Catherine the Great
• territorial expansion
• rebellion
• 18th century Russia

Keywords

• Catherine the Great
• smallpox
• Peter III
• rebellion
• territorial expansion
• 18th century
• Russia

More episodes of The History of Russia Podcast

• Episode 106 — The Corsican, the Knights, and the Swiss Fiasco · June 5, 2026 · 26 min
• Episode 105 - Catherine the who? · May 27, 2026 · 28 min
• Episode 104 - The End of an Era · May 19, 2026 · 27 min
• Episode 103 - Villages, Partitions, and Revolution. · April 22, 2026 · 28 min
• Episode 102 - Victory and stalemate · April 16, 2026 · 29 min
• Episode 101 - The early 1780’s · April 9, 2026 · 28 min