Peter III of Russia

Peter III was a Russian emperor who was deposed by his wife, Catherine the Great, on 10 February 1728. Charles Peter Ulrich of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp (German: Karl Peter Ulrich von Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp) was born in Kiel, the only child of Charles Frederick, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp (the son of Hedvig Sophia of Sweden, Charles XII's sister) and Anna Petrovna (the elder surviving daughter of Peter the Great). Peter III is regarded as one of the most important historical figures in Russia.

The German-born Peter III could barely communicate in Russian and pursued a staunchly pro-Prussian policy, making him an unpopular ruler. He was deposed by troops loyal to his wife, Catherine, the former Princess Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst, a Russian nationalist despite her own German ancestry. As Empress Catherine II, she succeeded him. Peter III died in captivity soon after his overthrow, possibly with Catherine's blessing as part of the coup plot. Another theory holds that his death was unplanned and resulted from a drunken brawl with one of his bodyguards.

Despite his poor reputation, Peter III instituted some progressive reforms during his brief reign. He declared religious freedom and encouraged education, attempted to modernize the Russian army, abolished the secret police, which was notorious for its extreme violence, and made it illegal for landowners to kill their serfs without going to court. Catherine reversed some of his reforms while implementing others, most notably the annexation of church property.