After a decade of calmness in Russia with not much happening, the late 1780's suddenly exploded into action with wars against both the Ottomans and the Swedes and we also witness the death of another major European player.

Oh and don't be alarmed but for this epsiode only, I've changed things - musically.

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This time around we’ll be looking at, in general, more calmness and I’ll be concentrating on just four things that will take us up to the mid 1780s

Further Russian territorial expansion and a touch more provincial reform

We’ll follow that with one or two family matters (not mine I hasten to add, but Catherine’s)

And then in the second part of the episode we’ll look at a European geopolitical shift and the deaths of two of our major players.

And then we’ll end up with the facts or rumours (you decide) that were doing the rounds regarding Grigory Potemkin

Oh and as usual, there will be the odd interjection from our avian friends.

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In today’s episode there are three things on the agenda.

An overall summary of the key events and main themes of The History of Russia from 840i to 1780 and how those themes and events had made Russia what it had become by the late 18th Century

A whizz around the world in 1780 to see what was going on outside of Russia, again big-picture wise.

And then as if that wasn’t enough you’ll get to hear me waffling on about the pitiful existence of an independent podcaster and what I think the future holds for me and others like me who do the same thing.

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