Final answer:
Catherine the Great ruled as Empress of Russia from 1762 until her death in 1796, during which the Russian Empire saw significant territorial expansion and attempts at modernization, though it remained economically underdeveloped due to resistance against reforms threatening absolute rule.
Step-by-step explanation:
Catherine the Great, also known as Empress Catherine II of Russia, was an enlightened despot whose reign spanned from 1762 until her death in 1796. Under her rule, the Russian Empire expanded significantly, particularly with the acquisition of fertile lands along the Dnieper River, once divided between Russia and Poland. Catherine's era included attempts to modernize Russia and efforts to extend the empire's reach, contemplating even the collapse of the Ottoman Empire to turn Istanbul into a proxy for Moscow's power. Although her rule was authoritarian, Catherine claimed her authority from the social contract.
Catherine's reign was also marked by the internal politics of Russia, with her predecessors and successors grappling with balancing modernization with autocratic governance. Efforts to westernize Russia began before her and continued after, yet by the 1800s, Russia remained economically underdeveloped partly because reforms that could have undermined absolute rule were resisted. The tension between autocracy and modernization is a recurring theme in Russian history, as evident in the reigns of her successors, including Alexander III and Nicholas II.