Thread by @sumlenny

Social Democrats' top candidate for the European Parliament @katarinabarley enjoys a clear parallel to "Catharine the Great" ('Katarina die Große' in German), a Russian tyrant of German origin, @EFDavies points out. Putin's Merkel was also Catharine-obsessed. More in this THREAD:

Catharine II, self-named "the Great", was a Russian-German tyrant. Catharine was a murderer, usurper and authored the the most cruel slavery laws for Russia. She was also admired by both Angela Merkel, who had her portrait on her table, and Putin. /2
faz.net/aktuell/feuill…

Catherine came to power after having killed her husband, Peter III. She usurped the throne and was seen by the aristocracy as an illegitimate ruler. That is why she has done everything to please the aristocracy. She has wiped out any right of serves they had in serfdom system. /3

Under Catherine, millions of serfs lost any rights, were equal to cattle. Aristocracy got rule to rape girls, kill babies, torture ppl as one wished. Any attempt of serfs to call for justice was criminalised under Cathrine. /4

Here is a typical classified from a newspaper 1800: "Three nice-looking girls in age of 14 and 15 for sale. They are skilled in craftsmanship, and one plays gusly (a string instrument). Ask for price under Arbatska chart 1 appt 1117". A painting: convoying slaves to a market" /5

Catharina II the Great deliberately transformed serfdom into full-scale slavery, where kids could got raped, killed, or sold out of the families. In a partly anti-slavery play 'Woe from Wit' (1824) a protagonist describes slaves being exchanged for hunting dogs. /6

This was the rule created by Catherine in 1760s. She knew perfectly about the situation. On one of the letters by local administration about "how happy serves are" she let a sarcastic note: "of course they are happy. That is why they regularly kill their masters". /7

Russian historian Semevsky wrote: "at the end of Cathrine's rule, selling of serves reached shameless levels. Family members were sold separately, most valuable were nice girls". /8
kommersant.ru/doc/3343241

Under Catherine II, the biggest uprising of serves took place: the Yemelyan Pugachev uprising. Many ethnic minorities (Bashkirs) joined Pugachev. After the defeat of the uprising, Pugachev was executed in Moscow by the most barbaric way: his legs, arms and head were axed off. /9

Under Cathrine, huge parts of Ukraine were occupied. Existing rights of Cossacks for self-governance were taken. Treaties with Ukrainian Cossacks regarding their self-governance were ignored or broken. Catherine installed her lovers as undisputed rules of occupied territories /10

Don't forget: partitions of Poland with worst war crimes (even under the traditions of the 18th century) took place under Catherine. The massacre of Warszawa in 1794 by Suvorov's troops was performed under her rule. /11

Also, mass deportation of Ukrainians from occupied territories took place under Catherine II, including Greeks who lived in Ukraine since V century BC. Many Greeks died amid this deportation from the seaside to a harsh climate. /12

Ukrainian iconic poet and freedom champion Taras Shevchenko, who self was born as a slave wrote: Peter crucified Ukraine, and Catherine has finished her. Catharine's ultimate goal was to completely erase Ukrainian identity, as she wrote it in her letter to prince Vyazemsky. /13

In 1789, Catherine II ordered a production of a "Comparative Dictionary of all Languages" where Ukrainian language was classified as "Russian language spoiled by Polish one". This is a 1:1 statement of the nowadays Russian propagandists. Any teaching in Ukrainian was banned. /14

Earlier, in 1775, Zaporizhzhya Sich, the last autonomous area governed by Cossacks, was destroyed in violation of treaties. Cossacks were deported, Ukrainian schools were destroyed. In 1780, library of Kyiv Mohyla academy was purged, books were burned. /15

In 1784, any Church service in Ukrainian was banned. Catherine's genocidal politics attacked not only Ukrainians. In 1783, Catherine II violated existing treaties and annexed Crimea. Catherine's lover Potyomkin was appointed as a governor of Crimea, and started to Russify it. /16

Not only in Crimea, but in other occupied regions, Catherine ordered to mass-rename cities to erase any national identity and start a "new Russian history from scratch". Aqyar was renamed into Sevastopol, Khadzhibey into Odesa etc. Ukraine managed to re-appropriate them later /17

One of the worst consequences of the Russian rule in Ukraine under Catherine II was spreading of slavery (as I described in this thread earlier, Cathrine transformed serfdom into full-scale slavery). Slavery was proclaimed in South and West Bank Dnipro Ukraine in 1796 /18

Proclaiming of slavery over occupied territories of Ukraine in 1796 made 300,000 Ukrainians into slaves who now could be tortured, executed, or sold like cattle by their Russian masters. Within 34 years Cathrine transferred 800,000 slaves as presents for her loyal aristocrats /19

Well, @katarinabarley, you and #NoSPD have chosen a cool slave-owner, murderer, tyrant, and genocidal maniac as your inspiration. I am not surprised, knowing your party's history of serving Moscow's interests. I wish you to land at #SPDeinstellig asap. /20