Page "Peter III of Russia" Paragraph 17

The reign of Peter the Third is cast by Palmer as progressive for its focus on transforming economically developed feudal Russia to a more advanced European state.

Palmer claims that his reform efforts were welcomed by society as a whole.

It is Palmer's further contention that a plot against him by members of the government and influential nobles is unjustified: that the aristocratic names in the list of conspirators belonged to Guards officers, those who had lost influence and impoverished families who had no access to high government positions and were forced into service, some resentment within the Guard could not have led to a change of government.

A revolt of the Guards regiments against the emperor, to whom they had sworn allegiance, could only lead to an alternative emperor.

Palmer claims that the conspiracy against Peter III was carried out by Catherine and Guards officer Orlov and was in fact nothing more than a murder for personal reasons.

With the aid of the two Guards troops that Peter had planned to discipline more harshly, the emperor was arrested and forced to abdicate on 28 June.

Shortly thereafter, he was transported to Ropsha where he was supposedly assassinated.