Peter III proposes reforms without building support

Peter III tried to abolish the secret police, a body that later helped organize the coup against him. Exempting nobles from compulsory military service benefited the nobility while separating decisions about war from an obligation to serve. Secularizing church lands and equalizing religions antagonized the Orthodox clergy, whose literacy and access to congregations gave them considerable influence over public understanding. He also wanted to create a Russian state bank. His enthusiasm for Prussia deepened suspicion among Russians already wary of Baltic German influence. Catherine II's portrait of him as an idiot or drunkard requires caution, although his rapid overthrow still exposed his poor political judgment. Intelligence and reforming ideas were insufficient when he failed to anticipate how powerful groups would react. The circumstances of his death remain uncertain, with illness, a possible stroke, and assassination offered as alternatives.