Yes, very good point. History is most often written by the victors. However, there is some compelling evidence that Peter III (also not born in Russia) would have deferred heavily to the Prussians, which was very unpopular at the time. Additionally, it is well documented that he was still playing with toys in his early teens and was extremely unpopular with members at court. I'm not sure if that makes him "inept", but image was important. What is more interesting is the gamble Catherine took in the coup. Had she failed, she would have been executed most definitely. She was very calculating. She never left the country knowing that in her absence someone would try to usurp her power. Can you tell that I'm a huge fan?