Note on Transliteration, Spelling, and Dates

The transliteration of Russian words and names follows the Library of Congress system except for the familiar spelling of the tsars, including Peter I, Catherine II, and Paul I, and familiar cities, including St. Petersburg and Moscow. The spelling of original sources has been retained for the English sources. Dates on all documents are given as listed in the original sources, although I have adjusted some to reflect January 1 as the start of a new year. In 1752, Britain switched to the Gregorian calendar. Documents following that date written by British diplomats in Russia tend to have two dates, reflecting the Russian and British calendars. In those cases, both dates are indicated in the notes.