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Russia. The World’s Largest Country. Geography. World’s largest country. Covers a third of Europe and nearly half of Asia. European section ends at the Ural Mountains. Kievan Rus. In AD 800, Russia was a sparsely populated area.
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Russia The World’s Largest Country
Geography • World’s largest country. • Covers a third of Europe and nearly half of Asia. • European section ends at the Ural Mountains.
Kievan Rus • In AD 800, Russia was a sparsely populated area. • The people in the city of Kiev, known as the Kievan Rus, were the original Russians. • Their relations with the Vikings in Scandinavia would bring them wealth, power, and culture.
Mongols • In AD 1238, Russia was conquered by the Mongol Empire. • The Mongols would rule Russia until 1480, when the Muscovites fought for their independence.
Rise of Moscow • From 1238, when Russia was ruled by the Mongols, Moscow was a simple trading post. • Over the years, its leaders would build an empire from Moscow that would become the world’s largest, and Moscow would be its capital. • In 1480, the Muscovites won their independence from the Mongols.
CZARS (TSARS) • Rulers of Russia with complete power. • Name comes from Roman Empire (Caesar means Emperor) • Used power toenslave everyone inRussia, making two very different classes of filthy rich and miserablypoor.
Feudal System Czar Nobles Merchants and Craftspeople Serfs (peasants)
Russian Feudalism • Russia had the longest lasting and most brutal form of Feudalism among European countries. • As Russia’s empire expanded, this feudal system spread to the lands of Kazakhstan, Outer Mongolia, and Southwest Asia. • Though only about half of the people of the Russian Empire were actually Russian, everyone had to obey the czar.
Russian Revolution of 1917 • Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin (right) want Russia to embrace Communism • Czar Nikolaus II (left)wanted to stay in power and maintain the monarchy. • After the Czar was defeated by Germany in WWI, the people revolted. • The Bolsheviks won the Russian Revolution in 1917 and the first communist government was created in Russia.
Communism • Invented by Karl Marx, a historian from Germany. • He wrote a book called the Communist Manifesto, which predicted a worldwide communist government. • A form of government in which everything is owned, controlled, and distributed by government departments.
World War II • Russia originally sided with Hitler’s Germany to conquer Eastern Europe. • When Hitler attacked Russia, the Russians joined the Allies (America and Britain) against Germany. • The Russians defeated the Germans with our help. • Between 20 and 30 million Russians would die in World War II, though most were killed by the Russian government or disease as by German soldiers.
Cold War • Russia determined to spread communism throughout the world so that they could dominate everyone. • America wanted to spread democracy throughout the world so that free trade and elections will make everyone wealthy and peaceful.
Cold War • Though we never fought Russia directly, we both tried to build the biggest bombs, best athletes, and largest economic and political “spheres of influence” (above).
End of Cold War • In 1985, Russian Leader Mikhail Gorbachev introduced two reforms: • Glasnost- “openness” or freedom of speech. • Perestroika- “restructuring” or capitalism • These effectively ended communism in Russia.
Democracy • Russia held its first democratic elections in 1991. • The people elected Boris Yeltsin, who ruled in a very un-democratic way. • Though he introduced reforms, Russia became a very corrupt place with terrible economic troubles. • Yeltsin was very popular in America and other democratic countries, but was hated at home.
Russia Today • Vladimir Putin, Yeltsin’s appointed successor in 2000, was Russia’s democratically elected president until 2008. • Putin passed the presidency to Dmitry Medvedev, though he made himself Prime Minister, with the power to impeach the president. • Russia remains a corrupt place with major social ills. The future of American relations with Russia is dim as Russia slides back toward authoritarianism.
Dmitry Medvedev Vladimir Putin
Oil Power • Russia has recently become the world’s largest oil exporter • Russia’s oil money has given corrupt politicians and businessmen access to millions of dollars • This has made Russia even more corrupt and powerful. • Russia threatens to shut off oil and gas supplies to countries that don’t obey their government.
