Slavic People

• Russia’s roots go back to 600AD with the settlement of the slavs.

• Overtime the slavs separated into cultural groups.– West Slavs:

Poles,Czechs, Slovaks

– South Slavs: Croats, Serbs, Slovens, Bulgarians

– East Slavs: Russians, Ukrainians, Belarussians

Kievan Russia

• Scandinavian warriors settled with Slavs and adopted language &customs

• Established city-states called “Kievan Rus”

– Ruled by princes

– Kiev is most powerful city-state

– Fighting among city-states weakened Russia

• Mongols conquer in early 1200s but allow Slavs self-rule

• These early Russians were the first to become Eastern Orthodox Christians

Rise of Russia• After Kiev was taken over by

Mongols, many Slavs fled to Moscow (“Muscovy;” major trade & good land)

– Late 1400s, Mongols driven out

• Ivan the Great brought Slav territories under his control and expanded Russian territory

– Built Kremlin in Moscow (huge fortress filled with churches and palaces)

• Ivan the Terrible because

– Russia’s 1st crowned Czar

– Called terrible because he killed all opponents

Serfs

• After Ivan the Terrible the country faced economic & social problems, foreign invasion

• Romanov dynasty comes into power in 1613– Government tightens control

of people

• By 1650 many peasants became serfs

• Like slaves they could not leave their master’s land

Romanov Czars• Peter the Great (Late 1600s)

– Modernized Russia to catch up with Europe

– Increased trade with Europe, built strong military, increased territory

• Catherine the Great (late 1700s)

– Expanded Russia’s empire

– Cultural gap between nobility and peasants

– Russian nobility adopted western European customs and languages

– Serfs followed traditional Russian ways

• Poverty and heavy work became worse

Russian Revolution• 1880s filled with

government repression and educated people wanted to make Russia more open society

• Czar Alexander II freed serfs in 1861 but they had no education and few ways to earn living

• Non-Russian people faced prejudice– Russification: everyone must

speak Russian and follow Eastern Orthodox Christianity

– Harsh treatment for anyone who did not follow

Pogroms

• Czars encouraged poor Russians to attack Jews– Blamed for

Russia’s problems

• Thousands died, lost their property or fled Russia

Marxist Socialism• Many frustrated Russian

thinkers & workers liked socialism

• Socialism: belief that calls for greater economic equality in society

• Karl Marx – Supported public to own all

land and equal sharing of wealth

– encouraged workers to overthrow their bosses to end power of the wealthy

– Idea of economic equality appealed to poor Russians

End of Czars

•By 1917 WWI hardships prompted many workers to demonstrate

•Czar Nicholas II was overthrown

–He and his entire family were killed–300 years of czarist Romanov rule ended

Bolsheviks• Lenin’s Marxist

Bolshevik party take control, give out food, shorten the work day, and withdraw from WWI

• Civil war soon divides Russia when White Army fight Bolsheviks

• Red Army wins!!!

Stalin• Named himself Stalin

because it means “man of steel”

• Brutal dictator who “purged” millions

• 20 million died from starvation, horrible conditions in labor camps, or were murdered

• Led Russia during WWII– 27 million Russian

soldiers and civilians died as result of the war

The Cold War• When WWII ends in 1945,

the Soviet Union controls much of Eastern Europe– These countries become

satellites (Hungary, Poland, Czechoslovakia, East Germany) and strengthen the country

• Communism vs. capitalism• USA and USSR compete to

influence other nations• Vietnam and Korean Wars

are related• Threat of nuclear

destruction prevents a real full scale war

Soviet Breakup• During cold war the Soviet economy

was a mess and it was clear communism was failing

• Gorbachev takes power in 1985 and wants to make changes– Perestroika: policy of economic

reform– Glasnost: policy of political

openness– His policies fail to save Soviet

Union– Attempt to overthrow him and fail

• Eastern European countries overthrow communist rulers in 1989– Berlin Wall comes down– Baltics 1st to declare independence from

Soviet Union– Soviet Union ceased to exist when

Gorbachev’s presidency ended in 1991

Boris Yeltsin

• First elected president of Russia

• Russia is a disaster (1992)– Ethnic conflicts

• Tartarstan, Dagestan, Chechnya all want to break from Russia

– Economic problems• 1500% inflation rate• High unemployment

• Leads Russia towards capitalism and democracy

• By 2000 the economy begins to improve

Chechnya Tragedy

• People there have different history, language, and religion than rest of Russia, want independence in 1991

• Russia fears breakup, troops sent in, reclaim Chechnya

• Chechen militants killed 186 Russian school children in a terrorist attack in 2004

Vladimir Putin

• Elected in 2000 he led Russia towards more stability and a healthy economy

• Critics think he is acting like a dictator, others admire his strength