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Global Review XI. Russia/USSR

Mongol Domination -early to mid 1200’s, they introduce “oriental despotism” to Russia, and
during this period Moscow grows and flourishes.

Peter the Great – ruled from 1696 t0 1725, during which time he initiated many internal
reforms in order to westernize Russia. He defeated the Swedes in the battle of Poltava and
is responsible for building St. Petersberg.

Tsarist Russia – the Romanovs ruled as tsars of Russia from 1613 to the Russian
Revolution of 1917. They exercised complete power.

Catherine the Great – ruled from 1762 to 1796. She is considered to be an enlightened
monarch because of her internal reforms, which she later abolished in order to please the
nobility

Russian Revolution of 1917 – the Tsarist regime is overthrown and Kerensky and the
Provisional government rule. It was unpopular and ultimately failed due to the governments
staying in WWI

Bolshevik Revolution – 1917 Lenin and the Bolsheviks overthrow the Provisional
government. They take Rusiia out of WWI. A civil war breaks out between the Bolshevik
Red army and the White army, which consisted of the Lenin’s political enemies. The Red
army wins.

Communism – a form of government in which there is no social distinction and the
government controls all of the economy. Karl Marx is credited with being the father of
Communism

Lenin – planned and led the Bolshevik revolution and led communist Russia until 1924. He
created the New Economic Policy to rebuild agriculture and industry

April Theses – The theses stated the Bolshevik’s views toward the provisional government
and Lenin’s plan for governing Russia

Joseph Stalin – Rules after Lenin and is responsible for the five year plans. He further
centralized the government and initiated the Great Purges

Five-Year Plans - Plans to rapidly modernize Russian industry and collectivize farmland

Influence on Eastern Europe – After WWII most Eastern European countries are satellite
states to the Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact troops put down all anti communist revolutions

Warsaw Pact – military pact like NATO except for Eastern Europe

Command economy – An economy where the government controls all industry and there is
one central source making all of the decisions. The government decides the price, type and
quantity of all things that are manufactured. NO private ownership.

Afghanistan – Russians invaded Afghanistan in 1979, it was like a Russian version of the
Vietnam War, the costs of the war further crippled the Russian economy

Collapse of USSR 1990-1991 – The communist regimes of Russia and the other Eastern
European Nations crumble

Gorbachev – initiated internal reforms. He is responsible for Glasnost and Perestroika. He
abandoned the Brezhnev doctrine, allowing Eastern European countries to become
democracies without Russian interference

Perestroika – restructuring, with respect to the economy and decentralizing of government

Glasnost – openness and truth with respect to current and previous problems of the
government

Boris Yeltsin – Leads Russia after Gorbachev. He is the first elected leader of Russia and
its first president. In 1991 he fought a coup to overthrow the government and was thought
of as a hero for saving Russia from the renewal of tyranny and the Cold War.
Mitch and Gabe