Download Russia - History

Former Soviet Region
Compared in Latitude & Area
with the United States
Themes
in Russian History
 Expansion by conquest.
Need for warm-water
ports.
 The necessity of a strong,
central government.
Early Russia
Early Byzantine Influences:
Orthodox Christianity
Early Byzantine Influences:
Orthodox Christianity
Early Byzantine Influences:
Cyrillic Alphabet
Novgorod
Russian Boyars
Russian Expansion
Alexander Nevsky: 1220-1263
Battle on the Ice
(Neva River)
Against the
Swedes
Teutonic
Knight
The Mongols Invade Russia
Ivan the Great (r. 1462-1505)
Ivan III Tearing the Great Khan’s Letter Requesting
More Tribute in 1480.
Russia in the Late 1500s
The Pendulum
of Russian History
Pro-West
For Progress & Change
Encourage New Ideas,
Technologies, etc.
Anti-West
Isolationist
Xenophobic
Ultra-Conservative
 A few Tsars
 Most Tsars
 Intellectual elites
 Russian Orthodox
Church
 Merchants/businessmen
 Young members of the
middle class.
 Military
 Boyars
 peasants
REFORM-MINDED
LEADER
DEMAGOGUE
Peter the Great (r. 1682-1725)
Russia & Sweden After the
Great Northern War
Catherine the Great r1762-1796
Catherine the Great
Russia’s next important ruler was actually a German princess who came to
Russia to marry a grandson of Peter the Great. She became known as
Catherine the Great.
Takes Power
• Husband became
Czar Peter III
• Catherine and many
nobles grew angry at
his incompetent,
weak rule
• Catherine seized
power, was declared
czarina of Russia
Honoring Peter I
Early Reforms
• Catherine saw self as
true successor of
Peter the Great
• Influenced by
European thinkers—
believed strong, wise
ruler could improve
life for subjects
• Worked to build on
his westernization
efforts
• To emphasize
legitimacy of her
claim, built statue
honoring Peter
• Reformed legal,
education systems
• Removed restrictions
on trade; promoted
science, the arts
Challenges to Catherine’s Rule
Conflicts
• Catherine tried to reform Russia, was distracted by conflict
• Faced war in Poland, where people wanted freedom from Russian influence
• 1768, Ottoman Empire joined Polish cause
War and Rebellion
• Eventually won war, took over half of Poland, territory on Black Sea
• While war raging, Catherine faced popular rebellion inside Russia
• Man claiming to be Peter III traveled countryside, leading ragtag army
Strengthening the Monarchy
• In the end, man captured, beheaded, rebellion put down
• Rebellion convinced Catherine she needed to strengthen monarchy in rural
areas; put local governments in hands of landowners, nobles
The “Big Blunder” -- Russia
In July, 1812 Napoleon led his Grand Armee of 614,000
men eastward across central Europe an into Russia.
The Russians avoided a direct confrontation.
The Russian Nobles abandoned their estates and burned
their crops to the ground, leaving the French to operate far
from their supply bases in territory stripped of food.
They retreated to Moscow, drawing the French into the
interior of Russia (knowing that it’s size and the weather
would act as “support” for the Russian cause.
Napoleon’s Troops at the Gates of Moscow
a
September 14, 1812  Napoleon reached Moscow,
but the city had largely been abandoned.
a
The Russians had set fire to the city.
Moscow Is On Fire!
Napoleon’s Retreat
from Moscow (Early 1813)
100,000 French troops retreat—40,000 survive!
Trans-Siberian Railroad
1891-1916