Download Russian Imperial Expansion

Russian Imperial Expansion
1533-1894
The year is 1533 and Ivan the Terrible has just become the new czar of Russia. Mongol and Tatar
power in Russia has weakened since 1480 and you no longer pay tribute to them. The czar is
ambitious, wanting to expand Russian territory.
You are his most important advisors and he looks to you for advice. You have three choices of
regions for conquest or acquisition, identified on the map as Areas X, Y, or Z. You must advise
Ivan the Terrible which regions he should try to acquire or conquer, in order of importance to
Russia.
List the regions in order, with specific reasons why, on a separate sheet of paper.
Region/Area X
(Factors ranked in order of importance)

The Ottoman Turks are seen as threats to Russian territorial expansion. Czar Ivan
believes it is important to expand south and southwest between the Black Sea and the
Caspian Sea, to create a protective buffer zone between Russia and the Ottoman/Turkish
Empire (including Iraq and Persia).

Russia also wants to control the important trade routes between the Caspian and Black
Sea. Taxes from that trade could bring revenues to the Russian treasury.

Russian settlers have moved illegally to Kazakhstan and want Russian troops to protect
them and their profitable trade routes back to Moscow and the rest of Russia.

For centuries, Persia and the Ottomans have fought over the Caucuses region between the
Black and Caspian Seas (Azerbaijan) for access to agricultural products and controlling
trade routes.

Georgia asked Russia for protection from Persia.

Conquest of Kazakhstan and Turkistan would greatly worry another rival, England. The
English have indicated they may try to gain control over Indian cities and want
Afghanistan as protective buffer zone, protecting their interests in India from Russia and
the Ottoman Turks.

Kazakhstan and Turkistan are large, but thinly populated regions. The czar believes there
must be valuable metals and other natural resources there to exploit.

The nomadic tribes of Kazakhstan and Turkistan are few in number, not united politically
and have relatively weak militaries.

Your military leaders encourage the czar to add as much new territory as possible for the
glory and prestige that accrues from conquest.
Region/Area Y
(Factors ranked in order of importance)

Ivan IV (the Terrible) wants access to the very profitable trade routes of the Black Sea and
further south to the Mediterranean. Taxes on trade provide extensive revenues for the
treasury.

Russia needs access to the very profitable trade routes on the Baltic Sea that would lead to
profitable trade with western Europe.

The Baltic states have a much more advanced economy and culture than Russia.
Interaction could lead to the diffusion of Baltic culture and technology.

Russia has a more powerful military than those of the Baltic states, but the czar does not
want to waste troops and money where conquest is not almost guaranteed.

The winter climate in most of Russia in 1533 is harsh. Czar Ivan wants better arable land
to the south, where the climate is also warmer, with longer growing seasons.

The czar needs to feed an increasing population and the soldiers of a large army he is
building.

The Ukrainians are known as excellent, hard-working farmers, and fierce warriors.

There are valuable furs in the forests and tundra of Siberia. Taxes on the sales of these
furs to central and western Europe (where deforestation led to loss of habitat for furbearing animals) will provide important government revenues.

Russia needs a buffer zone of protective land against possible invasions by the aggressive
Poles and the Austrian-Hungarian Empire to the west.

As Russia expands, there will be an increasing need for land for Russian migrations.
Region/Area Z
(Factors ranked in order of importance)

The winter climate in most of Russia in 1533 is harsh. Czar Ivan wants better arable land
to the south, where the climate is also warmer, with longer growing seasons.

There are valuable furs in the forests and tundra of Siberia. Taxes on the sales of these
furs to central and western Europe (where deforestation led to loss of habitat for furbearing animals) will provide important government revenues.

Ivan IV (the Terrible) wants access to the very profitable trade routes of the Black Sea and
further south to the Mediterranean. Taxes on trade provide extensive revenues for the
treasury.

Population densities are much lower in region Z than in region Y or X, leading to lower
resistance to Russian expansion.

The czar does not want to waste troops and money where conquest is not almost
guaranteed.

The Ukrainians are known as excellent, hard-working farmers, and fierce warriors.

Russia needs a buffer zone of protective land against invasion by the Ottoman Turks to
the southwest.

As Russia expands, there will be an increasing need for land for Russians to migrate to.