General Information About Russia

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General Information About Russia
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• Official Name RUSSIAN FEDERATION
• 17,075,200 square miles (1.8 times the size of
  U.S.A.)
• Capital Moscow, made up of 8,369,000 people
• Total Population 140,041,247
• Main Language Russian

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• Religions 15-20 Russian Orthodox, 10-15
  Muslim, 2 other Christian
• Current Leader Vladimir Putin
• Currency RUBLE (31.60 rubles 1)
• Average Income 7,700 (U.S. is 27,108)

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• The former Soviet Republics, although
  independent, have formed the COMMONWEALTH OF
  INDEPENDENT STATES (CIS)
• Russia is the figurehead leader of the CIS

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The Rise of Russia

• 500 B.C.E. (Roman Times) a people called the
  SLAVS moved into southern Russia
• 800s C.E. Missionaries from Constantinople
  converted Slavs to Eastern Orthodox Christianity

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• 863 C.E. Cyrillic alphabet created to translate
  Greek bible
• An educated class forms

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• 1200s C.E. Mongols conquered Russia and cut it
  off from Western Europe
• 1462-1505 C.E. Ivan III (Ivan the Great)
• The first CZAR (Russian word for Caesar), brought
  Northern Russia under his control
• Was an AUTOCRAT ruler with unlimited power

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1533-1584 C.E.Ivan the Terrible

• Ruled with ABSOLUTE POWER
• Centralized royal power
• Bound serfs to land cut BOYARS (nobles)
  privileges

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• SERF landless peasant who worked the nobles
  land for free

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• Created a secret police force
• Reign of terror against powerful Boyars to crush
  them earned his nickname
• Introduce reforms like a new law code
• Encouraged FEUDALISM Boyars given land by czar
  to strengthen their bonds w/him

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1598-1613 C.E. Time of Trouble

• There was no MIDDLE CLASS
• Boyars feuded over the throne
• Peasants revolted foreign invaders entered
  Russia
• Michael Romanov finally elected by Boyars and
  began the Romanov Dynasty (ruling family), which
  ended in 1917

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1682-1725 C.E.- Peter the Great

• Westernized Russia
• Modernized the army navy
• Made government more efficient
• Built capital of St. Petersburg window on the
  West

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• Used force and terror to make people follow his
  orders (men had to shave beards, all had to wear
  western-style clothing)
• Although Russia strengthened, large gap still
  existed between Russia and Western Europe

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1762-1796 C.E.Catherine the Great

• Obtained Boyars support by exempting them from
  taxes giving them complete control over the
  serfs
• Enlightened rulerencouraged Western thought

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1762-1796 C.E.Catherine the Great

• Successful foreign policy expanded Russias
  border to the Black Sea and defeated Ottoman
  Empire
• Also took over part of Poland

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1801-1825 C.E. Alexander I

• Made many liberal reforms partial liberation for
  serfs
• Eased censorship promoted education
• Drew back from reform after Napoleons invasion

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Napoleon and Russia

• Tried to invade Russia after the French
  Revolution
• 1812 Battle for Moscow
• 75,000 died in one day
• Russians burned Moscow to the ground
• Napoleon got stuck in the Russian winter
• Lost 500,000 men

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1825-1855 C.E. Nicholas I

• Orthodoxy, autocracy, nationalism
• Put down Decembrist Revolt (liberals)
• Strict, harsh ruler used police spies
• Militarized Russia

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1825-1855 C.E. Nicholas I

• Outlawed Western philosophy banned books
• Jailed or institutionalized those with liberal or
  revolutionary ideas
• Lost Crimean War to France/Britain

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1825-1855 C.E. Nicholas I

• Realized Russia needed reform
• Issued new law code made some economic reforms
• Even tried to limit power of landowners over
  serfs (but didnt want to anger nobles)

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1855-1881 C.E. Alexander II

• 1861 - Abolished serfdom
• Brought problems serfs too poor to buy land
  lands allotted to peasants too small to support a
  family
• Discontent festered

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1855-1881 C.E. Alexander II

• But peasants moved to cities helped build
  industries
• Local govt set up ZEMSTVOS (elected assemblies)

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1855-1881 C.E. Alexander II

• Introduced trial by jury, eased censorship
  tried to reform military
• Women left homes to study abroad
• Sold Alaska to the U.S.
• Assassinated by terrorists

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1881-1894 C.E. Alexander III

• Turned against reform and returned to repression
• Revived secret police, restored censorship,
  exiled critics to Siberia

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1881-1894 C.E. Alexander III

• Launched program of RUSSIFICATION (suppress
  cultures of non-Russians)
• One language one church

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1881-1894 C.E. Alexander III

• Persecuted Russian Jews
• POGROMS violent mob attacks on Jews
• Many Jews fled Russia as refugees

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1881-1894 C.E. Alexander III

• Russia did enter an industrial age
• Railroad building occurred foreign capital
  invested in industry
• Social problems increased

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1881-1894 C.E. Alexander III

• Workers faced long hours, low pay, poverty,
  disease, and poor housing
• Marxism began to appeal to these workers
• Plot to kill czar was foiled (Lenins brother
  executed)