Ancient Russia
Russia: The Beginnings
- The early history of Russia, like those of many countries, is one of migrating peoples and ancient kingdoms.
- Early Russia was not exactly “Russia,” but a group of cities that gradually merged into empire.
- A group of Scandinavian people (Varangians) crossed the Baltic Sea and landed in Eastern Europe. The leader of Varangians was the warrior Rurik.
- By 989, Vladimir I was ruler of a kingdom that extended to as far south as the Black Sea, the Caucasus Mountains, and the lower reaches of the Volga River.
- He established a state religion.
- He carefully considered a number of available faiths and decided upon Greek Orthodoxy, thus allying himself with Constantinople and the West.
- He decided against Islam partly because of his belief that his people could not live under a religion that prohibits hard liquor
Invasion
“These terrible strangers have taken our country, and tomorrow they will take yours if you do not come and help us.”
- In response to this call, Mstislav the Bold and Mstislav Romanovich the Old joined forces and set out eastward to meet the foe.
- The Russians were defeated in 1223 at the Battle of the Kalka River, a defeat remembered to this day in Russia and Ukraine. (Russia fighting off the Mongols)
Mongol Invasion
- The Mongol Empire invaded Kievan Rus’ in the 13th century, destroying numerous cities including Ryazan, Kolomna , Moscow, Vladimir and Kiev.
- Batu Khan’s full-scale invasion of Rus’ occurred from 1237 to 1240
- All Russian states had to submit to Mongol rule and became part of the Golden Horde Empire; some of it lasted until 1480.
Nicholas II
- Died July 16/17, 1918
- The last Russian emperor (1894-1917)
- His wife, Alexandra, himself, and their children, were killed by the Bolsheviks after the October Revolution.
- Cut the wages of the lower class that lead to the Bolshevik Revo.
- He was part of the Romanov dynasty that ruled Russia since the mid-17th century
Bolshevik Revo
- They had three promises:
- Peace
- Bread
- Land
- AKA- Red October, the October Uprising or the Bolshevik Revolution
- What: was a seizure of state power instrumental in the larger Russian Revolution of 1917.
Revolution
- The revolution was led by the Bolsheviks, who used their influence in the Petrograd Soviet to organize the armed forces.
- Bolshevik Red Guards forces under the Military Revolutionary Committee began the takeover of government buildings on 24 October 1917.
- The following day, the Winter Palace (the seat of the Provisional government located in Petrograd, then capital of Russia), was captured.
Results
- Bolshevik victory led to the : Creation of Soviet Russia
- End of Russian Provisional Government, Russian Republic and dual power
- Start of the Russian Civil War
Vladimir Lenin
- Was a Russian communist revolutionary, politician and political theorist.
- Politically a Marxist, his theoretical contributions to Marxist thought are known as Leninism, Which coupled with Marxian economic theory have collectively come to be known as Marxism-Leninism.
- As the leader of the Bolshevik faction of the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party, he took a senior role in orchestrating the October Revolutions in 1917
- Marx developed the theory of Communism
- Lenin put Communism into practice.
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