russia: a brief history
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Russia: A Brief History. CGI – Turmoil in Russia. History of Russia: 5 th – 20 th centuries. 5 th century – ethnic Slavs migrated from the west 9 th century – Scandinavians founded the state of Rus by the Volga River (today Moscow) - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Russia: A Brief HistoryCGI – Turmoil in Russia
History of Russia: 5th – 20th centuries
• 5th century – ethnic Slavs migrated from the west
• 9th century – Scandinavians founded the state of Rus by the Volga River (today Moscow)
• 988 – Kievan prince Vladimir baptized in the Byzantine church (Russian Orthodox Christianity)
History of Russia: 1242-1584
• 1242 – Mongol leaders Genghis & Kublai Khan control vast territory (Hungary to Korea, Siberia to Tibet
• 14th century ethnic Slavs throw off Mongol rule – Muscovy (Moscow) becomes new center of dynastic rule– Russian lords rule Muscovy
• Tsar Ivan the Terrible (1533-1584) – broaden Russia’s territory toward the Crimea– Moscow Holy See of Eastern Orthodox Church
History of Russia: Rise of the Romanovs
• 1598-1613 – Time of Troubles• 1613 Michael Romanov elected – Romanovs will
rule until 1916• Peter I, the Great, 1689-1725 – westernizes
Russia, incorporated the Caucasus into Russian Empire
• Catherine II, the Great, 1762-1796 – extends Russian territory to include Crimea, Polish territories, and Ukraine
History of Russia: The Romanovs
• Alexander I, 1801-1825 – defeats Napoleon in 1812
• 19th century Tsars become increasingly reactionary, nationalistic, authoritarian
• 1861 – serfdom in Russia is abolished; industry and capitalism begin to grow BUT most heavy industry is state run and situation of the newly freed Russia peasants is very dire
History of Russia: Fall of the Romanovs
• 1905 Russo-Japanese War – Russia is the first European country to loose a war to a non-European power.
• 1905 Workers strike causing relatively unsuccessful revolution
• 1914-1917 Russia joins Allies against the Axis powers in World War I
• 1917 – Romanovs overthrown by Provisional Government; Vladimir Lenin and Bolsheviks seize power from Provisional Government, execute Romanovs
History of Russia: Creation of Soviet Union
• 1917-1922 Russian Civil War – Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) declared– Communist party = authoritarian one-party
government in which the state owns heavy industry, transportation and banking; economic growth is dictated by the state; agriculture is collectivized
• 1934 Joseph Stalin comes to power– Approx. 20 Million Soviet citizens lose their
lives– 1941 USSR joins Allies and help to defeat Hitler
History of Russia: USSR
• Cold War Years– Nikita Khrushchev & Leonid Brezhnev maintain
USSR’s superpower status • Russia is a nuclear power • Has a strong space program• Spends majority of its budget on military
• Mikhail Gorbachev, 1985-1991– Perestroika (restructuring of political system)– Glasnost (opening – lifting of repression)
History of Russia: Collapse of USSR
• June, 1989 – Rise of Solidarity Movement in Poland; concerted efforts of
Pope John Paul – Hungary opens border with Austria
• November, 1989– Berlin Wall falls– Peaceful revolutions in Czechoslovakia & Bulgaria– Violent overthrow of communism in Romania
• By 1991 USSR = Commonwealth of Independent States created (15 republics)– Minsk Agreement, 1991 (ABC-CLIO)
History of Russia: Russian Federation
• Boris Yelstin, 1991-1999– Pro-democracy, pro-free market
• Class of oligarchs emerges• Social safety net dissolves; unemployment rises
– War with Chechnya begins• Vladimir Putin, 2000-2008
– First democratically elected president?!?! (pg. 202)– Tightens freedom press, restricts human rights– Strained relationship with US over anti-missile system– Standard of living begins to improve
• Dmitri Medvedev, 2008-2012– Appoints Putin Prime Minister
• Vladimir Putin, 2012 - ?
Russian Federation - Government
• Federation of 21 constituent republics, 41 oblasts (provinces), 7 krais (territories), 7 autonomous okrugs (districts), the , federal cities of Moscow and St. Petersburg– Republics = ind. constitution, president, and
legislature– Other enjoy varying degrees of autonomy
Russian Federation - Government• 1993 Constitution
– President; bicameral legislature; guarantees citizens’ civil rights– Citizens 18 years and older eligible to vote
• Three Branches of Government– Executive = popularly elected president to serve max. of two
consecutive six-year terms; assisted by Council of Ministers and Prime Minister (both appointed); head of state and commander in chief of military
– Legislature = 172-member Federation Council (2 per admin. region) & 450-member State Duma
– Judiciary = Constitutional Court & Supreme Court whose member’s are appointed by the legislature • 2001 = trials by jury, increased independence of judges
Russian Federation - Politics• United Russia Party (founded 2001) – chaired by Vladimir
Putin• Communist Party of the Russian Federation (founded
1993) – led by Gennady Zyuganov• Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (founded 1990) – led
by Vladimir Zhirinovsky (“Russian Mussolini”)– Ultranationalist group interested in creating a Greater Russia
(conquest of parts of Central Europe, the Middle East, and Asia)• Yavlinsky-Boldyrev-Lukin Bloc (Yabloko) (founded 1993)
– Economic reformers who oppose Chechen was• Agrarian Party of Russia (founded 1993)
– Advocate of collective state farm managers opposed to land privatization
Russian Federation - Economy• Per capita income
$17,000• 2011 Unemployment
Rate 6.6%• Unemployment higher
among women and young people
Percentage of Gross Domestic Product
retail trade and servicesheavy industryagriculturetechnology, consumer goods, light industryconstruction
Employment
service sectorindustrial sectoragricultureBetween 1990-2005,
25,000+ members of Russia’s scientific community left the country
Russian Federation - Economy
Exports - $498.6 billion to Netherlands, US, Germany, China, Ukraine, Turkey and Switzerland• Oil• Natural gas• Metals• Timber
Imports - $310.1 billion from Germany, China, Ukraine, Japan, South Korea, US, Belarus, and Italy• Machinery & equipment• Consumer goods• Medicines• Sugar• Semi-finished metals• Meat products
General Information on Russia
• Fact & Figures on Russia (ABC-CLIO)• US Department of State –
US Relations with Russia• Official Website of the Russian Government• Embassy of the Russian Federation in
Washington, D.C.