Cultural Geography of Russia

1. Cultural Geography of Russia 15.2 History and Government of Russia

2. Early Peoples and States • River settlers and states • Slavs • West Slavs – Poles, Czechs, and Slovaks • South Slavs – Bulgarians, Croats, Serbs, and Slovenes, • East Slavs – Russians, Ukrainians, and Belarussians • settled near Dnieper & Volga Rivers • Came from N. Europe

3. Early Peoples and States • Established towns where trade was present • Varangians – Scandinavian settlers moved to Dnieper & Volga River • Area known as Kievan Rus, est. Kiev

6. Kievan Rus

7. Cultural Diffusion in Kievan Rus • Assimilation • Cultural Diffusion • 900 AD Varangians adopted Slavs’ lang. • Est. city-states • Slavs formed loose union w/city-states having princes • Kiev became capitol & ruler Grand Prince

8. Russia at the Time of the Mongol Invasion Map James Chambers, The Devil's Horsemen.  New York:  Atheneum, 1979, 68.

9. Mongols

10. Mongols • Invaders from Central Asia around 1200 • Destroyed Kiev • Forced Slavs into hiding • Slavs moved near Muscova R. & est. Moscow (Muscovy) • 1400’s Grand Prince of Muscovy, Ivan conquered Slavic princes & forced Mongols out. • Est. Russian state

11. Mongol Empire Spreads

12. After Mongol Invasion James Chambers, The Devil's Horsemen.  New York:  Atheneum, 1979, 68.

13. Rule of the Czars • Ivan – Ivan III – Ivan the Great • First ruler of Russian Empire 1462 - 1505 • Moscow became religious & political center of Russia. • he had the Kremlin built – a fortress filled it with churches and palaces.

14. Ivan III

15. Rule of the Czars • Ivan IV, Ivan the Great’s grandson (August 25, 1530 - March 18, 1584) • first crowned czar = supreme ruler • called Ivan the Terrible • crushed opposition to his power and expanded territory. • ruthless, may have been due to mercury pills • country spiraled into economic depression, foreign invasion, and social upheaval after his death

16. Ivan IV

17. Romanov Czars • The House of Romanov, the last ruling dynasty of Russia's imperial era, ruled Russia for ten generations from 1613 to 1917. • The House came to power with the election of Mikhail Feodorovitch Romanov as ruler of Russia in 1613 following a period of chaos known as the "Time of Troubles".

18. Romanov Czars • Window to the West • Russia behind Europe in late 1500’s • 1600’s Czar Peter I “westernized” Russia • fought Sweden for St. Petersburg – port city on Gulf of Finland connected to the Baltic Sea • toured Europe • hired European officers to train military and bought European weapons.

19. Peter the Great • Ruled Russia from 1682 - 1725

20. Romanov Czars • 1700’s Catherine the Great • Sweden fought her for land lost to Peter the Great • War devastated Russian Navy • gained warm water port on the Baltic Sea Russian nobility was speaking French

21. Catherine the Great • Ruled Russia from 1762-1796

22. Seeds of Discontent • 1800’s tired of war & czar’s rule • Saw American and French Revolution – inspired for more openness and freedom • nobles were getting richer and serfs getting poorer • serfs – peasants bound to land

23. Serfs • Serfs won freedom freed under Czar Alexander II in 1861 • most were unskilled and had no economic opportunities. • czar’s promoted education

24. Russification • government program requiring everyone in empire to speak Russian and become E. Orthodox Christian • Made matters worse – non ethnic Russians disapproved of program • demand for change to socialism • philosophy calling for ownership of all factories & land by peasants and workers. • Karl Marx – German philosopher believed in a workers revolution.

25. Early 1900’s • Street protests against czar’s rule • Bloody Sunday – 1,000 protesters killed in St. Petersburg by Czar’s military

26. WWI

27. WWI & Russian Revolution • Short supply of consumer goods and military supplies. • St. Petersburg protests – “bread and freedom” • March 1917, czar Nicholas II ended rule, Bolsheviks took over.

28. The Soviet Era • Birth of a new nation • Bolsheviks led by Vladimir Ilyich Lenin

29. Lenin • Political ideas based on Marx • Promised “peace, land and bread” • Withdrew from WWI – surrendered much land to Germany • Moved capital back to Moscow • Took control of industry, church property, direct food distribution, established workers 8 hr. days, and reformed the army.

30. Communism • political movement to establish a classless society in which workers would control industrial production. • Anti-bolsheviks – whites • Bolsheviks – reds • Civil war broke out between whites and reds in 1921. • Bolsheviks/Reds won • 1922 started Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

31. Building and Expanding the Communist State • Under Lenin – gained back much of Ukraine, Belorussia (Belarus), much of the Caucasus region, and a large part of Central Asia. • Joseph Stalin – ruthless 1920’s USSR leader • Established USSR as industrial power • Govt. took control of industrial & farm production. • Stalin sent many to labor camps – harsh • minorities or those who opposed his power

32. Stalin

33. 1940’s & WWII • killed more than 27 million Soviets • spread Communism through E. Europe • Satellites –countries controlled by the Soviet Union • E. Germany, Hungary, Poland, and Czechoslovakia • strengthened Soviet military and supplied critical raw materials and manufactured goods

34. CommunistEurope

36. Cold War • brought about the Cold War era • struggle between communist and democratic powers for world influence and power through nuclear weapons • used the threat of force and economic aid to developing countries as “weapons” of propaganda

37. Gorbachev – 1985 • Era of perestroika – “restructuring” and glastnost – “openness” • failed to maintain the Soviet Union

38. Gorbachev

39. New Republics • 1989 – Poland, Czech., Hungary overthrew their communist governments • 1990’s – decade of independence and change • End of 1990 Baltic republics (Latvia, Lithuania, & Estonia) declare independence.

40. Baltic Republics • Latvia • Lithiuania • Estonia

41. 1991 – Russia held 1st democratic election • Boris Yeltsin elected • die hard communists attempted to overthrow Yeltsin early on. • Yeltsin rallied Moscovites and wealthy financiers to barricade govt. buildings and preserve Yeltsin’s presidency • Mid – December 1991 all republics declared independence. • Yeltsin remained president

42. Yeltsin

43. CIS – Commonwealth of Independent States • All former states joined except Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, & Georgia. • 1992 Azerbajian left then rejoined and Georgia became a member.

44. Map of CIS

45. Reform • Yeltsin failed in his attempt to reform Russia • Re-elected in 1996 but was unresponsive to peoples needs. • Helped transition from command to market economy but was corrupt. • Reduced inflation from 1,500% to 20% by 1997 • increase in unemployment due to closing of inefficient farms and factories

46. Reform continued • Organized crime, street violence, ethnic unrest • 1990’s Tartarstan, Dagestan, Chechnya, and other ethnic territories demanded more self-rule. • 1994 Chechnya declared independence – Yeltsin sent Russian military troops in.

47. Chechnya

48. Chechnya

49. Named Vladimir Putin successor and prime minister in 1999. • Sent more troops into Chechnya and claimed control of region. • Guerilla warfare aided Chechn Rebels

50. Vladimir Putin