Russia and the Western Republics

Russia Fast Facts

• Ethnic Groups: over 190; 78% Russian• Religion: Russian Orthodox 15-20%; Islam 10-

15%• Life Expectancy: 70.47 (US• Government: Federation• Economy: Market based, except energy and

defense

A History of Expansion

• Russia began in the region between the Baltic and the Black seas

• After invasions by the Vikings in the 9th century and the Mongolian Tatars in the 13th century, Russia began a rapid eastward expansion

• By the end of the 17th century, Russia had expanded to the Pacific Ocean

• As Russia added land it also added many people of different ethnic groups, religions, and languages

• Russian science and technology fell behind the rest of Europe– Russia was industrialized about 50 years later than

Europe– When they did industrialize, it resulted in harsh

working conditions and low wages– These problems contributed to people being angry

with the czars• Czar: Russian emperor

Pre-Revolutionary Russia• Before 1905, Russia was the

last autocracy (absolutist form of monarchy)

• There was no parliament, the Czar (or Tsar) Ruled

• Czar Nicholas was in power (Romanov empire)

• This begins to change in 1905

January, 1905Bloody Sunday • Workers marched

on czar’s palace to present him with a list of demands • They wanted a

voice in government

• This peaceful march was met by troops who opened fire

• People started to strike and protest

• Nicholas II issues October Manifesto to end revolution, and promises the creation of a Duma (parliament)

• October Manifesto was successful because Czar got the middle class on his side, Revolution is over

• After revolution, Czar back tracks on his promises• Creates a Duma, but not as powerful as he promised

Growing Discontent

• Russian people grew more unhappy with the Czar and his leadership

• They didn’t trust or like his wife and thought she was unstable

Gregori Rasputin

February Revolution, 1917• Actually happened in March, but Russian calendar is about 2 weeks behind

• By Feb. 1917, Russia was experiencing weariness in war• huge casualties• tremendous food shortages at home• harsh winters• anger at profiteering

• Czar Nicholas is at the front, blamed for defeats, plus Czar’s wife is German

• These above issues cause Russia to explode into a Revolution

• Revolution was Unplanned, Unorganized, Leaderless starts as a street demonstration over bread

• Ends with the abdication of the Czar and end of Romanov dynasty

The Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union

• The Russian Communist Party took over the government – Led by Vladimir Lenin from 1917 until his death in

1924• Joseph Stalin took over in 1928

Lenin

• By 1922, Russia and the surrounding countries became the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)

• Moved the capital to Moscow

• Under Stalin, Russia fought against the Nazis• After WWII, Stalin created satellite nations by

installing pro-Soviet governments in the Eastern European countries the USSR had liberated from Germany– Satellite Nation: a nation dominated by another

country– USSR Satellite Nations included Poland, Hungary ,

East Germany

• The US was worried that Stalin would spread communism all over the world

• Tensions between the US and Russia increased– This conflict was called the Cold War because it never

grew into open warfare between to two nations • In the 1980’s, the leader of the USSR, Mikhail

Gorbachev, started to give people more economic and political freedom to the Soviet people

• This led to the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991– This was also the end of the Cold War

• When the Soviet Union fell, the region was divided into 15 independent republics– The Russian Federation is the largest and most

powerful

• Since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russian leaders tried to reduce state control and give more power back to people and businesses