Russia: A Historical Overview

Russia: From Kievan Rus' to Putin's Invasion of Ukraine

Introduction

Russia's geographical location spans both Europe and Asia.
The video aims to provide an overview of Russian history, connecting various units and events.
Putin's actions are believed by some to stem from a perceived lack of respect on a global scale.
The presenter acknowledges their American perspective and experiences.
The current invasion of Ukraine influences the narrative.

Early State Building (1200-1450)

Early state building began with the Kievan Rus' (modern-day Ukraine).
They were early traders dealing in goods like fish, furs, and grain since the 400s.
The Kievan Rus' were connected to the Byzantine Empire, which was formerly the eastern roman empire.
Orthodox Christianity spread from the Byzantine Empire into the region.
Moscow was founded in 1147, though people lived there for centuries prior.
Kiev and Moscow were conquered by the Mongols in 1238 and 1240, respectively.
These principalities were absorbed into the Golden Horde of the Mongol Empire.
Mongol rule was indirect due to unfavorable geography and harsh winters.
The Mongols extracted tribute and taxes from Russian princes, with Ivan I given the title of Grand Prince.

Large Land-Based Empires (1450-1750)

Moscow is located in Europe and continued trade with other European nations despite Mongol rule.
In 1480, Ivan III (Ivan the Great) ended Mongol rule by refusing to pay tribute.
Like other European states, absolute rule was established in Russia.
Russian Orthodoxy, originating from the Byzantine Empire, served as a cultural unifier.
There was no separation of church and state.
Ivan IV used the term "caesar" (tsar in Russian) to link his rule to the Roman Empire.
He legitimized his rule through monumental architecture, such as Saint Basil's Cathedral, connecting it to religion.
Ivan IV expanded Russia's holdings eastward into Siberia, utilizing the Cossacks (free men) who received privileges for military service.
Ivan IV mistrusted the boyars (nobles) and their potential political interests.
He implemented reforms to limit the power of the boyars and required service to the tsar.
Ivan IV maintained absolute rule, earning the title "Ivan the Terrible" due to his harsh actions.
The Time of Troubles followed, marked by unrest and fighting for the throne.
In 1613, the Romanov dynasty emerged, lasting until 1917, founded by Mikhail Romanov.
The Romanovs expanded Russia's land holdings to the east, reaching the Pacific.
Peter the Great, who came to power in 1682, believed Russia needed to modernize and westernize.
He sought a strong naval fleet but lacked a seaport.
He seized territory from Sweden and built Saint Petersburg, a city constructed by serfs, known as the "city of bones" due to the deaths during its construction.
Peter's fascination with Europe led him to force Russians to adopt European styles, such as shaving beards and wearing shorter jackets.
Russia modernized its military with gunpowder weapons.
However, Russia's distance from the Atlantic and Indian Oceans hindered its success compared to maritime powers.
Russia's competition came from French and British fur traders establishing maritime empires in North America.

Industrial Revolution and Imperialism (1750-1900)

Catherine the Great, a Romanov leader, ruled Russia starting in the mid-1750s.
She married into the family and, influenced by Enlightenment philosophers like Voltaire, aimed to westernize Russia.
Despite initial intentions, she strengthened serfdom.
The Pugachev Rebellion occurred, led by a Cossack claiming to be Catherine's deceased husband.
The Industrial Revolution spread to Russia, which retained an absolute monarchy.
The Romanov government, led by Sergei Witte, promoted state-driven industrial growth in the 1860s.
They focused on building the Trans-Siberian Railroad, connecting to Asian markets, and heavy industries.
Russia only freed its serfs in 1861, leading to a new labor source and the emergence of a middle class.
Russia engaged in imperialism, expanding eastward.

World Wars and the Cold War (1900-Present)

The Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905) resulted in a loss for Russia, impacting its prestige.
Czar Nicholas II faced pressure for reforms.
Russia's involvement in World War I (1914) led to major casualties and unpopularity.
Riots broke out in 1917, leading to Nicholas II's abdication.
The Romanov family was executed.
The Bolshevik Revolution, led by Vladimir Lenin, established a communist government.
Lenin promoted "peace, land, and bread" and withdrew from World War I.
In 1922, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) was formed.
Upon Lenin's death, Joseph Stalin rose to power, establishing an authoritarian regime with a centralized economy.
Stalin's Five-Year Plans aimed to industrialize the USSR, leading to the collectivization of farms and significant famines, like the Holodomor in Ukraine $(\approx 4$ million deaths).
Similar policies were enacted in the Baltic republics after their occupation in 1940.
Initially, Stalin signed a non-aggression pact with Hitler but Nazi Germany launched a surprise attack against the soviets in June 1941.
The Soviets defended themselves and joined World War II on the side of the allies.
The Allies were victorious and raced to Berlin
The "Big Three" (Stalin, Churchill, and Roosevelt/Truman) negotiated the end of World War II in Potsdam, Germany.
Ideological differences between capitalism/democracy and communism led to the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union.
The Soviets formed the Warsaw Pact as a response to NATO.
Proxy wars, such as the Korean War and the Vietnam War, occurred.
The Soviets sent nuclear missiles to Cuba and were involved in Latin America.
The Soviets invaded Afghanistan in 1979 to support the communist government, leading to costly economic issues.
The Cold War involved an arms race, space race, proxy wars, and propaganda.
Major factors in the Cold War's end included the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and public discontent in communist countries.
Mikhail Gorbachev's reforms (Perestroika and Glasnost) faced communist opposition.
Gorbachev and President Reagan met multiple times and agreed on a nuclear arms treaty.
Democratic movements spread, the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, and Germany reunified.
In 1991, a coup to remove Gorbachev failed and the Soviet Union collapsed, forming 15 independent countries.
The Chernobyl disaster of 1986, a product of faulty soviet reactor design and mistakes made by the plant operators, occurred in Ukraine, not Russia.
After the collapse of the soviet union, the collapse of the soviet union, economic liberalization occurred, with former eastern bloc countries trading freely.
Russia shifted from a command economy to a market-based system.
In 1995, Russia secured loans from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The privatization of russian industries led to the emergence of russian oligarchs.
These oligarchs gained influence in the russian government.
When President Yeltsin stepped down in 1999, Vladimir Putin became the leader.
Putin served multiple terms as president and prime minister.
Opposition leaders were often jailed or poisoned.
In 2022, Putin invaded Ukraine, stating his purpose was to "demilitarize and de-nazify" the country.
Putin's goal may be to prevent Ukraine from joining NATO or the European Union.
Foreign states have seized assets of oligarchs.
Several russian oligarchs were found dead in alleged murder-suicides in 2022.

One Minute Recap

Russia is in two regions, Europe and Asia, and share eastern orthodox with the byzantine empire.
They were conquered by the mongols and became part of the golden horde.
Ivan the greats stopped paying taxes and tribute to the mongols and broke free.
Ivan and fourth who he's teribble but he legitimize his rule by building Saint basil's cathedral
He arms the cossacks expand the russian empire, has a secret police and tortures people grotesquely and kills them who oppose him.
He kills his line of succession and then he had the time of troubles till they roy a new dynasty the romanovs.
Peter the great wants them to be more like europeans and modernized, he built st petersburg after taking land from Sweden and wanted to be like those european maritime empires.
Catherine the great comes along and marries her husband I mean cousin and he dies she's enlightened as pen pals with voltaire but she doesn't free the serfs.
The serfs are freed and they start more state-driven industrialization to keep up with the europeans.
They built up heavy industries like steel and military weapons.
World war one happens and they mobilize before it ever is declared and fight with germany the ottomans in the austro-hungarian empire.
Russians mobilize to fight in WW1 and the russian revolution happens and they leave world war one. This turns the country communist and lenin is the leader.
The Soviet union is formed. Lenin dies stalin is the new leader he has five-year plans to industrialize and collectivization of all the farms.
Initially, stalin signs the non-aggression pact with hitler, but then hitler invades. The soviets defend themselves and joined World War II on the side of the allies and race to berlin
Now there are two great superpowers the soviet union in the united states and the cold war happens with communism versus capitalism.
There are lots of proxy wars like korean war Vietnam afghanistan and a military alliance known as the warsaw pact and there's a nuclear arms race, and eventually things change when there are uprisings in the soviet spheres of influence.
The berlin wall comes down there's a coup to overthrow gorbachev to save the soviet union, but actually leads to the fall of the soviet union and Yeltsin changes the country's economy, and the oligarchs come on the scene in a big way.
Putin comes to power and then does again, that again, he and he then invades Ukraine.