Dino Russia

Homework Notes

• Geographics and Demographics

  • Largest country in both Asia and Europe (as well as the world)

  • Siberia in the east is the least populated due to extreme cold

  • Alaska was apart of the Russian Empire until the US bought it in 1867

  • Russia expanded eastward during it’s history, but was slowed due to the cold

    • Most people living in the east were natives, political exiles, or part of government settlement

  • Russia shared borders with over 14 countries

    • Most of these were part of the Soviet Union

  •  Russia, despite having harsh territory, is rich in oil, natural gas, gold, nickel, and diamonds

• Development of the state

  • Religion, foreign invasion, and the emergence of a Russian State

    • The Kyivan state of Russia (Kyivan Rus 1300s-1800s) adopted Orthodox Christianity.

    • The 1300s: Mongol invasion of Russia, China, and Middle East

      • Controlled Russia for over two centuries

      • Russians suffered economic destruction, enslavement, depopulation, and loss of resources

      • This is one theory of when Russia split off of the historical development of the rest of Europe.

        • Russia didn’t participate in the Reneissance

        • No protestant reformation

        • No strong middle class

    • Another theory for the failed development of Russia was Ivan the Terrible(1547-84) who consolidated power in Moscow instead of Kiev and began to destroy anything that interfered with personal power

      • He created a personal police force (like in the Soviet Union) that terrorized political opponents

      • First real Russian Emperor (Tsar/Czar)

    • These historical events transformed Russian history into one of solo development as opposed to development like in the west, setting Russia up for future failure

    • When Ivan died, Russia didn’t know if it belonged with Europe battling for political and developmental control or if it was to different from the west

      • Peter the Great (1682-1725) saw Westernization as a key goal in Russian development

        •  He moved the capital from Moscow to St. Petersburg where it was closer to the west

        • He consulted with foreign advisors to find ways to modernize Russia (especially the military) and administrative and educational reforms

      • In sharp contrast, Nicholas I (1825-55) was hostile to reformation

        • The last few years of his rule saw him banning foreign travel

        • The emancipation of the serfs in 1861 proceeded over time but was too slow to get Russia back on track with Europe

      • This oscillation between reform and repression saw Russia enter the industrial revolution in the 1880s, form a weak middle class, and grow a centralized state which was bad for a monstrously sized country

  • Seeds of Revolution

    • Disjunction between agrarian and aristocratic society and an autonomous state and traditionaly monarchy would lead to revolutions

    • In 1904, Russia lost a war with Japan → more hatred of the governemnt

    • In 1905, Russia saw many domestic protests by the working class who migrated to the cities during industrialization

    • Revolution of 1905 saw Tsar Nicholas II Institute a series of limited reforms including the creation of a legislature, The Duma.

    • Very soon after, Nicholas weakened the rights he gave during the revolution → more hatred

    • WWI was the final straw

      • Financial and human cost → more domestic tensions that weakened national unity

      • Food shortages, public disturbances, and a military revolt

      • Nicholas stepped down in March of 1917 and a noncommunist republican leadership took control, unwisely choosing to remain in the war

      • This provisional government was weak at imposing authority

    • During the public disorder and confusion, Vladimir Lenin(1917-1924) staged a Coupe d’état, overthrowign those in power with a small, disciplined force

    • After a subsequent civil war against anticommunist forces (partially funded by America), Lenin began transforming Russia which was renamed to the Soviet Union and became the first communist country

  • Russian Revolution under Lenin

    • Under Lenin, local revolutionary authority in the form of Soviets, or workers councils, was pushed aside despite being named in the name of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)

    • Although the Communist government embraced the multi-ethnic republics in the Union, they had little power. Authority was solely vested in the Communist Party which controlled all government and state activities

    • A secret police force, the Cheka, was formed to root out opposition

      • Changed to the KGB (English: Committee for State Security) later

    • Industry was nationalized in the name of the people (but controlled by the party)

    • Managing this newfound power was a growing bureaucratic system composed of the Nomenklatura(jobs in the state that were chosen/approved of by the communist party)

    • Managing basic economic and social life of the country required a highly autonomous government

    • After several years, the Soviet Union was required to switch to the belief that they were the vanguard of global revolution, meaning policies needed to shift from international to domestic

    • Joseph Stalin (1923-1953) took power after Lenin died and appointed loyal Stalinists to powerful positions and maintained control through brutal means

      • One by one, Leninists were removed from power through demotion, exile, or execution

  • Stalinism, Terror, and a Totalitarian state

    • By the late 1930s, Stalin had complete control

    • A central planning bureau was created to allocate and distribute goods → no more private land

      • Farmers destroyed their livestock as opposed to giving it to the government

      • Wealthy peasants were executed

      • Agricultural production collapsed and 7 million people died in the resulting famine

    • Stalin was famous for gtting rid of political opponents or anyone who opposed him.

      • An estimated 1 million poeople were imprisoned in the 1930s and 1 million people were executed

      • Terror became the primary feature of control

    • Stalins political power was solidified when a cult of personality portrayed him as godlike, incapable of error, and infinitely wise

  • Stability and Stagnation after Stalin

    • Rulers after Stalin strayed away from terror and more towards fear

    • The soviet system still remained the same with power vested in the Politburo. With the head being the general secretary who was the leader of the country

    • Security forced continued to suppress public dissent through arrest and harrassment

    • Despite this seemingly harsh regime, the government saw a high degree of legitimacy

      • Railroads, roads, massive factories, homes, schools, and electricity were all brought into effect

      • Many people were given jobs, education, healthcare and retirement benefits

      • The standard of living increased massively

    • First Leaders after Stalin

      • Nikita Khrushchev(1953-64)

        •  made an attempt at reform but was thwarted by the party-state bureau and removed from his position

      • Leonid Brezhnev (1964-82)

        • Rejected further reform

        • Calmed the nomenklatura by ensuring them that their power and privileges were protected

        • Economic growth slowed and those in power became increasingly corrupt and dettatched

      • In the 1960s, it was believed that development could match the west, but by the 1980s, the USSR was falling behind

  • Failure of reform and collapse of the soviet union

    • After Brezhnev died, Mikhail Gorbachev came to power

      • Promoted Glasnost and Perestroika

      • Gorbachev believed a limited rollback of the state from public life would make people more involved, increase incentives like better pay, and reduce the role of central planning.

      • Overall, he believed that this would benefit both the people and the government.

        • This was actually destroying the Soviet System

    • Nationalism grew among the various ethnic groups in the republics

    • Party leaders became polarized over the pace and scope of reform. One of these leaders was Boris Yeltsin who was elected president of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Rebublic (The state of Russia in the USSR)

      • In 1991,some anitreform conservtices mounted a Coup D’ettat against Gorbachev

      • After the conspirators arrested Gorbachev, Yeltsin led the resistance to the coup, famously denouncing the takeover while standing on a tank

    • As the Coup collapsed, so did Gorbachev’s political authority

    • Yeltsin took his chance and banend the Communist Party and dissolved the Soviet Union

    • He held his position as president of the Russian Federation until 1999 when he named his Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin as president who would be president from 2000-2008 and 2012-today

• Political Regime

  • Political Institutions

    • The Constiution

      • Born from violent conflict after the failed coup in 1991

      • After the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia still had many institutions still modeled after the Soviet Institutions

      • Yeltsin clashed with the bicameral legislature due to his economic reforms taking effect too quickly

      • Yeltsin was impeached in 1993 but soon dissolved the parliament

      • The parliament barricaded themselves inside and asked for the military to help. The military then sided with Yeltsin

      • Yeltsin then created a new constitution, ratified in 1993, that emphasized presidential power

    • Essential Political Features

  • Branches of Government

    • The Kremlin: The president and PM

      • Physically, it is the fortress in Moscow that holds the seat of Russian Power

      • President is head of state, Prime Minister is Head of Government

      • President has extreme executive power

        • President chooses and dismisses Prime Minister

      • Function of Government

        • President Selects prime minister

          • Putin often picks people loyal to him and not the best overall pick

        • The Duma may reject the Prime Minister nominee up to 3 times before the president has to dissolve the Duma and call for new elections

        • The president cant dissolve the Duma in a year following the parliamentary election or in the last 6 months of his term

        • President appoints leaders to eight federal districts

        • President may propose and veto bills and he can also issue decrees

        • President controls Foreign Ministry, Defense Ministry, Interior Ministry, the Army,  KGB successor the Federal Security Service (FSB)

        • Impeachment is only possible oncharges of high treason or equal crimes

          • ⅔ of each house must vote to impeach him

        • Prime minister supervises the ministries and proposes legislation

        • Prime Minister Promotes national budget

      • With this power, Putin’s core supporters, the Siloviki, are reinforced

    • The Legislature

      • Has little direct influence on the course of the government

      • Comprised of the 450 seat Duma and the 178 seat Federation Council

      • Duma

        • Right to initiate and accept or reject legislation

        • May override President’s veto with ⅔ vote

        • Approves appointment of Prime minister

          • 3 rejections → Dissolution

        • Can hold a vote of No Confidence in opposition to the Prime Minister, but the President may ignore the decision if it passes

          • IF a second one happens within 3 months, the president has to dismiss the PM and Cabinet or call for new Duma elections

      • Federation Council

        • Serves to represent local interests and acts as a guarantor of the constitution

        • Represents 85 federal administrative units, each having 2 representatives each

        • Federation council must approve bills within certain issues including taxation and the budget

        • If the council reject legislation (very rare), the Duma may override the upper house with a ⅔ vote

        • Has the power to theoretically impeach the president, approve/reject presidential appointments to the Constitutional Court, declare war and martial law, and international treaties

      • The Judiciary

        • Top of the legal structure is the Constitutional Court

        • 19 members who are nominated by the president and approved of by the Fed. Council

        • It has the power of abstract review(rule on constitutional issues even when a case has not been brought before it) and concrete review (rule on specific cases)

        • It is NOT a court of appeals for criminal cases, that is for the supreme court

        • Court does not play an activist role

          • Quickly recognized the annexation of Crimea in 2014

          • Requires LGTB and environmental organizations to register as foreign agents

  • Political Conflict and Competition

    • The Party System and Elections

      • Russia has yet to see political parties rise with clear ideologies

        • Relative weakness of ideology among the public

        • The power of the presidency leads to parties that seek presidential benefits over population benefits

      • United Russia: Party of Power

        • Primary party in Russia

        • Supports Putin

        • Holds over ⅔ of seats in the Duma → can change laws at will

        • Boasts a cult of personality around Putin

        • Emphasizes stability and conservatism, economic development, and restoration of Russia as a “great power” in international politics

        • Since 2007, Russia has been viewed as less democratic due to the party controlling the media and having a majority

      • Communist and Leftist Parties

        • Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF)

          • Liked by older people who supported Soviet Rule

          • Second largest party in the Duma

          • Remains very close to original Communism and rejects Western ideas

          • Often gets protest votes for those against the United Russia

        • A Just Russia (party)

          • Social-Democratic that emphasizes social justice and reducing inequality

          • Considered by many to have just been created in order to provide what looks like a multi-party democracy

          • The only person who opposed the annexation of Crimea was from this party and she was expelled from the country

      • Nationalist Parties

        • Liberal-Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR)

          • Neither Liberal or Democratic, it promotes Nationalism, Xenophobia, anti-semitism, and a strong want to restore the Soviet Union

          • Gains most support from the lower working class

      • Liberal Parties

        • Yabloko

          • Supported by white-collar workers and urban residents

          • Likes western political and economic ideas

          • Never a major force in the Duma

    • Civil Society

      • Currently under tight control by Putin

      • All NGOs have to be approved by the government, restricting foreign funding and making them subject to regular inspections to check for infractions

      • Orthodox Christianity is re-emerging after Athiest Soviet Rule, but current politics are preventing religious groups such as Islam, Jehovahs Witnesses, Mormons, and smaller Christian groups from becoming popular

      • The Media in Russia, while able to freely report on many topics, is barred from talking negatively about the government, economy, or politics. Essentially becoming controlled by the government

        • The largest TV companies in Russia have become under control of the government

        • media tends to promote anti-western propaganda at the request of the country

Key Terms and People

• People

  • Ivan the Terrible (Ruled 1547-84)

    • First Tsar

    • Consolidated political power in Moscow instead of Kiev and began seeking personal benefit over the rest of the population

    • Created personal police that terrorized the Russian people

    • One reason for Russia falling behind politically, culturally, and industrially

  • Peter the Great(Ruled 1682-1725)

    • Key goal of Westernization and getting Russia back on track with Europe

    • Sent advisors to foreign countries to see how they operate

    • Moved capital from Moscow to St. Petersburg to be closer to the west

  • Nicholas I (Ruled 1825-55)

    • Hostile to reformation

    • Banned foreign travel to make sure he could keep power and there would be no opposition

    • Started the emancipation of the Serfs but was too slow to get Russia back on track with Europe

  • Alexander II (Ruled 1855-81)

    • Known for many liberal reforms and freeing the serfs

    • Pacifist foreign policy

    • “The Great Reformer”

    • He was assassinated when a member of an opposing party threw a bomb at his carriage

  • Alexander III (Ruled 1881-94)

    • Persecuted non-orthodox religious groups

    • Advanced Russian nationalism and promoted autocracy

    • Didn’t like individual ethnic groups not caring much about him

    • Implemented the Ohkrana which was a secret police force terrorizing people who opposed him, much like Stalin

    • “The Great Repressor”

    • Died before he could teach his son how to rule

  • Nicholas II (Ruled 1894-1917)

    • Unprepared for rule

    • Oversaw the Revolution of 1905 → Created a legislature to create laws, freedoms of speech and assembly

      • He weakened those rights very soon after

    • Led Russia through WWI seeing millions of casualties, food shortages, money shortage, and a military revolt

    • He decided the best thing to do was to leave for the frontlines with no military experience AND he left his German wife at the Winter Palace with Rasputin to lead the country

      • This was it for the Russian people

    • Abdicated from the throne in 1917

    • Killed by Bolshevik firing squad alongside his family in 1918

• Vladimir Lenin (1917-1923)

  •  First Soviet Leader who brought socialism to Russia after being exiled to Switzerland. 

  • Led the White/Spring/March/Provisional Revolution with Leon Trotsky. 

  • Signed treaty of Brest-Litovsk ending Russian involvement in WWI

  • “Peace, Land, Bread” was the slogan he used to gain power since the Russians hated war and wanted food.

  • Created the Cheka to get rid of opposition → became the KGB

  • Died due to aneurysm after a series of Strokes in 1923 → Stalin in power

• Leon Trotsky

  • Worked with Lenin to gain control over Russia during the revolution but split with Lenin over the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk because he wanted a worldwide communist revolution. Exiled to Spain then Mexico. Lived with Frida Khalo and Diego Rivera in Mexico and was assassinated with an Ice Axe while writing at his desk in 1940

• Joseph Stalin

  • Second Soviet Leader and by far the most well-known

  • Editor of “Pravda” during Lenin’s rule

  • Led by terror and Well-known for killing or exiling political opponents or anyone against him

  • Portrayed as Godlike by the Cult of Personality

  • Despite his harsh rule, Russia developed astonishingly fast with roads, trains, factories, and electricity

  • Led the USSR through WWII 

  • Formed the Eastern Bloc as a response to NATO in the west

• Nikita Khrushchev(1953-64)

  • Attempted reform but was thwarted by the party-state bureau

  • Sponsored early space program

  • Began to allow some foreign movies, books, and TV shows

  • Believed reinstating previously repressed political officials would lead to better governing

  • Removed from his position due to the politburo not liking him

• Leonid Brezhnev (1964-82)

  • Rejected reform

  • Calmed the nomenklatura that their power and privileges were protected

  • Slowed economic growth and people in positions of power became corrupt

  • Developed the strongest Soviet military

• Mikhail Gorbachev ( 1985-91)

  • Followed Brezhnev after 2 other short term leaders

  • Promoted Glasnost and Perestroika

  • Rolled back the government involvement in public life

    • This led to more citizens being involved in the government

  • Increase working incentives

  • Very popular among the American people and Ronald Reagan

  • Indirectly overthrown by Boris Yeltsin when he dissolved the Soviet Union before freeing Gorbachev from conservative imprisonment

• Boris Yeltsin (1991-99)

  • First president of the Russian Federation

  • Led the Belovezha Accords which Dissolved the Soviet Union

  • Famously stood on top of a tank and denounced the conservative capture of Gorbachev

  • Banned Communist activities on Russian soil

  • Succeeded by Putin

• Dmytry Medvedev (2008-12)

  • President after Putin’s first 2 terms

  • Became Prime Minister until 2020 when he stepped down

  • Leads United Russia, Putin’s political partydl

• Vladimir Putin (2000-2008; 2012-present)

  • Won fair elections in 2000 and 2004 and was appointed chairman for United Russia and PM to Dmitry Medvedev from 2008-12

  • Changed the rules to 4 consecutive terms and 6 years each term, just so he can remain in power.

  • Allowed to stay as president until 2036

• Terms

  • Tsar/Czar

    • Russian emperor before 1917

  • Tacit Social Contract

    • The USSR would provide job security, housing, food, lax work environments, and low prices for necessities as long as you didn’t complain about the government

  • Serf

    • Agricultural laborer

    • Basically slaves

  • Duma

    • Lower house of the legislature

    • Right to initiate and accept or reject legislation

    • May override President’s veto with ⅔ vote

    • Approves appointment of Prime minister

      • 3 rejections → Dissolution

    • Can hold a vote of No Confidence in opposition to the Prime Minister, but the President may ignore the decision if it passes

      • IF a second one happens within 3 months, the president has to dismiss the PM and Cabinet or call for new Duma elections

  • Federation Council

    • Upper house of the legislature

    • Serves to represent local interests and acts as a guarantor of the constitution

    • Represents 85 federal administrative units, each having 2 representatives each

    • Federation council must approve bills within certain issues including taxation and the budget

    • If the council reject legislation (very rare), the Duma may override the upper house with a ⅔ vote

    • Has the power to theoretically impeach the president, approve/reject presidential appointments to the Constitutional Court, declare war and martial law, and international treaties

  • Constitutional Court

    • 19 members who ae nominated by the president and approved of by the Fed. Council

    • It has the power of abstract review(rule on constitutional issues even when a case has not been brought before it) and concrete review (rule on specific cases)

    • It is NOT a court of appeals for criminal cases, that is for the supreme court

    • The court does not play an activist role

      • Quickly recognized the annexation of Crimea in 2014

      • Requires LGTB and environmental organizations to register as foreign agents

  • Coup d’état:

    • A violent siezure of the government’s power in a coup

    • One in 1917 led by Lenin

    • One in 1991 led by conservative opponents who disliked Gorbachev

  • Cheka

    • Lenin’s secret police force

    • Hunted opposition

    • Later became the KGB

  • KGB

    • New name for the secret police

    • It was the CIA of the Soviet Union

  • Nomenklatura

    • Jobs in the state that were chosen or approved of by the party

    • People who held key administrative positions in the bureaucracy

  • Stalinist

    • Somone who agreed and followed Stalin’s policy and tactics

  • Hardliner

    • Usually people who agreed with the old ways of ruling

    • Uncompromisingly agrees with those policies

  • Politburo

    • Same as China

    • Secretary is the leader of the Soviet Union

  • Glasnost and Perestroika

    • “Openness and reformation”

    • Gorbachev’s idea that if he gave people more freedom and restructured the economy and government, the Soviet Union would do better

    • Primarily tried to make industry better

  • Pravda

    • “Truth” in English

    • Lenin’s newspaper that Stalin edited

  • Vanguard Party

    • Politcal party at the front of population wide political movements

    • Bolsheviks led this group

  • Bolshevik

    • Literally means “Majority”

    • Believed in Democratic Centralism where everything would be cerntrally handled from the Kremlin in Moscow

  • Menshevik

    • Literally means “Minority”

  • Kremlin

    • Fortified compound in Moscow where politics are managed

  • Détante

    • “I promise not to fire if you promise not to fire”

    • The easing of hostility between countries

    • Famous from the Cuban Missle Crisis when Kennedy and Brezhnev had to avoid nuclear war

    • Also famous from the US and USSR having a tank standoff at Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin where tanks backed away inches at a time

  • War Communism

    • Extreme central planning 

    • Forced collectivism of food for distribution to the army

    • All industries produced war materials

  • Command Economy

    • The government controls both supply and demand

  • Chits

    • Little stamped pieces of paper that allowed civilians to get goods given to them

    • Often things that weren't useful such as vodka when people are starving

  • Strategic Defense Initiative(Star Wars)

    • Reagan’s idea that if therew were a bunch of mirrors in space, lasers could be shot from the US to destroy missiles in flight

  • Federal Security Service (FSB)

    • Successor to the KGB

    • Manages domestic intelligence and is viewed as the main political actor in Russia alongside Putin

  • Unofficial Economy

    • Black market run by Mafia

  • Shock Therapy

    • Radical rapid economic reforms. Gave lots of power to the oligarchs

  • New Economic Policy (NEP)

    • Lenin’s implementation of Socialism

  • Insider Privatization

    • Members of a state-owned industry that is given preferential access to buy shares

  • CIS (Confederation of Independent States)

    • When the Soviet Union collapsed, it became this for a while

• Events

• https://quizlet.com/993512894/blocks

• Textbook Terms

  • Chechnya: A republic in southwestern Russia that has been the site of separatist conflicts.

  • Constitutional Court: The highest body in the Russian legal system, responsible for constitutional review. It has the power of judicial review but is not considered independent, as Putin appoints only loyalists as judges.

  • Duma: The lower house of Russia's national legislature. It has the power to make laws, override presidential vetoes, approve the president's Prime Minister appointments, issue votes of no confidence, and initiate impeachment proceedings.

  • Federation Council: The upper house of Russia's Federal Assembly. It is not directly elected, with members chosen by Putin. It has lawmaking power, must pass bills along with the Duma, ratifies treaties, and approves the deployment of troops.

  • Glasnost: A policy introduced by Mikhail Gorbachev allowing freer discussion of social problems in the Soviet Union. It was part of a strategy to save the declining Soviet Union through political openness.

  • Kremlin: The official residence of the Russian President in Moscow, often used as a metonym for the Russian government.

  • Vladimir Ilyich Lenin: Led the communist revolution, was the leader of the Bolsheviks, and ruled the Soviet Union. He established the concept of democratic centralism, which concentrates power in the hands of the party elite.

  • Dimitri Medvedev: Elected president of Russia in 2008 after Putin stepped down to serve as Prime Minister.

  • Nomenklatura: An ordered path from local party Soviets to the commanding heights of leadership in the Soviet system.

  • Oligarchs: Wealthy business owners with significant influence on politics and the economy. They gained power during Yeltsin's shock therapy, exemplifying a negative side effect of economic liberalization.

  • Orthodox Christianity: The main target of religious persecution under Stalin's regime.

  • Perestroika: A policy initiated by Mikhail Gorbachev involving the restructuring of the Soviet Union's social and economic status quo towards a market-based economy and society.

  • Politburo: A seven-member committee that became the leading policy-making body of the Communist Party in the USSR.

  • Vladimir Putin: President of Russia from 2000-2008 and 2012-present. He has consolidated power and suppressed opposition.

  • Siloviki: a person who works for any state organisation that is authorised to use force against citizens or others. 

  • Joseph Stalin: Implemented a brutal form of communism imposed by a small group of party leaders, known as Stalinism.

  • Tsar: The title of the monarch in pre-revolutionary Russia, representing an absolute monarchy.

  • Boris Yeltsin: The first President of the Russian Federation, serving from 1991 to 1999. He helped end the USSR and forced Gorbachev to resign.

• Textbook terms after p. 459 and before p. 472

  • A Just Russia: A small party in the Russian Duma with a social-democratic orientation

  • Asymmetric Federalism: A system in which power is divided unevenly among regional bodies–for example, some regions are given greater power over taxation or language rights than others, a more likely outcome in a country with significant ethnic divisions.

  • Caucasus: Southwest Russia, near the Black Sea and Turkey, where there is a diverse mixture of non-Slavic peoples with distinct languages and customs as well as a much stronger historical presence of Islam than Orthodox Christianity

  • Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF): Successor party in Russia to the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.

  • Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR): A political party in Russia with a nationalist and antidemocratic orientation

  • Alexei Navalny: Political activist who has been detained repeatedly for his opposition to Putin and United Russia

  • Parties of Power: Russian parties created by political elites to support their political aspirations; typically lacking any ideological orientation

  • United Russia: Main political party in Russia and supporter of Vladimir Putin

  • Yabloko: Small party in Russia that advocates democracy and a liberal political-economic system

Timeline

• The failed Revolution against Nicholas

• Lenin returned by the Germans

• March/Spring/White Revolution

• Red/Bolshevik/October/Communist Revolution

• Russian Civil War

• Lenin dies

• Stalin initiates central planning

• Land is collectivized

• Great Purges begin

• Potsdam conference

• Churchill gives Iron Curtain speech

• Berlin Airlift

• Stalin dies

• Warsaw pact signed

• Sputnik

• Bay of Pigs

• Cuban Missile Crisis

• Kruschev allows One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich to be published

• Brezhnev takes over (Kruschev removed from all power)

• Nixon meets with Mao and Zhao

• Nixon meets with Brezhnev

• Detente eases tensions between US and USSR and SALT meetings begin

• Brezhnev dies

• Reagan announces STAR WARS Program

• Andropov dies

• Chernenko dies

• Gorbachev enacts Perestroika

• Chernobyl shows that glasnot may not be all that open after all

• Reagan and Gorbachev meet in Reykjavik

• Berlin Wall falls

• Gorbachev is held captive in his dacha and forced to resign

• Yeltsin stops a coup

• The White House is attacked

• Yeltsin and the Duma ratify the new constitution of the URF

• Shock Therapy is enacted

• Privatization vouchers are distributed

• The Asian Market Crash causes the ruble to plummet

• The Oligarchs are attacked by the president

• Chechen rebels take hostages in Moscow Theater

• Khodorkovsky jailed

• Over 800 die in Berlin at the hands of Chechen terrorists

• Alexander Litvinenko dies in London

• Medvedev placed into the presidency

• Presidential term switched to six years

• EAEU established

• Putin annexes Crimea

• Putin invades to “save Russians” in eastern Ukraine

1905: The Failed Revolution against Nicholas II

This was the first major challenge to Tsarist autocracy in Russia. Triggered by the "Bloody Sunday" massacre, it involved widespread strikes, mutinies, and uprisings across the Russian Empire. While it failed to overthrow the monarchy, it forced Tsar Nicholas II to implement limited reforms, including the creation of the State Duma (parliament) and the October Manifesto, which granted basic civil rights.

April 1917: Lenin's Return to Russia

Vladimir Lenin, the Bolshevik leader, returned to Russia from exile in Switzerland via a sealed train provided by the German government. This strategic move by Germany aimed to destabilize Russia and potentially lead to its withdrawal from World War I. Lenin's return galvanized the revolutionary movement, leading to the famous "April Theses" that called for "All Power to the Soviets".

February/March 1917: February Revolution

Also known as the March Revolution (due to the difference between the Julian and Gregorian calendars), this marked the collapse of the Romanov dynasty. Sparked by food shortages and war fatigue, it began with strikes and demonstrations in Petrograd (St. Petersburg). The revolution led to Tsar Nicholas II's abdication and the establishment of a Provisional Government, sharing power with the Petrograd Soviet.

November 7, 1917: October Revolution

Led by Vladimir Lenin and the Bolsheviks, this armed insurrection in Petrograd overthrew the Provisional Government. The Bolsheviks seized key government buildings and the Winter Palace, establishing the world's first socialist state. This event, which occurred on October 25 in the old Russian calendar, set the stage for the creation of the Soviet Union.

1917-1922: Russian Civil War

A complex, multi-sided conflict that followed the October Revolution. The primary struggle was between the Bolshevik Red Army and the loosely allied anti-Bolshevik forces known as the White Army. It also involved foreign interventions, peasant uprisings, and independence movements in former Imperial territories. The war resulted in millions of deaths, economic devastation, and ultimately, Bolshevik victory and the formation of the Soviet Union.

January 21, 1924: Lenin Dies

The death of Vladimir Lenin, the founder of the Soviet state, marked a crucial turning point in Soviet history. His passing triggered a power struggle within the Communist Party, ultimately won by Joseph Stalin. Lenin's body was embalmed and placed in a mausoleum in Moscow's Red Square, becoming a symbol of the Soviet regime.

1928: Stalin Initiates Central Planning

Joseph Stalin launched the first Five-Year Plan, marking the beginning of centralized economic planning in the Soviet Union. This plan aimed to rapidly industrialize the Soviet economy, collectivize agriculture, and eliminate private enterprise. It set ambitious targets for industrial production and fundamentally transformed Soviet society and economy.

1929-1933: Land is Collectivized

Stalin's policy of agricultural collectivization involved the forced consolidation of individual peasant holdings into collective farms (kolkhozy) and state farms (sovkhozy). This process was met with significant resistance, particularly from wealthy peasants (kulaks). The policy led to widespread famine, especially in Ukraine (known as the Holodomor), resulting in millions of deaths.

1936-1938: Great Purges Begin

Also known as the Great Terror, this was a campaign of political repression, surveillance, and executions carried out by Stalin's regime. It targeted alleged enemies of the state, including Communist Party members, government officials, Red Army leadership, and ordinary citizens. The purges were characterized by widespread arrests, show trials, executions, and deportations to Gulag labor camps.

July-August 1945: Potsdam Conference

The final meeting of the "Big Three" Allied leaders (Stalin, Truman, and Churchill/Attlee) near Berlin. The conference dealt with the administration of post-war Germany, the Polish border issue, and the occupation of Austria. It also discussed the Soviet entry into the war against Japan and laid the groundwork for the division of Europe that would characterize the Cold War.

March 5, 1946: Churchill Gives Iron Curtain Speech

Winston Churchill delivered his famous "Sinews of Peace" address at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri. In this speech, he coined the term "Iron Curtain" to describe the ideological and physical boundary dividing Europe into Western and Soviet spheres of influence. This speech is often considered the beginning of the Cold War rhetoric.

1948-1949: Berlin Airlift

In response to the Soviet blockade of West Berlin, the Western Allies (primarily the US and UK) organized a massive airlift to supply the city's population with food, fuel, and other necessities. For nearly a year, planes landed in West Berlin every few minutes, demonstrating Western resolve in the face of Soviet pressure. The airlift was a significant early victory for the West in the Cold War.

March 5, 1953: Stalin Dies

Joseph Stalin's death marked the end of an era characterized by totalitarian rule, mass repression, and rapid industrialization. His passing triggered a power struggle within the Soviet leadership, eventually leading to Nikita Khrushchev's rise to power. Stalin's death also initiated a period of "de-Stalinization," which involved the release of many political prisoners and a relaxation of censorship.

May 14, 1955: Warsaw Pact Signed

The Warsaw Pact was a collective defense treaty between the Soviet Union and seven Eastern European satellite states. It was established as a counterbalance to NATO and formalized the political and military alliance of the Eastern Bloc. The pact allowed the Soviet Union to station troops in member countries and coordinate their foreign and defense policies, effectively extending Soviet control over Eastern Europe.

October 4, 1957: Sputnik

The Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the world's first artificial satellite, into orbit. This achievement marked the beginning of the Space Age and intensified the Cold War space race between the U.S. and USSR. Sputnik's launch shocked the Western world, particularly the United States, leading to increased investment in science and technology education and the creation of NASA.

April 17-19, 1961: Bay of Pigs

This failed invasion of Cuba by CIA-trained Cuban exiles was an attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro's communist government. The invading force was quickly defeated by Cuban troops, resulting in a major embarrassment for the Kennedy administration. The incident strengthened Castro's position and pushed Cuba closer to the Soviet Union, setting the stage for the Cuban Missile Crisis.

October 16-28, 1962: Cuban Missile Crisis

This 13-day confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union is considered the closest the Cold War came to escalating into a full-scale nuclear war. The crisis began when the U.S. discovered Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba. It involved a U.S. naval blockade of Cuba, intense diplomatic negotiations, and ended with the Soviets agreeing to remove the missiles in exchange for a U.S. pledge not to invade Cuba and to remove missiles from Turkey.

1962: One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich Published

Nikita Khrushchev personally approved the publication of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn's novella, which depicted life in a Soviet labor camp. This marked a significant moment in the Khrushchev Thaw, a period of relative liberalization and de-Stalinization. The book's publication was seen as a critique of Stalinism and represented a new level of openness in Soviet society, though this openness would be short-lived.

October 14, 1964: Brezhnev Takes Over

Leonid Brezhnev became the leader of the Soviet Union following a bloodless coup that ousted Nikita Khrushchev. Brezhnev's ascension marked the beginning of an era known as the "Era of Stagnation," characterized by economic slowdown, political stability, and a more conservative approach to reforms. His leadership style emphasized collective leadership and a return to more orthodox Communist policies.

February 21-28, 1972: Nixon Meets with Mao and Zhou

U.S. President Richard Nixon's visit to China was a landmark event that began the process of normalizing Sino-American relations. This diplomatic breakthrough, orchestrated by Nixon and his National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger, effectively ended China's isolation from the West. It also altered the dynamics of the Cold War, creating a strategic triangle between the U.S., USSR, and China.

May 22-30, 1972: Nixon Meets with Brezhnev

This Moscow summit between Nixon and Brezhnev was a key moment in the period of détente between the superpowers. The leaders signed the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty and the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT I), which placed limits on nuclear weapons. These agreements marked a significant step towards arms control and reduction of Cold War tensions.

1972-1979: Détente

Détente refers to the easing of Cold War tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union. This period was characterized by increased dialogue, arms control agreements (like SALT I and II), and cultural exchanges. It also saw the Helsinki Accords of 1975, which addressed European security and human rights. However, détente began to unravel in the late 1970s due to events such as the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

November 10, 1982: Brezhnev Dies

Leonid Brezhnev's death ended an 18-year period of Soviet leadership characterized by economic stagnation, political stability, and an aging leadership. His passing ushered in a brief period of leadership transition, first to Yuri Andropov and then to Konstantin Chernenko, before the rise of reformer Mikhail Gorbachev.

March 23, 1983: Reagan Announces SDI

President Ronald Reagan proposed the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), nicknamed "Star Wars," a space-based missile defense system. While technologically ambitious and never fully realized, SDI had significant political and strategic implications. It put pressure on the Soviet Union to compete in a new arms race, straining its already struggling economy.

February 9, 1984: Andropov Dies

Yuri Andropov, who briefly led the Soviet Union after Brezhnev, died after only 15 months in office. Despite his short tenure, Andropov initiated anti-corruption campaigns and attempted to reform the Soviet economy. His death led to another brief leadership under Konstantin Chernenko before the ascension of Mikhail Gorbachev.

March 10, 1985: Chernenko Dies

Konstantin Chernenko's death after just over a year in office marked the end of the old guard Soviet leadership. His passing paved the way for the selection of Mikhail Gorbachev as General Secretary, ushering in an era of significant reforms and ultimately, the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

1985: Gorbachev Enacts Perestroika

Perestroika, meaning "restructuring," was a comprehensive reform program initiated by Mikhail Gorbachev to revitalize the Soviet economy and society. It involved introducing elements of market economics, reducing central planning, allowing limited forms of private ownership, and promoting technological modernization. Perestroika was accompanied by glasnost (openness), which encouraged greater transparency and freedom of information. These reforms ultimately contributed to the unraveling of the Soviet system.

April 26, 1986: Chernobyl Disaster

The catastrophic nuclear accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine was one of the worst nuclear disasters in history. The explosion and subsequent fire released large quantities of radioactive material into the environment. The Soviet government's initial attempts to downplay the severity of the accident and slow response highlighted the limitations of Gorbachev's glasnost policy. Chernobyl became a symbol of the Soviet system's failures and accelerated the push for greater openness and reform.

October 11-12, 1986: Reagan and Gorbachev Meet in Reykjavik

This summit between U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in Iceland was a pivotal moment in Cold War history. While no formal agreement was reached, the leaders came close to a deal on drastic reductions in nuclear arsenals. The talks laid the groundwork for future arms control agreements and signaled a thaw in U.S.-Soviet relations. The summit is often seen as a turning point in the Cold War, paving the way for its peaceful conclusion.

November 9, 1989: Berlin Wall Falls

The fall of the Berlin Wall was a seminal moment symbolizing the end of the Cold War and the collapse of communist regimes in Eastern Europe. Following weeks of civil unrest, the East German government announced that all GDR citizens could visit West Germany and West Berlin. Crowds of East Germans crossed and climbed onto the Wall, joined by West Germans on the other side in a celebratory atmosphere. The fall of the Wall led to German reunification and accelerated the collapse of communist governments across Eastern Europe.

August 19-21, 1991: Soviet Coup Attempt

A group of hardline members of the Soviet government attempted to seize power from Gorbachev, opposing his reforms and the new union treaty that would have transformed the Soviet Union into a federation of independent republics. The coup leaders placed Gorbachev under house arrest at his dacha in Crimea. The coup failed due to widespread popular resistance, particularly in Moscow, where Russian President Boris Yeltsin led the opposition. This event effectively marked the end of the Communist Party's hold on power and accelerated the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

August 19-21, 1991: Yeltsin Stops a Coup

During the August Coup, Boris Yeltsin, as President of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, played a crucial role in resisting the hardliners. He famously climbed atop a tank outside the Russian White House (parliament building) to denounce the coup as illegal and call for popular resistance. His actions rallied opposition to the coup and cemented his position as the dominant political figure in post-Soviet Russia.

October 4, 1993: White House Attack

This event, also known as the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis, was a political stand-off between Russian President Boris Yeltsin and the Russian parliament. The crisis escalated after Yeltsin attempted to dissolve the parliament in violation of the existing constitution. Supporters of the parliament barricaded themselves in the White House. The stand-off culminated in Yeltsin ordering the army to storm the building, resulting in the deaths of at least 187 people and wounding 437. This event significantly strengthened the power of the presidency in Russia's political system.

December 12, 1993: New Russian Constitution

Following the October crisis, a new constitution for the Russian Federation was approved by referendum. This constitution established a strong presidency and a weaker parliament, reflecting Yeltsin's victory over his opponents. It formally established Russia as a democratic, federative, law-based state with a republican form of government, marking a significant break from the Soviet past.

1992: Shock Therapy Enacted

"Shock therapy" refers to the rapid transition from a planned economy to a market economy in Russia, implemented under Boris Yeltsin. This approach, advocated by Western advisors, involved rapid privatization of state-owned enterprises, liberalization of prices, and drastic cuts in state spending. While intended to quickly establish market mechanisms, it led to severe economic hardship for many Russians, hyperinflation, and the rise of a small group of wealthy "oligarchs" who acquired state assets at low prices.

1992-1994: Privatization Vouchers Distributed

As part of the shock therapy reforms, the Russian government distributed privatization vouchers to every Russian citizen. These vouchers could be used to purchase shares in privatized companies. However, due to economic instability and lack of understanding of the market system, many Russians sold their vouchers for cash. This process contributed to the concentration of formerly state-owned assets in the hands of a small number of individuals, laying the groundwork for the rise of the oligarchs.

1998: Asian Market Crash and Ruble Crisis

The Russian financial crisis of 1998 was exacerbated by a sharp decline in world commodity prices and the spillover effects of the 1997 Asian financial crisis. Russia defaulted on its debt and devalued the ruble, leading to the collapse of several major banks and severe economic hardship for many Russians. This crisis undermined confidence in Russia's market reforms and contributed to Vladimir Putin's rise to power.

2000-2003: Oligarchs Attacked

After becoming President in 2000, Vladimir Putin began to challenge the power of Russia's oligarchs, who had amassed enormous wealth and political influence during the Yeltsin era. Putin insisted that the oligarchs stay out of politics and pay their taxes. Those who didn't comply, like media tycoon Vladimir Gusinsky and oil magnate Mikhail Khodorkovsky, faced legal troubles and exile or imprisonment. This marked a significant shift in the balance of power between the state and big business in Russia.

October 23-26, 2002: Moscow Theater Hostage Crisis

Chechen separatists seized the Dubrovka Theater in Moscow, taking approximately 850 hostages. The crisis lasted for 57 hours and ended when Russian special forces pumped an unknown chemical agent into the theater before storming it. While most of the hostages were rescued, at least 170 people died, including all 40 of the attackers. The incident highlighted the ongoing conflict in Chechnya and raised questions about the Russian government's handling of the crisis, particularly the use of the gas which caused many civilian deaths.

October 25, 2003: Khodorkovsky Jailed

Mikhail Khodorkovsky, once Russia's richest man and head of the Yukos oil company, was arrested on charges of fraud and tax evasion. His arrest was widely seen as politically motivated, as Khodorkovsky had been funding opposition parties and criticizing government corruption. The case marked a turning point in Putin's presidency, signaling a crackdown on oligarchs who challenged his authority and a move towards greater state control of strategic industries, particularly in the energy sector.

September 1-3, 2004: Beslan School Siege

Chechen terrorists seized a school in Beslan, North Ossetia, taking over 1,100 people hostage, including 777 children. The siege ended in a bloody shootout between the terrorists and Russian security forces, resulting in the deaths of 334 people, including 186 children. This tragedy shocked Russia and the world, leading to increased security measures and further centralization of power under Putin's government. It also marked a hardening of Russia's stance towards Chechen separatists.

November 23, 2006: Alexander Litvinenko Dies

Alexander Litvinenko, a former officer of the Russian FSB secret service who had become a vocal critic of the Russian government, died in London from polonium-210 poisoning. His death caused significant diplomatic tensions between the UK and Russia. Litvinenko accused Putin of ordering his assassination on his deathbed, and subsequent investigations pointed to Russian state involvement. The case highlighted the reach of Russian intelligence operations abroad and raised concerns about the safety of Russian dissidents living in the West.

May 7, 2008: Medvedev Becomes President

Dmitry Medvedev was inaugurated as President of Russia, with Vladimir Putin becoming Prime Minister due to term limits. This "tandem" arrangement allowed Putin to maintain significant influence while formally adhering to constitutional limits. Medvedev's presidency was characterized by attempts at modernization and improving relations with the West, but major decisions were still seen as being made by Putin. This period demonstrated the flexibility of Russia's political system in maintaining continuity of leadership.

December 30, 2008: Presidential Term Extended

The Russian constitution was amended to extend the presidential term from four to six years. This change, initiated under Medvedev's presidency but widely seen as benefiting Putin, significantly increased the power of the presidency. It allowed for longer, potentially more stable periods of rule, but was criticized by opposition figures as a step away from democratic norms.

January 1, 2015: EAEU Established

The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) was formally established, creating an integrated single market of 180 million people in Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Armenia, and Kyrgyzstan. This economic union, championed by Putin, was seen as an attempt to reintegrate former Soviet states under Russian leadership and as a counterweight to the European Union. It represented a key part of Russia's strategy to maintain influence in its "near abroad."

March 18, 2014: Putin Annexes Crimea

Following the ouster of pro-Russian Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine. This followed a disputed referendum in Crimea and the deployment of Russian troops. The annexation was widely condemned internationally and led to sanctions against Russia. It marked a major escalation in tensions between Russia and the West, effectively ending the post-Cold War security order in Europe.

February 24, 2022: Russia Invades Ukraine

Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, marking a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War that began in 2014. Putin cited the need to "demilitarize and de-Nazify" Ukraine and protect Russian speakers in eastern Ukraine as justifications. The invasion has resulted in the largest refugee crisis in Europe since World War II, led to widespread international condemnation, severe economic sanctions against Russia, and a significant realignment of European security policies. It represents the most serious military conflict in Europe since the Yugoslav Wars and has had far-reaching geopolitical consequences.

Dino’s Key Terms

Vanguard Party: A revolutionary political party that leads the working class in the struggle for socialism. Coined by Lenin, it is based on the idea that a small, disciplined group of professional revolutionaries is necessary to guide the proletariat toward revolution. AKA Bolshevik/Communist Party.

Democratic Centralism: A Leninist organizational principle where decisions are made democratically but are binding on all members once a decision is reached. It emphasizes unity and discipline within the party.

War Communism (1918–1921): A policy during the Russian Civil War that included nationalization of industry, forced grain requisitioning, and centralized control of the economy to support the Red Army.

Lenin’s New Economic Policy (NEP, 1921–1928): A temporary retreat from War Communism, allowing limited private enterprise, market mechanisms, and small-scale capitalism to revive the Soviet economy.

Stalinist Period (1924–1953):

Characterized by: Rapid industrialization, collectivization of agriculture, purges, totalitarian control, cult of personality, and central planning.

Not characterized by: Political pluralism, individual freedoms, or market-based economics.

Territories (Soviets) of the Former Soviet Union: The USSR consisted of 15 Soviet Socialist Republics (SSRs), including Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania), the Caucasus (Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan), and Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, etc.).

Soviet Bloc Nations: Eastern European countries under Soviet influence during the Cold War, including Poland, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and others.

Tacit Social Contract: An unwritten agreement in the USSR where the state provided employment, welfare, and stability in exchange for political compliance and lack of dissent.

Star Wars/SDI (Strategic Defense Initiative): A U.S. missile defense program proposed by President Reagan in the 1980s to counter Soviet nuclear threats. It heightened Cold War tensions.

Privatization in Russia:

Elements: Transfer of state-owned assets to private ownership.

Insider Privatization: Assets were often acquired by managers and employees of state enterprises, leading to wealth concentration among insiders.

Loans for Shares Program (1995): A scheme where the government offered shares in state-owned companies as collateral for loans, leading to the rise of oligarchs.

Russia’s Economic Decline in the 1990s: Hyperinflation, collapse of the ruble, decline in GDP, rise in poverty, and the emergence of oligarchs.

Revival of Economic Growth After the 1998 Financial Crisis:

Positive Factors: Devaluation of the ruble boosted domestic production, higher oil prices, and macroeconomic stabilization.

Negative Factors: Bankruptcies, loss of savings, and social unrest.

1998 Financial Crisis:

Negative Effects: Ruble collapse, default on debt, bank failures.

Positive Effects: Economic reforms, reduced reliance on imports, and eventual recovery.

Benefits of Social Welfare in the Post-Soviet Period: Limited maintenance of pensions, healthcare, and education, though often underfunded and inefficient.

Russia’s Current Trade Partners:

Major exports: Oil, gas, metals, and arms.

Key partners: China, EU, India, and Turkey.

Russian Political Institutions:

Constitution: Adopted in 1993 after a constitutional crisis, establishing a strong presidency, a bicameral legislature (Federal Assembly), and a judiciary. Made under Yeltsin.

State Council of the USSR: A collective leadership body in the Soviet Union, often symbolic, with limited power compared to the Communist Party. AKA the State Soviet, created when Gorbachev came into power.

Putin’s Move for Greater Federal Authority: Centralization of power, including the appointment of regional governors and control over regional budgets.

Siloviki, KGB, and FSB:

Siloviki: Russian political elites with security or military backgrounds. Someone who works for the state and is authorized to use force on people

KGB: Soviet secret police and intelligence agency.

FSB: Post-Soviet successor to the KGB, responsible for internal security.

Representation Among Communist Party Supporters: Traditionally older, rural, and working-class voters, though it has broadened in recent years to younger generations, specifically college age students.

Ethnic Russians vs. Russian Citizens:

Ethnic Russians: People of Russian ethnicity. Russki

Russian Citizens: Anyone holding Russian citizenship, regardless of ethnicity. Rossiiskie

NATO, G-8, EU, IMF, and Russia:

NATO: North Atlantic Treaty Organizaton. Russia views NATO expansion as a threat.

G-8: Political forum with 8 countries, 1997–2014, Russia was suspended in 2014 after annexing Crimea.

EU: European Union. Major trade partner but strained relations due to sanctions.

IMF: International Monetary Fund, Russia has sought loans and advice during economic crises.

Terrorist Attacks/Chechnya: Chechen separatist conflicts led to terrorist attacks in Russia, including the Beslan school siege and Moscow theater hostage crisis.

Ukraine and Crimea: Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, leading to ongoing tensions. The future may involve further conflict or frozen negotiations.

Strongest Public Protests (Early 2005): Protests against welfare reforms and pension cuts.

United Russia: The dominant pro-Putin coalition party, supporting centralization and conservative policies.

Powers of the President: Appoints the prime minister, can dissolve the Duma, and controls foreign policy and the military.

Strongest Parties in the Duma: United Russia, Communist Party, Liberal Democratic Party, and A Just Russia.

Imperial Russia, USSR, CIS, and Russian Federation:

Imperial Russia (1721–1917): Tsarist autocracy.

USSR (1922–1991): Socialist state under Communist Party rule.

CIS (1991–present): Loose association of former Soviet republics.

Russian Federation (1991–present): Current Russian state.

Leaders of the USSR:

Lenin (1917–1924)

Stalin (1924–1953)

Khrushchev (1953–1964)

Brezhnev (1964–1982)

Andropov (1982–1984)

Chernenko (1984–1985)

Gorbachev (1985–1991)

Russia

1/6 - Russia Intro Quiz

• V.I. Lenin

  • The first leader of the Soviet Union

  • Brought socialism to Russia 

  • exiled and goes to Vienna, Switzerland, and some other place

    • becomes friends with Trotsky

  • L + T plan out the revolution in Russia, but another revolution happens first

  • brought back to Russia by Germany during the white/spring/march/provisional revolution

  • First exiled in 1895 - Siberia, London, Vienna, then Switzerland

  • Chairman of the Peoples’ Commissars

    • Armistice with Germany - The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

    • Abolish all private ownership of land

    • Centralized banks, owned by government

  • Did not like Stalin and did not want him to take over when Lenin was dying

  • Died of an Anyeurism 

• Communist Rising

  • Communists would bring in food to large factories and spread their ideas

  • They would talk about how everyone lost friends and family in the war

• Trotsky

  • Son of a Jewish farmer, pro-zionist

  • Exiled in 1896, spent 1908-14 in Vienna as a journalist/essayist

  • Becomes head of military

  • Split with Lenin over the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

  • Planned the revolution with Lenin in the coffee shop and everything that he said was going to happen happened

  • Believed in a worldwide revolution 

  • Needed the countries around Russia to become communist as well to have a successful revolution

  • Goes to Spain than Mexico

• Joseph Stalin

  • Editor of Pravda (Truth) in 1913

  • Commissar for Nationalities under Lenin

  • He died of a Cerebral Hemorrhage when he didn’t have any doctors that could treat him

  • Stalin convinced Trotsky was responsible for Lenin’s death

  • MUCH MORE TO COME

• Red Revolution (Rename if im wrong)

  • Reds vs. Whites

  • Reds (communist)

  • Whites (capitalist?)

1/7 - Russia Intro (A Tale of Two Revolutions)

• Lenin takeover

  • Wants to eliminate political enemies by killing them

  • Took the best artists in Russia and made them create propaganda

    • FDR copied this with 30 Rock

  • As soon as one country goes communist, there is a time limit when other countries must go communist to promote globalization

  • Also pushed communism onto women

    • Lenin gave women the right to vote despite not having elections yet, therefore making them favor him when they do get to vote and all co

  • Lenin’s Motto: Peace, Land, Bread

  • Also children

    • Shaved heads because of lice

  • Lenin pushed reading, he wanted an educated population

    • The illiterate is a blind man: everywhere pitfalls and misfortune await him

    • In order to have more, it is necessary to produce more. In order to produce more, it is necessary to know more.

  • Lenin was trying to catch the United States regarding agriculture

• Civil War 1918-1922

  • Whites vs. Reds

    • Trotsky’s Red Army vs Kalensky’s White Army

  • Bolshevik (majority) becomes the communist party

• The era of Stalin 1922-1953

  • Joseph Stalin 1879-1953

  • Editor of Pravda (Truth in English) in 1913

  • Commissar for Nationalities until Lenin

• Kruschev and Kennedy

  • Mutually Assured Destruction

1/9 - Russia Intro (Russia Intro Slide Deck)

• Largest country in the world (by area)

  • 11 time zones

    • It makes it difficult to manage the country, since its 6pm on the west coast and 3am on the east

• 8 % of land is arable

• Only 20% is liveable land because lots of Russia is permafrost and the land is all bogs in the summer making it too wet to build on

• 45% of land is forested

• Rich in natural resources

  • Minerals, timber, oil, and natural gas

    • Oil is very deep

    • Much of it is shale oil

      • More expensive to withdraw

• 83 federal units

  • Republics (21)

  • Krais (9)

  • Oblasts (46)

  • Federal Cities (2)

  • Autonomous Oblasts (1)

  • Autonomous Okrug (4)

• Largest European Country, but isn’t Europe

• Largest Asian Country, but isn’t Asia

  • Means lots of people from the opposite sides of the country don’t look the same,. Practice other religions, ect

• 144 million population

  • shrinking

• 73% live in urban areas

  • 8% before Soviet Rule

• Ethnicity

  • 79.8% is ethnically russian

• Federal State

  • 83 federal subjects

• Executive - Dual Executive

  • President

  • Prime Minister

• Legislature - Bicameral

  • Federation Council (less power)

  • 2 from each state

    • Appointed by 7 people elected by Putin

  • Duma

    • More powerful

    • Putin can get rid of those people

• Election History

  • Putin won fairly in 2000 and in 2004

  • 2008 - Putin was made party chairman for United Russia

  • In ‘08 Putin became the PM under President Dmitry Medvedev and gave PMs more power (so he could still be powerful)

  • In ‘12 Putin is reelected and extended presidential term to 6 years then changed term limits to 4 terms, not 2 meaning Putin can remain in power until 2036

• Bolshevik Ideology

  • Democratic Centralism

    • Mass Line (Lenin’s idea)

      • The Cadres in China

      • Unlike China, the Cadres are appointed not elected by the people

      • RUSSIA IS NOT A REPUBLIC

        • Called a TRANSITIONAL DEMOCRACY

    • DC means they will do things centrally in Moscow

  • Vanguard Party

    • Synonyms - Pioneer, Trailblazer

    • The party will lead the people

    • If the party representatives aren’t perfect people, the system breaks down due to human errors

• Russian Civil War

  • Most deaths due to starvation during seige tactics

  • More deaths than WWI

• Stalin (“Man of Steel”)

  • Born to a poor peasant family in Georgia (country)

  • Lenin’s successor who turned on the Bolsheviks

  • If you don’t meet a quota, you die

  • Ruling through terror

    • Random killing means more effective government

  • USSR sided with Hitler at the start of WWII to take over Poland, but Hitler’s plans led him to invade the Soviet Union, leading to Germany’s defeat and a short-lived friendship with the United States (until Potsdam conferences)

• Destalinization

  • 1953-1985

  • Stalingrad becomes Volgograd

  • Nikita Khrushchev (56-64)

    • Rejected terror in political control

    • Revived the Communist Party

    • Logical and pragmatic

    • Hardliners hated him since he was “Less Stalin-like”

      • Allowed for book to be published that talks about all the atrocities of the gulags

    • He had the ability to call Moscow and tell all factories to stop producing toys and clothes and start producing weapons exclusively. The US never understood that he had that capacity

    • A major reason we won the Cold War is because we made stuff better and had innovation

    • Russians didn’t really like him that much since 

• Leonid Brezhnev (64-82)

  • Succeeded Khrushchev and used fear/intimidation instead of terror. Similar but unlike Stalin

  • Made sure people knew “The KGB has a file on you”

  • Détante

    • “I promise not to fire first if you promise not to fire first”

    • Makes a deal with Nixon

  • Brezhnev tries to catch US with “Star War” (Strategic Defense Initiative) but lost

  • Tacit(Impied) Social Contract

    • Government would provide you with a job, housing, and food if you don’t complain about the party

1/10 - Russian Political Economy

• Soviet Economy

  • Lenin solves Marx’ problem and the party leads

    • And he changes from Communism (except during the civil war [it was called War Communism]) to Socialism (N.E.P)

      • New Economic Policy

      • Allowed private ownership

      • The problem was innovation and effort was not rewarded meaning no one wanted to put in the effort to innovate

    • Lenin died

    • Command Economy

      • The government controls all means of production

        • Supply, marketing, production

    • Law of diminishing returns

      • Every additional product gives you less

    • Peace, Land, and Bread

  • Stalin 

    • “Collectivize and terorrize”

    • Command Economy

      • Foreign economic relations are highly controlled

    • The Communist System made profits illegal

  • Problems with the Soviet Economy

    • Breadlines

      • In the United States during the depression, Americans were ashamed to have to wait for food after being homeless

      • In Russia, people had been waiting in bread lines for 50 years. It was part of their every day life

    • Environmental Destruction

      • Chernobyl

        • Water cooling system didn’t work

        • Entire building blows up

    • No Profit, No Incentive

      • Shoddy products

      • No one wants to create better products since there is no extra pay or profit

      • It got so bad, large amounts of people started drinking on the job in factories making weapons and other heavy metal products. Very dumb

    • State Price and Production control = law of supply and demand

    • Chits

      • Based on work, you could get vouchers at stores that could be redeemed for whatever they had that day to give.

      • The problem is that it wasn’t always food. It was sometimes vodka or other dumb things that then needed to be traded for food in order to survive

  • Advantages to the Economy

    • Low inequality

    • Russia rapidly industrialized

    • High rates of education and social welfare

    • Advancement of key industries

      • Space exploration

      • Military

• Reforms and Transition

  • Late soviet era

    • The United States helped break the Soviet Union. Why?

      • Strategic Defense Initiative(Star Wars)

        • Put a bunch of satellites in space and shoot lasers at them to destroy enemy missiles

        • Impractical and expensive as shit

        • $250 billion dollars spent and not one satellite was put into space

      • 1984 US election

        • Ronald Reagan wins the largest landslide in history with Walter Mondale only winning Minnesota and DC

        • Sent a message to Gorbachev that he can blow a quarter of a trillion dollars and still be reelected in a landslide

        • Him and Gorbachev got along well too.

    • Gorbachev

      • Perestroika (“Restructuring and reforming”)

        • Economic restructuring

          • You actually have to make good clothes

          • People drinking on the job have to find new jobs now

        • Industry is given more local autonomy

        • Initiated by Gorbachev

        • Some private businesses allowed

      • Glasnost (“Openness”)

        • Openness in government and the ability to discuss openly in public

          • Sharing things like non-lethal weapons

        • Constructive criticism encouraged

        • They would start telling the people what they were actually doing

      • Gorbachev was good

        • He would ask people about what they needed in their lives

1/13 - Russian Intro (cont.)

• Soviet Nations and Bloc Countries

  • Eastern Block

    • Poland

    • Czechoslovakia

    • East Germany

    • Hungary

    • Bulgaria

    • Romania

  • USSR

    • Khazakstan

    • Uzbekistan

    • Turkmenistan

    • Armenia

    • Georgia

    • Estonia

    • Latvia

    • Lithuania

    • Azerbaijan

    • Turkmenistan

    • Russia

• Churchill, Stalin, Roosevelt

  • Meet 3 times during and after WWII

    • Casablanca, Morocco

    • Crimea, USSR

    • Potsdam, East Germany (Truman went as Truman died

  • Roosevelt and Stalin have a good relationship

  • Roosevelt and Truman hate each other

  • Wanted a buffer between the USSR and Europe

    • Yugoslavia wouldn’t come with

      • Dictator Marshal Josip Broz Tito

  • Croatia - Catholic

  • Serbia - Eastern Orthodox

  • Yugoslavia - Muslim

  • Russia needs to improve their economic recession

    • U.S. buys whatever they can so they don’t go broke

      • Germany went broke after WWI → Hitler

        • We didn’t want a radical revolution in the Soviet Union

      • We bought Caviar, Vodka, Timber, Etc

1/13 - Russian Political Economy (cont.)

• Brezhnev (dies November of 82)

• Andropov (dies February of 84)

• Chernenko (dies March of 85)

• Three dead leaders in 3 years is not good for anyone

• Gorbachev

  • They did all of these health tests on him to ensure that he was healthy (lived until 2022)

• Boris Yeltsin

  • He was in the hospital all of last year in office, and he was an alcoholic

  • Shock Therapy

    • Radical, rapid reforms called shock therapy

    • Privatization vouchers and joint stock experiments

  • 4 Pillars of Yeltsin’s Reform

    • Opening the Economy to Foreign Influence

      • Get foreign investment into the Russian Economy

    • Privatization of State Enterprises

      • Joint stock

        • Gave vouchers to employees to purchase stock in their company

          • You could only buy them if you worked there in the first few months of the business opening

          • Pay people to leave, they leave with money, most of the country is unemployed, but prices are going up

        • Winners: Oligarchs - 17 men who controlled 60% of Russia’s wealth in 1994

      • Insider privatization

      • They are inefficient 

      • Did not allow stocks to be purchased internationally because of Capital Flight

    • Encouragement of Small Business

      • It increased dramatically

    • Ending of Price Controls

      • Encouraged competition

        • Russia has industry, but it’s so bad that it’s almost worst than starting a new economy because their stuff is ass

  • NO EFFECTIVE TAX STRUCTURE CREATED

1/14 - Russian Political Economy (cont.)

• 1994, ⅔ of all rubles in St. Petersburg were in the unofficial economy

  • Unofficial economy = Black Market 

  • The Russian Mafia ran these black markets

• 1998, government defaulted on its debts

  • Asian investors spend wayyyy too much money on U.S. properties and lose all their money

  • PYRAMID DEBT USED

  • Stock market lost 90% of its value

  • Rapid devaluation of the ruble

    • Fewer imports putting Russian workers back to work

1/15 - Asian Market Crash & Pyramid Debt

• Pyramid Debt

  • Lower amount paid per month = higher interest rate

    • $1000 loan at $50/month → 3% rate → 25 months to pay

    • $1000 load at $25/month → 5% rate → 62 months to pay

  • This is what Russia had to do. They borrowed from the Mafia

    • Loans for Shares

      • Russia gives the mafia shares in the business and the mafia will loan the government money

• The Big Recovery?

  • Fossil fuel prices increased, pumping extra revenue into state coffers

  • Reduction in foreign-held debt from ‘98-’06

  • Economic growth increased 6-7%

  • Vladimir Putin

    • Focus of fossil fuels and fracking 

    • Simplified tax system

    • Increased shareholders rights

    • Restricting labor unions

    • Control of corruption(except for his friends)

    • Pension reform 

      • People had to live with their families after retirement since they 

    • Customs reform

• 2000s

  • Personal consumption on the rise

  • Protest demonstrations in Moscow in 2005 asking for the Modernization of Social Benefits

1/15 - Quiz Review

• Shock Therapy

• Destalinization

  • Kruschev

• Tacit (implied) Social Contract

  • Brezhnev

    • If you don’t complain, you get covered

• Collectivization

  • Stalin

• Perestroika

  • Gorbachev

    • Industrial restructuring

• NEP

  • Lenin

    • A mild form of socialism

• A list from which promotions come

  • Nomenklatura

• Employees and managers control much of the company

  • Insider privatization

• Political favors traded for support or cash

  • Patron client networks

• You owe me $1000, and you borrow $1500 at a higher rate to pay me back

  • Pyramid debt

• How long is the president's term

  • 6 years

• How many people are in the larger house of the legislature

  • Duma - 450

  • Fed. Council - 178

• Putin’s party

  • United Russia

• Which of the following was not one of Yeltsin's policies?

1/16 - Cuban Revolution

• Batista is the dictator of Cuba

  • Very friendly to the U.S. business (casinos and stuff)

• Fidel Castro and Che Guevara take over in a coup d’etat

• They exile anyone who opposes the new regime.

  • The United States takes these exiles and trains them for combat to send back to Cuba

• Castro hated Batista

• Nationalized everything

• U.S. Mafia decides to kill Castro

• These two buy the greatest tobacco land and make Cohiba cigars, and they are top of the line in the world

• Castro had significant intelligence due to the loyalty his men had to him

  • He paid his troops well and had connections everywhere

• Bay of Pigs Invasion

  • US sends trained Cuban exiles to try and take the country back

  • Supported by U.S. Air Force

  • US airforce is late since Cuba is in Eastern Time and Louisiana(where they left from) is in Central time

• Helms Bergo act

  • No Cuban products can enter America

• Castro seized all U.S. companies in Cuba

  • Cuban economy took a huge hit

  • Cuba starts getting money from Russia

• Cuban Missile Crisis

  • Russia starts putting missiles in Cuba

    • Russia could hit D.C. and St. Louis with the missiles there

  • Kennedy lined the coast of Florida with millions of dollars of military equipment.

  • Russian boats carrying missiles pass the quarantine line around Cuba

  • Russian boats have the green light to fire nuclear missiles on the U.S. if fired upon

    • U.S. fires shots across the bow of a few boats

    • Russian Captains decide they won’t start the war of the century

  • Khrushchev and Kennedy finally decide to end the conflict

    • Kennedy takes missiles out of Turkey

    • Khrushchev says he “saved Cuba”

1/17 - Representation And Participation

• Society and Politics

  • Civil Society: An nongovernmental organization that helps your voice be heard

    • Had it for a little while in the 1990s

  • Putin’s approval rating in 2000: 65%-70%

  • Putin’s approval rating today: 87%

• Federal Assembly

  • Started December 12th, 1993

  • Federation Council

    • Almost no power

    • Upper house

    • 166 councillors

      • 2 from each of Russia’s regions and republics

      • One elected by the provincial legislature

      • One nominated by the governor

        • Governor approved by Super Regions

    • Power Vertical

      • All power leads to PUTIN

  • Duma

    • Lower house

    • Little bit of power

    • Makes laws

    • Putin can veto whatever he wants

    • A council with 11 members and 33 committees

    • Current chairman: Vyacheslav Volodin

    • United Russia: 324 seats (243 in 10th Duma)

    • CPRF: 57 seats

    • A Just Russia: 27 seats (64)

    • Liberal Democratic Party: 21 Seats (56)

  • Conflict between Yeltsin and the legislative branch

    • Bombed the White House

    • New constitution

• Current System

  • Multi-party system

  • First competitive elections: November 1989

  • Conditions for parties: must have 50,000 members, at least 500 in half of Russia’s regions

  • Three reasons for instability: formed around prominent leaders; young; unclear how parties are supposed to help Russians

• United Russia

  • Centrist

  • Led by Dmitry Medvedev

  • 49% Popularity

• A Just Russia

  • Fairness, freeedom, solidarity; wants to form a welfare state but not Soviet bureaucratic socialism

• CPRF

  • Want socialism

  • Used to be old people, but now young college-aged students

• LDPR

  • Wants less government

  • Mixed economy, private ownership

  • Far right

• Yabloko

  • Wants greater freedom and civil liberties

• Commonwealth of Independent States

1/17 - Cuban Missile Crisis (cont.)

• Castro’s intelligence system was great, well-paid, and loyal

• Sputnik 

  • When it went overhead, radios would go out

  • Scared the shit out of Americans

1/21 - General Review

• Glasnost

  • If you don’t complain about the government, we will continue to feed and provide for you

  • Openness

  • Showed the people that there was a lot of corruption and that their government was falling apart

    • Public now knows about Chernobyl

• Chernobyl

  • Radiation could have been mostly prevented if Russia had told the United States

    • We had a napalm-like powder which could have helped put it out

  • The world found out because a Swede was outside with a Geiger counter, and it was going crazy

• Sputnik (1957)

  • We get Explorer up a few months later

• Mutually Assured Destruction (1962)

  • We had more than enough missiles to destroy all of Russia and they had enough to destroy all of America

• Détente (1972)

  • People are just terrified

  • Nixon and Brezhnev

  • SALT Talks

    • SALT I (‘69-’72)

      • Interim Agreement 

        • Limit number of Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) and Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missiles (SLBMs)

      • Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty

        • Limit the number of strategic missile defenses countries could have

    • SALT II (1979)

      • Carter and Brezhnev

      • Restricted number of Multiple Independently Targetable Reentry Vehicles  (MIRVs)

      • Restricted number of heavy bombers (ones that could carry nukes)

      • Limit the number of air-to-surface ballistic missiles

• Alexander Litvinenko

  • KGB member

  • He was planning to expose what Putin did

  • Putin poisoned Litvinenko with Polonium 210

• Victor Yushchenko

  • Running for president in Ukraine

  • Putin poisoned him too

• Khodorkovsky

  • Put in jail by Putin and was released after 8 years for the Sochi Olympics

  • Arrested due to a retroactive law

• Yeltsin

  • Every matching answer on the test

1/22 - General Review

• Asymmetric Federalism

  • Places have more power based on natural resources

  • Chechnya has a lot of power because of oil

    • Because Russia is keeping Chechnya, they have to keep other places that want to break off as well (precedence)

• Pyramid Debt

  • Yeltsin

• Uprising against cutting of pensions

  • Putin

• Bay of pigs

  • Khrushchev

1/29 - Karl Marx

• Born in Trier, Prussia in 1818

• Entered Law School

  • Became disillusioned with the law

• Embraces Hegelian Philosophy

  • The Dialectic: the New Thesis is the contradiction between a proposition (thesis) and its antithesis is resolved at a higher level of truth (synthesis)

    • Do this over and over until you reach truth

• Earns a Doctorate in Philosophy

• Sharply criticized Russia as a journalist and lost his job

• Moved to Paris in 1843 and joined a revolutionary economic movement

• Fredrich Engles and Influential Events

  • Engles is the son of a wealthy German manufacturer

  • Lived in Manchester

  • Dickens was there too, writing about the end of the industrial revolution

• Communist Manifesto

  • “Property is theft”

  • “Profit is theft”

  • The history of man is the history of class struggle

  • We need to reach a society that is classless (classless society)

  • “Workers of the world unite, you have nothing to lose but your chains”

  • A communist revolution has to be worldwide to work

  • Pushed the Proletariat to take control

• Das Kapital

  • Capitalism is doomed

  • Workers eventually will be making products that they are too expensive for them to buy

• International Influence

  • First International Workingmen’s Association 1864

  • Franco-Prussian War 1870

  • What takes over the factory after the owners are removed

    • Vanguard Party

      • Lenin’s contribution

1/29 - Berlin

• Germany was split into West and East

• Berlin was in the East, but Berlin was important enough to be split into West and East

  • To get to West Berlin, you had to take a train and on both sides of it, there were six foot tall fences of double razor wire.

• Wall goes up in 61

• Stalin later removed the train, which was countered by the airlift

• West Berlin was split into the USSR, UK, France, and US

• Billy Brandt (Berlin mayor) says there will be no wall in his city

  • Later that night, the wall went up

• People would find any way they possibly could to escape

  • When the wall was up around buildings, people would go through the buildings to escape

• The wall was intact for 38 years Until November 9th 1989 when it came down