Russia: A Brief HistoryCGI – Turmoil in Russia

History of Russia: 5th – 20th centuries

• 5th century – ethnic Slavs migrated from the west

• 9th century – Scandinavians founded the state of Rus by the Volga River (today Moscow)

• 988 – Kievan prince Vladimir baptized in the Byzantine church (Russian Orthodox Christianity)

History of Russia: 1242-1584

• 1242 – Mongol leaders Genghis & Kublai Khan control vast territory (Hungary to Korea, Siberia to Tibet

• 14th century ethnic Slavs throw off Mongol rule – Muscovy (Moscow) becomes new center of dynastic rule– Russian lords rule Muscovy

• Tsar Ivan the Terrible (1533-1584) – broaden Russia’s territory toward the Crimea– Moscow Holy See of Eastern Orthodox Church

History of Russia: Rise of the Romanovs

• 1598-1613 – Time of Troubles• 1613 Michael Romanov elected – Romanovs will

rule until 1916• Peter I, the Great, 1689-1725 – westernizes

Russia, incorporated the Caucasus into Russian Empire

• Catherine II, the Great, 1762-1796 – extends Russian territory to include Crimea, Polish territories, and Ukraine

History of Russia: The Romanovs

• Alexander I, 1801-1825 – defeats Napoleon in 1812

• 19th century Tsars become increasingly reactionary, nationalistic, authoritarian

• 1861 – serfdom in Russia is abolished; industry and capitalism begin to grow BUT most heavy industry is state run and situation of the newly freed Russia peasants is very dire

History of Russia: Fall of the Romanovs

• 1905 Russo-Japanese War – Russia is the first European country to loose a war to a non-European power.

• 1905 Workers strike causing relatively unsuccessful revolution

• 1914-1917 Russia joins Allies against the Axis powers in World War I

• 1917 – Romanovs overthrown by Provisional Government; Vladimir Lenin and Bolsheviks seize power from Provisional Government, execute Romanovs

History of Russia: Creation of Soviet Union

• 1917-1922 Russian Civil War – Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) declared– Communist party = authoritarian one-party

government in which the state owns heavy industry, transportation and banking; economic growth is dictated by the state; agriculture is collectivized

• 1934 Joseph Stalin comes to power– Approx. 20 Million Soviet citizens lose their

lives– 1941 USSR joins Allies and help to defeat Hitler

History of Russia: USSR

• Cold War Years– Nikita Khrushchev & Leonid Brezhnev maintain

USSR’s superpower status • Russia is a nuclear power • Has a strong space program• Spends majority of its budget on military

• Mikhail Gorbachev, 1985-1991– Perestroika (restructuring of political system)– Glasnost (opening – lifting of repression)

History of Russia: Collapse of USSR

• June, 1989 – Rise of Solidarity Movement in Poland; concerted efforts of

Pope John Paul – Hungary opens border with Austria

• November, 1989– Berlin Wall falls– Peaceful revolutions in Czechoslovakia & Bulgaria– Violent overthrow of communism in Romania

• By 1991 USSR = Commonwealth of Independent States created (15 republics)– Minsk Agreement, 1991 (ABC-CLIO)

History of Russia: Russian Federation

• Boris Yelstin, 1991-1999– Pro-democracy, pro-free market

• Class of oligarchs emerges• Social safety net dissolves; unemployment rises

– War with Chechnya begins• Vladimir Putin, 2000-2008

– First democratically elected president?!?! (pg. 202)– Tightens freedom press, restricts human rights– Strained relationship with US over anti-missile system– Standard of living begins to improve

• Dmitri Medvedev, 2008-2012– Appoints Putin Prime Minister

• Vladimir Putin, 2012 - ?

Russian Federation - Government

• Federation of 21 constituent republics, 41 oblasts (provinces), 7 krais (territories), 7 autonomous okrugs (districts), the , federal cities of Moscow and St. Petersburg– Republics = ind. constitution, president, and

legislature– Other enjoy varying degrees of autonomy

Russian Federation - Government• 1993 Constitution

– President; bicameral legislature; guarantees citizens’ civil rights– Citizens 18 years and older eligible to vote

• Three Branches of Government– Executive = popularly elected president to serve max. of two

consecutive six-year terms; assisted by Council of Ministers and Prime Minister (both appointed); head of state and commander in chief of military

– Legislature = 172-member Federation Council (2 per admin. region) & 450-member State Duma

– Judiciary = Constitutional Court & Supreme Court whose member’s are appointed by the legislature • 2001 = trials by jury, increased independence of judges

Russian Federation - Politics• United Russia Party (founded 2001) – chaired by Vladimir

Putin• Communist Party of the Russian Federation (founded

1993) – led by Gennady Zyuganov• Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (founded 1990) – led

by Vladimir Zhirinovsky (“Russian Mussolini”)– Ultranationalist group interested in creating a Greater Russia

(conquest of parts of Central Europe, the Middle East, and Asia)• Yavlinsky-Boldyrev-Lukin Bloc (Yabloko) (founded 1993)

– Economic reformers who oppose Chechen was• Agrarian Party of Russia (founded 1993)

– Advocate of collective state farm managers opposed to land privatization

Russian Federation - Economy• Per capita income

$17,000• 2011 Unemployment

Rate 6.6%• Unemployment higher

among women and young people

Percentage of Gross Domestic Product

retail trade and servicesheavy industryagriculturetechnology, consumer goods, light industryconstruction

Employment

service sectorindustrial sectoragricultureBetween 1990-2005,

25,000+ members of Russia’s scientific community left the country

Russian Federation - Economy

Exports - $498.6 billion to Netherlands, US, Germany, China, Ukraine, Turkey and Switzerland• Oil• Natural gas• Metals• Timber

Imports - $310.1 billion from Germany, China, Ukraine, Japan, South Korea, US, Belarus, and Italy• Machinery & equipment• Consumer goods• Medicines• Sugar• Semi-finished metals• Meat products

General Information on Russia

• Fact & Figures on Russia (ABC-CLIO)• US Department of State –

US Relations with Russia• Official Website of the Russian Government• Embassy of the Russian Federation in

Washington, D.C.