The Russian EmpireThe Russian Empire

In Russia…In Russia… There are:There are:

– 90 different ethnic or cultural groups90 different ethnic or cultural groups– 80 different languages spoken80 different languages spoken– 11 different time zones11 different time zones– Coasts on three oceans (Atlantic, Pacific, Coasts on three oceans (Atlantic, Pacific,

and Arctic)and Arctic)

Russia’s GeographyRussia’s Geography Geographically the largest country in Geographically the largest country in

the worldthe world Ural Mountains in the westUral Mountains in the west Siberian Plains (sleeping land)Siberian Plains (sleeping land) Few bodies of warm waterFew bodies of warm water Frozen tundra near Arctic CircleFrozen tundra near Arctic Circle

RussiaRussia

Siberian PlainsSiberian Plains Taiga is the Russian Taiga is the Russian

word for forest word for forest The average The average

temperature is below temperature is below freezing for six months freezing for six months out of the year. The out of the year. The winter temperature winter temperature range is -65 to 30° F.range is -65 to 30° F.

Temperature range in Temperature range in the summer gets as low the summer gets as low as - 20° F. The high in as - 20° F. The high in summer can be 70° F. summer can be 70° F.

Siberian PlainsSiberian Plains Covers 75% of Russia’s Covers 75% of Russia’s

land massland mass Most of Siberia is Most of Siberia is

covered by permafrost covered by permafrost or taiga and is or taiga and is uninhabitable (2/3 of uninhabitable (2/3 of the population lives in the population lives in Western Russia)Western Russia)

Includes Lake Baikal, Includes Lake Baikal, the deepest and the deepest and cleanest lake in the cleanest lake in the world world

Siberian PlainsSiberian Plains

ClimateClimate Largely a continental climateLargely a continental climate

– Hot summersHot summers– Cold wintersCold winters– Little rainfallLittle rainfall

European Russia is more maritime-European Russia is more maritime-continental under the influence of continental under the influence of the Atlantic Ocean, the Baltic Sea, the Atlantic Ocean, the Baltic Sea, and the Black Seaand the Black Sea

The Russian EmpireThe Russian Empire Mongols from eastern Asia conquered and Mongols from eastern Asia conquered and

ruled Russia from the 13ruled Russia from the 13thth to the 15 to the 15thth centuriescenturies

In 1547 a 16-year-old, Ivan IV, was named In 1547 a 16-year-old, Ivan IV, was named czar; he became known as Ivan the Terribleczar; he became known as Ivan the Terrible

During Ivan the Terrible’s reign, as well as During Ivan the Terrible’s reign, as well as following czars, Russia had an following czars, Russia had an unlimited unlimited governmentgovernment– Form of government in which a single ruler Form of government in which a single ruler

holds all the powerholds all the power

Conflicts at HomeConflicts at Home The Russian czars were often in conflict The Russian czars were often in conflict

with Russian nobleswith Russian nobles Nobles possessed much land and wealthNobles possessed much land and wealth Czars viewed the nobles as a threat to Czars viewed the nobles as a threat to

their controltheir control Ivan the Terrible ordered his soldiers to Ivan the Terrible ordered his soldiers to

murder Russian nobles and church murder Russian nobles and church leaders who opposed himleaders who opposed him

The Expansion of RussiaThe Expansion of Russia Peter the GreatPeter the Great

– Ruled from 1682 to 1725Ruled from 1682 to 1725– Defeated Sweden and Defeated Sweden and

won land along the Baltic won land along the Baltic SeaSea

– Built a port city: St. Built a port city: St. PetersburgPetersburg

– Used ideas and Used ideas and innovations of the innovations of the Industrial Revolution to Industrial Revolution to modernize and modernize and strengthen Russiastrengthen Russia

– Did not improve life for Did not improve life for peasantspeasants

The Expansion of RussiaThe Expansion of Russia Catherine the GreatCatherine the Great

– Ruled from 1762 to 1796Ruled from 1762 to 1796– Added new lands, Added new lands,

including present-day including present-day Ukraine and BelarusUkraine and Belarus

– Started new schools and Started new schools and encouraged art, science, encouraged art, science, and literatureand literature

– Lives of peasants Lives of peasants continued to be continued to be unpleasant and when the unpleasant and when the rebelled in the 1770s rebelled in the 1770s Catherine crushed their Catherine crushed their uprisinguprising

A Divided RussiaA Divided Russia In the 19In the 19thth century most people were century most people were

poor and most wealth belonged to poor and most wealth belonged to the nobles, dividing the countrythe nobles, dividing the country

Led to conflict and eventually Led to conflict and eventually political revolutionpolitical revolution

The NoblesThe Nobles Sent their children to Sent their children to

be educated in be educated in Germany and FranceGermany and France

Were army officers Were army officers or government or government officialsofficials

Supported the czar Supported the czar and were proud of and were proud of Russia’s growing Russia’s growing powerpower

The SerfsThe Serfs Had no land or money of Had no land or money of

their owntheir own Worked on farms owned by Worked on farms owned by

others and received little others and received little government helpgovernment help

In 1861, Alexander II In 1861, Alexander II decided to end serfdom, decided to end serfdom, hoping this would help his hoping this would help his country compete with country compete with Western EuropeWestern Europe

Had to pay heavy taxes Had to pay heavy taxes and the land they were and the land they were given the land given to given the land given to them was not good for them was not good for farmingfarming

Bloody SundayBloody Sunday University students, University students,

artists, and writers artists, and writers believed that the believed that the treatment of the serfs treatment of the serfs was unfairwas unfair

Workers in Russian Workers in Russian cities complained cities complained about low pay and about low pay and poor working poor working conditionsconditions

These groups banded These groups banded together and tried to together and tried to overthrow the overthrow the governmentgovernment

Bloody SundayBloody Sunday In 1905 a group of workers marched In 1905 a group of workers marched

to the royal palace in St. Petersburg to the royal palace in St. Petersburg with a list of demandswith a list of demands

Government troops shot many of Government troops shot many of themthem

As news of this spread across Russia, As news of this spread across Russia, citizens became even angrier with citizens became even angrier with the government and czarthe government and czar

The End of the Russian The End of the Russian EmpireEmpire

In 1914 World War I In 1914 World War I beganbegan

Nicholas II tried to Nicholas II tried to avoid joining the war, avoid joining the war, but failedbut failed

Russia’s allies included Russia’s allies included the U.K. and France the U.K. and France suffered terrible losses suffered terrible losses while fighting while fighting Germany and its alliesGermany and its allies

During the war there During the war there were food shortages in were food shortages in the cities and workers the cities and workers went on strikewent on strike

The End of the Russian The End of the Russian EmpireEmpire

Workers went on strike Workers went on strike Russian revolutionaries Russian revolutionaries

organized the workers organized the workers against the czaragainst the czar

Even the army turned Even the army turned against the czar, and in against the czar, and in 1917 Nicholas was 1917 Nicholas was forced to give up forced to give up powerpower

The overturning of the The overturning of the Russian monarchy is Russian monarchy is known as the Russian known as the Russian RevolutionRevolution

The End of the Russian The End of the Russian EmpireEmpire

Nicholas II and the royal family were Nicholas II and the royal family were imprisoned by the revolutionariesimprisoned by the revolutionaries

On July 17, 1918 they were executedOn July 17, 1918 they were executed This ended more than 300 years of This ended more than 300 years of

rule by the Romanov family and rule by the Romanov family and nearly 400 years of the czarist rulenearly 400 years of the czarist rule