The History of Mother Russia
Russia's history is one of mystery and intrigue, revolutions and Communism. In its early formation, Russia was nothing more than a scattered group of villages struggling to survive let alone unite as one state. However, powerful leaders like Rurik, who led his people to the city of Novgorod in 862, and Oleg, who extended the influence of the Russian city. The Russians continually grew in power, and by 989, Oleg's great-grandson Vladimir I was the ruler of a Russian kingdom that stretched as far south as the Black Sea, the Caucasus Mountains, and the lower reaches of the Volga River.
The Russian kingdom struggled on into the 1200s, when its power came to an end with the Mongolian invasion. Several invasions plagued Mother Russia with some even coming from the west. Many were held off, though, as both the invasion by the Swedes in 1240 and the invasion by the Livonian Brothers of the Sword in 1242 were defeated by a prince from Novgorod by the name of Alexander Nevsky.
Russia continued to grow into the later ages, being led by such people as Ivan the Terrible, Peter the Great, and Catherine the Great. Catherine actually went on to become the most powerful sovereign in Europe. She continued the reforms of Peter the Great, influenced European politics, and supported the arts with a fiery fervor. Catherine actually founded the Hermitage in 1764, which is the largest art museum in Russia. The museum boasts 2.7 million exhibits; experts have calculated that if one were to spend one minute appreciating each piece in the museum, it would take eleven years for one to see everything! Catherine was succeeded by her son Paul I when she died in 1796. Paul's reign lasted only five years, and he was succeeded by his son Alexander I, who is famous for being the ruler of Russia during Napoleon Bonaparte's Russian campaign.
Napoleon relentlessly took over Europe, and he set his eyes on Mother Russia. In June of 1812, Napoleon began his Russian campaign. Russia knew it could not win in military engagement, so Russian troops retreated and badgered the French. By September, the French army had been reduced by 2/3rds and the two armies had not even engaged in a battle. While Russia came out of Napoleon's invasion as the winner, and Russia was stronger than ever, there were internal trials to come.
Since the days of Ivan the Terrible, the Russians had been led by a series of Czars. However, some began to try to change Russia's governing style. In 1825, a group of young military officers tried to force Russia to adopt a constitutional monarchy, but they failed completely. Russia had also had a long history of poor living conditions for peasants, and although Alexander II abolished serfdom in 1861, this did little to change the lives of Russian peasants. At the same time, Russia was expanding. Its borders extended from Eastern Europe to Afghanistan to China and the Pacific Ocean. In fact, with the acquisition of territory along the Pacific Ocean, Russia was able to construct the Trans-Siberian railway from 1891 to 1905, which effectively linked all of the new territory together.
However, this new presence in Asia would not go unnoticed or unpunished. Russia entered the Russo-Japanese War with Japan in 1905 which led to a series of defeats for the Russians and dissolved support for then Russian leader Nicholas II, who ascended to the throne in 1894. As a result, Nicholas was forced to meet some of the reformers' requests, including the granting of a new constitution and a parliament, or the Duma. Russian workers began to organize into political councils, or soviets. With the power of the soviets growing, united under the Social Democratic party, Nicholas was forced to accept more reforms in 1905.
The growing tensions in Russia continued to fester until October 25, 1917 when the Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, stormed the winter palace and deposed the Kerensky government. On July 17, 1918, the Russia royal family was killed by the Bolsheviks. Perhaps the most popular mystery of the 20th century was whether or not Nicholas II's youngest daughter, Anastasia, had possibly survived. However,remains were found in 2008 that were thought to be the missing children of Nicholas II, and one of the sets of remains was identified as Anastasia herself in 2009. After Vladimir Lenin's death in 1924, the Russians sought to pick a new leader, and by the end of the decade, Joseph Stalin emerged as the victor and became the new leader of Russia.
After the Bolsheviks took over, Russia became a Communist nation and changed into the Soviet Union. The second World War found the Soviet Union ultimately unprepared. The Soviets had ultimately signed a non-aggression pact with Germany in 1939, but the surprise invasion in 1941 prompted the Soviets to join the war. The Germans took over most of the territory of Western Russia and had even surrounded St. Petersburg. The Soviets launched a counter-offensive. The Germans launched a new southern offensive to try to gain control of the rail center of Stalingrad, and although the Russians were outnumbered, they held the Germans back. After this, the Russians remained on the offensive, and by 1944, the Soviets had driven the Germans back to Poland. On May 2, 1945, the German capital of Berlin fell.
Just as it had after the Napoleonic invasion, the Soviet Union rose from World War II stronger than ever. The Soviet Union stood as one of the world's two superpowers, the other being the United States. Life in the Soviet Union was particularly hard, and as the nation was Communistic, both economic and political freedoms were restricted. Not long after the end of World War II, the Cold War began as the Soviet Union and the United States started a competition to be the one true global power. Stalin remained in power until 1953, when he died of a cerebral hemorrhage.
The Soviet Union and the United States fought in a Cold War for decades for world supremacy. Famous events such as the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Bay of Pigs invasion further stretched the tensions between the two nations. Tempers flared and many feared a nuclear war was imminent. However, the efforts of American and Soviet diplomats cooled the fires and prevented such a devastating would-be war. By 1990, the Soviet Union began to unravel. The republics that made up the Soviet Union began to declare independence, and as the people cried for reforms, resistance against the Soviet government intensified. The coalition of Soviet states completely collapsed, and on December 25, 1990, Russian leader Mikhail Gorbachev resigned, knowing that his position had been made obsolete. On December 31, 1991, the Soviet flag atop the Kremlin was taken down and replaced by the Russian tricolor that represented the Russian Federation
After the Soviet collapse, the Russian federation faced economic collapse. A series of social, political, and economic reforms occurred to hopefully bring Russia out of its slump and into the modern age. However, these reforms were not all too successful as seen in the collapse of the ruble in 1998. As a result, the government could not pay its debts and the bankruptcy continued to grow. In 2000, Vladimir Putin was elected the Russian president. He served from 2000 to 2008, and he was elected to a third term on May 7, 2012.
For a more detailed look at Russian history, click the following link:
http://www.geographia.com/russia/rushis02.htm
The Russian kingdom struggled on into the 1200s, when its power came to an end with the Mongolian invasion. Several invasions plagued Mother Russia with some even coming from the west. Many were held off, though, as both the invasion by the Swedes in 1240 and the invasion by the Livonian Brothers of the Sword in 1242 were defeated by a prince from Novgorod by the name of Alexander Nevsky.
Russia continued to grow into the later ages, being led by such people as Ivan the Terrible, Peter the Great, and Catherine the Great. Catherine actually went on to become the most powerful sovereign in Europe. She continued the reforms of Peter the Great, influenced European politics, and supported the arts with a fiery fervor. Catherine actually founded the Hermitage in 1764, which is the largest art museum in Russia. The museum boasts 2.7 million exhibits; experts have calculated that if one were to spend one minute appreciating each piece in the museum, it would take eleven years for one to see everything! Catherine was succeeded by her son Paul I when she died in 1796. Paul's reign lasted only five years, and he was succeeded by his son Alexander I, who is famous for being the ruler of Russia during Napoleon Bonaparte's Russian campaign.
Napoleon relentlessly took over Europe, and he set his eyes on Mother Russia. In June of 1812, Napoleon began his Russian campaign. Russia knew it could not win in military engagement, so Russian troops retreated and badgered the French. By September, the French army had been reduced by 2/3rds and the two armies had not even engaged in a battle. While Russia came out of Napoleon's invasion as the winner, and Russia was stronger than ever, there were internal trials to come.
Since the days of Ivan the Terrible, the Russians had been led by a series of Czars. However, some began to try to change Russia's governing style. In 1825, a group of young military officers tried to force Russia to adopt a constitutional monarchy, but they failed completely. Russia had also had a long history of poor living conditions for peasants, and although Alexander II abolished serfdom in 1861, this did little to change the lives of Russian peasants. At the same time, Russia was expanding. Its borders extended from Eastern Europe to Afghanistan to China and the Pacific Ocean. In fact, with the acquisition of territory along the Pacific Ocean, Russia was able to construct the Trans-Siberian railway from 1891 to 1905, which effectively linked all of the new territory together.
However, this new presence in Asia would not go unnoticed or unpunished. Russia entered the Russo-Japanese War with Japan in 1905 which led to a series of defeats for the Russians and dissolved support for then Russian leader Nicholas II, who ascended to the throne in 1894. As a result, Nicholas was forced to meet some of the reformers' requests, including the granting of a new constitution and a parliament, or the Duma. Russian workers began to organize into political councils, or soviets. With the power of the soviets growing, united under the Social Democratic party, Nicholas was forced to accept more reforms in 1905.
The growing tensions in Russia continued to fester until October 25, 1917 when the Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, stormed the winter palace and deposed the Kerensky government. On July 17, 1918, the Russia royal family was killed by the Bolsheviks. Perhaps the most popular mystery of the 20th century was whether or not Nicholas II's youngest daughter, Anastasia, had possibly survived. However,remains were found in 2008 that were thought to be the missing children of Nicholas II, and one of the sets of remains was identified as Anastasia herself in 2009. After Vladimir Lenin's death in 1924, the Russians sought to pick a new leader, and by the end of the decade, Joseph Stalin emerged as the victor and became the new leader of Russia.
After the Bolsheviks took over, Russia became a Communist nation and changed into the Soviet Union. The second World War found the Soviet Union ultimately unprepared. The Soviets had ultimately signed a non-aggression pact with Germany in 1939, but the surprise invasion in 1941 prompted the Soviets to join the war. The Germans took over most of the territory of Western Russia and had even surrounded St. Petersburg. The Soviets launched a counter-offensive. The Germans launched a new southern offensive to try to gain control of the rail center of Stalingrad, and although the Russians were outnumbered, they held the Germans back. After this, the Russians remained on the offensive, and by 1944, the Soviets had driven the Germans back to Poland. On May 2, 1945, the German capital of Berlin fell.
Just as it had after the Napoleonic invasion, the Soviet Union rose from World War II stronger than ever. The Soviet Union stood as one of the world's two superpowers, the other being the United States. Life in the Soviet Union was particularly hard, and as the nation was Communistic, both economic and political freedoms were restricted. Not long after the end of World War II, the Cold War began as the Soviet Union and the United States started a competition to be the one true global power. Stalin remained in power until 1953, when he died of a cerebral hemorrhage.
The Soviet Union and the United States fought in a Cold War for decades for world supremacy. Famous events such as the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Bay of Pigs invasion further stretched the tensions between the two nations. Tempers flared and many feared a nuclear war was imminent. However, the efforts of American and Soviet diplomats cooled the fires and prevented such a devastating would-be war. By 1990, the Soviet Union began to unravel. The republics that made up the Soviet Union began to declare independence, and as the people cried for reforms, resistance against the Soviet government intensified. The coalition of Soviet states completely collapsed, and on December 25, 1990, Russian leader Mikhail Gorbachev resigned, knowing that his position had been made obsolete. On December 31, 1991, the Soviet flag atop the Kremlin was taken down and replaced by the Russian tricolor that represented the Russian Federation
After the Soviet collapse, the Russian federation faced economic collapse. A series of social, political, and economic reforms occurred to hopefully bring Russia out of its slump and into the modern age. However, these reforms were not all too successful as seen in the collapse of the ruble in 1998. As a result, the government could not pay its debts and the bankruptcy continued to grow. In 2000, Vladimir Putin was elected the Russian president. He served from 2000 to 2008, and he was elected to a third term on May 7, 2012.
For a more detailed look at Russian history, click the following link:
http://www.geographia.com/russia/rushis02.htm