Russian History Overview

Overview

This lecture traces the history of Russia from its early tribal beginnings, through key dynasties, invasions, reforms, wars, and revolutions, up to the Bolshevik takeover in 1917.

Early Tribes and Kievan Rus

• Bronze Age nomadic tribes buried chieftains in kurgans on the steppe; Greeks called them Scythians.
• Slavs settled the land but remained divided until the Varangian (Viking) Rurik united them at Novgorod, founding the Rurikid dynasty.
• Oleg captured Kiev, making it the capital of Kievan Rus.
• Vladimir the Great converted Kievan Rus to Orthodox Christianity.
• Yaroslav the Wise codified laws and expanded territory.

Mongol Invasions and the Rise of Moscow

• The Mongols defeated the Kievan princes and established the Golden Horde; Rus princes became vassals under the "Tatar yoke."
• Alexander Nevsky defended Novgorod from the Teutonic Knights.
• Moscow grew in power under Daniel and Dmitri Donskoi, defeating the Tatars at Kulikovo Field.
• Ivan III forced the Tatars to retreat at the Ugra River, ending Mongol dominance.
• Ivan IV (the Terrible) expanded and centralized Russia, but his rule ended with terror and instability.

Time of Troubles and the Romanovs

• Ivan's death led to dynastic crisis, famine, and anarchy ("Time of Troubles").
• Prince Pozharsky and Kuzma Minin expelled Polish occupiers; Mikhail Romanov became Tsar in 1613, founding the Romanov dynasty.
• The Romanovs consolidated power, expanded territory, and turned peasants into serfs.

Expansion, Reform, and Enlightenment

• Peter the Great modernized Russia, built St. Petersburg, and made Russia a Baltic power.
• Catherine the Great further expanded territory, promoted Enlightenment ideals, and suppressed revolts.
• Russia partitioned Poland and limited Jewish settlement to the Pale of Settlement.

19th Century: Wars and Reform

• Alexander I resisted Napoleon, led the coalition to defeat him, and expanded Russian territory.
• Nicholas I suppressed liberal revolts, enforced "Orthodoxy, Autocracy, Nationality," and fought the Crimean War.
• Alexander II abolished serfdom but was assassinated.
• Alexander III reasserted autocracy and persecuted minorities, while industrialization accelerated.

Early 20th Century Crises

• Nicholas II lost the Russo-Japanese War and faced the 1905 Revolution, leading to limited constitutional reforms (Duma).
• Russia entered World War I, suffering heavy losses and economic collapse.
• The February Revolution of 1917 ended the Romanov dynasty, and the Bolshevik October Revolution created the first communist state.

Key Terms & Definitions

• Kurgan — Burial mound used by steppe nomads.
• Kievan Rus — Early medieval state centered in Kiev, ancestral to Russia and Ukraine.
• Golden Horde — Mongol Khanate that ruled over the Rus.
• Tatar Yoke — Period of Mongol dominance over the Rus.
• Serf — Peasant legally bound to the land, with little freedom.
• Duma — Elected legislative assembly in Russia.
• Soviet — Workers’, soldiers’, or peasants’ council.
• Bolshevik — Radical socialist faction led by Lenin.

Action Items / Next Steps

• Review the evolution of Russian governance from Kievan Rus to the Bolsheviks.
• Study key battles and reforms, focusing on their long-term impacts.
• Complete assigned readings on Russian dynasties and the 1917 revolutions.