Russia: A TimelineRussia: A Timeline

Please Keep THIS IN YOUR NOTES AND REFER BACK THROUGHOUT THE UNIT!!!

• 800’s- 1200’s: Modern Russia founded by Vikings who traded along Russia’s river systems

– Became known as Russ peoples

– Most powerful prince ruled from Kiev, (present day Ukraine).

– Kiev united diverse people by adopting ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY from Byzantine Empire (Byzantium)

• 1237-1300’s: Mongols (Russ called Tartars) invaded Russ land.– Brutal!

– Parasitic: Wanted Tribute!

• 1300: Powerful Muscovy (Moscow) Princes rebelled– United Empire from Moscow

1492-1505: Ivan III (first “Tsar”)1492-1505: Ivan III (first “Tsar”)

1533- 1584: Ivan (IV) The Terrible1533- 1584: Ivan (IV) The Terrible

married first Romanovmarried first Romanov

Tsarist Russia

• 1530-1570’s: Ivan the Terrible’s (IV) Reign– First to adopt the fully term tsar; married first Romanov

– Fought Mongols, Expanded Russia, built Saint Basil’s Cathedral

– Role model for Stalin

• 1600’s-early 1700’s: Peter the Great– Westernization and military expansion!!!!! Founded St.

Petersburg

– Loved Ships/ Fought Turks for a warm water port (Asov)

• Late 1700’s: Catherine the Great– Liberal(esque) reforms and expansion

• 1812: Tsar Alexander I challenged by Napoleon Bonaparte– Napoleon retreated/ Russia major world power!

• 1861: Liberal Uprisings/ Serfdom abolished by Alexander II• 1894- 1918: Tsar Nicholas II- Last of the Romanov's

– Incompetent?

– Reign toppled by Lenin and the Russian Revolution

Saint Basil’s Cathedral

Astronomical Clock, Prague

Revolution, USSR and beyond

• 1914-1918: Russia in WWI– Initially popular, but ultimately unsuccessful

– Riots and discontent!

• 1917: Marxist Revolution!!!– February Revolution: Overthrew the monarchy

– October Revolution: Lenin’s Bolsheviks became Communist rulers

• 1918: Russian Civil War– Reds (Communists) VERSUS Whites (Royalists/ Anti-Communists

– Reds WIN

• 1922: USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) formed• 1924: Lenin Dies, Stalin takes over!• 1940: USSR annex Baltic Countries• 1941: WWII: Great patriotic war• 1945-1980’s: Cold war• 1989: Fall of Berlin wall

– Michail Gorbachev, last Soviet leader

• 1992: Fall of USSR– Presidential leaders: Boris Yeltsin then Vladimir Putin