Content

 

ØIntroduction

ØEarly History

ØTsardom in Russia

ØRussian Empire

ØDecembrist Revolt

ØRussian Revolution

ØThe Cold War

ØBreakup of the Union

ØRussian Federation

 

Introduction

 

The history of Russia begins with that of the Eastern Slavs and the Finno-Ugric peoples. Kievan Rus', the first united East Slavic state, was founded by the Rurik's successor Oleg of Novgorod in 882. After the 13th century, Moscow came to dominate the former cultural center. By the 18th century, the Grand Duchy of Moscow had become the huge Russian Empire.

Between the abolition of serfdom and the beginning of World War I in 1914, the Stolypin reforms, the constitution of 1906 and State Duma introduced notable changes to the economy and politics of Russia. By the late 1980s, with the weaknesses of its economic and political structures becoming acute, the Communist leaders embarked on major reforms, which led to the collapse of the Soviet Union. The history of the Russian Federation is brief, dating back only to the collapse of the Soviet Union in late 1991.

Even today Russia shares much continuity of political culture and social structure with its tsarist and Soviet past.

 

Early history

 

During the prehistoric eras the vast steppes of Southern Russia were home to tribes of nomadic pastoralists. In classical antiquity, the Pontic Steppe was known as Scythia.

A Turkic people, the Khazars, ruled the lower Volga basin steppes between the Caspian and Black Seas through to the 8th century. They were important allies of the Byzantine Empire, and waged a series of successful wars against the Arab Caliphates.

In the 8th century, the Khazars embraced Judaism.

The ancestors of the Russians were the Slavic tribes.

From the 7th century onwards, the East Slavs constituted the bulk of the population in Western Russia and slowly but peacefully assimilated the native Finno-Ugric tribes.

Thus, the first East Slavic state, Kievan Rus', emerged in the 9th century along the Dnieper River valley. The invading Mongols accelerated the fragmentation of the Rus‘. 

 

Tsardom of Russia

 

Ivan IV

The development of the Tsar's autocratic powers reached a peak during the reign (1547–1584) of Ivan IV. He is often seen a farsighted statesman who reformed Russia as he promulgated a new code of laws (Sudebnik of 1550), established the first Russian feudal representative body (Zemsky Sobor), curbed the influence of clergy, and introduced the local self-management in rural regions.

 

 

The Romanov Dynasty

The rule of this dynasty began in 1613 and ended in 1917. The Romanov Dynasty:

•Restored peace with Sweden

•Recovered lost territories

•Cooperated with the nobles

•Established high taxes

 

 Russian Empire
1721–1917 

 

 

The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia, and the predecessor of the Soviet Union. It was the second largest contiguous empire the world has ever seen, surpassed only by the Mongol Empire,  and the British Empire.  At one point in 1866, it stretched from eastern Europe, across Asia,  and into North America.

Though the empire was only officially proclaimed by Tsar Peter I following the Treaty of Nystad (1721), some historians would argue that it was truly born when Peter acceded to the throne in early 1682.

 

The Imperial Council consisted of 196 members. As a legislative body the powers of the Council were coordinate with those of the Duma. 

 

The Duma and the electoral system

Members of the Duma were chosen by electoral colleges and these, in their turn, were elected in assemblies of the three classes: landed proprietors, citizens and peasants. In these assemblies the wealthiest proprietors sat in person while the lesser proprietors were represented by delegates. 

 

The Senate was originally established during the Government reform of Peter. It consisted of members nominated by the emperor. It had wide variety of functions and was divided into departments.  It acted as: the Supreme Court of cassation; an audit office, a high court of justice for all political offences; supreme jurisdiction in all disputes arising out of the administration of the Empire.