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Adopted Rurik religion and converted it to Orthodox Christianity. Known as the man who brought Christianity to Ukraine and Russia.
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Lands were overrun by the same nomadic warriors who brought down Roman Empire. Land was then settled by Slavs.
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Confided laws and conquered new lands, his reign marked the golden age of Kievan Rus.
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Ruled by Khan from his new capital at Sarai, the Rus princes were hi vassals.
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Son of Alexander Nevsky, founded the Principality of Moscow.
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Because of a state of anarchy, people were terrorized by war, famine, and plague. Up to a third of them perished.
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The Russian Assembly realized the country needed a new leader.
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The 16 year old noble was elected by the Russian Assembly as the next Tsar.
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New legal code implemented by Tsar Alexei. It turned all Russian peasants, 80% of the population, into serfs (slaves).
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Imposed religious reforms that split the church between Reformers and “Old Believers”. It’s a schism that continues to this day.
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Student and admirer of the French Enlightenment. Also corresponded with the French philosopher, Voltaire.
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Defeated Ottoman Empire, winning new lands. Also won the fortress of Azof and Kerch.
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Led by the renegade cossack Yemelyan Pugachev, Rebels took many fortresses and towns.
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New lands in the south were named Novorossiya, “new russia”. Settled by Russian colonists under supervision of Prince Potemkin.
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Polish-Lithiuanian Commonwealth was carved up in a series of partitions with Russia taking the lion's share. Poland didn’t re-emerge as an independent nation until 1918.
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Russia supported Greece in war against the Ottomans, which led to war with Russia.
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Confirmed Russia's status as world power. But, there was a discontent amongst intellectuals and army officers.
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Formed secret societies to plot the overthrow of Russia’s autocratic system. Used the confusion to launch a military coup.
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In Caucasus, the border clashed with Persia leading to the war. It ended in complete Russian victory.
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A Polish revolt led by young army officers, crushed by Russian troops. Alexander Pushkin, shot in a duel and died two days later.
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Had been a reformer, hailed as ‘“he Liberator” for freeing Russia’s serf. He was assassinated by left-wing terrorists in St. Petersburg.
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Believed his fathers reforms had unleashed dangerous forces within Russia, which led to his death. As emperor, he publicly to reassert autocratic rule. His secret police, the Okhrannka, was ordered to infiltrate Russia’s many revolutionary groups.
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Targeted in murderous race riots known as “pogroms”. Government expelled 20,000 jews from Moscow, and many who could began to leave the country.
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Concerned with the growing power of Germany, Russia and France signed an alliance. Both sides promising military aid of one were attacked.
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Appointed Russia’s new Minister of Finance. His reforms helped to modernize the Russian economy.
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Became ruler of Russian Empire. Stretched from the Baltic to the Pacific, inhabited by 126 million people, from 194 ethnic groups.
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Forced the Tsar to allow the creation of state duma, or national assembly. Power was limited and the compromise pleased neither the Tsar nor the reformers. This divided empire was plunged into fresh crisis by world war.
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Country suffered a series of devastating defeats. While at home, there were food shortages and economic chaos.
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Tsar was held accountable for countries crisis because of being the commander in chief. He gets in the way of government reform.
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Murdered by Russian aristocrats, possibly with the help of British secret agents. Both groups determined to end his influence over the Tsar.