Russia’s Political and Economic

Change

Hannah HePeriod 7

Early History

Pre-History > Kievan Rus > Mongol Invasion >Russo-Tatar > Duchy of Moscow

Rurik Dynasty (1157-1598)

Change during the Tsardom and Imperial Russia

Sudebnik of 1550 – the first “Russian constitution”

Romanov family change Imperial RussiaPeter the Great – government reforms to

modernize RussiaCatherine the Great – arts, science, and

learning

Decembrist Revolt

Emancipation of Serfs

Revolution

Industrial Revolution: created three main competing parties

Bloody SundayOctober ManifestoWorld War and its causes to the

February Revolution◦Demoralizing◦Ignored the Duma and instead took into consideration the statements of the advisor of his wife

February Revolution

Set up a Provisional Government

Headed by Alex Kerensky, who was progressive but not radical enough for some

October Revolution

Lenin’s return from exile (with help from Germany)

Capitalized on worker strikes after loss in gross industrial production

National Constituent Assembly refused to support the Bolsheviks

Democracy was removed from RussiaNationalized banksLeft the war after a peace treaty with

Germany

Russian Civil War

Creation of the Soviet Union (1922 – 1991)

Ideologically based unionFour republics: 

◦Russian SFSR◦Ukrainian SSR◦Belarusian SSR◦Transcaucasian SFSR

“Federal” system as set by the constitution, although the communist party was the actual leading force

War Communism vs. New Economic Policy

War Communism◦Land and small businesses were nationalized◦Money economy was restricted

New Economic Policy◦In answer to peasant opposition◦Peasants were allowed to sell surpluses once

again instead of surrendering their surplus grain like before

◦Revived the economy

The Stalin Years

Five year plan – build up heavy industry, the consolidating agriculture, and the restricted manufacture of consumer goods

Great purges, gulags, and prison camps

World War II

Non-aggression pact with Germany in 1939

Victorious, entered Berlin in 1945 and beat Japanese in Manchuria in the last battles of the war

Completely devastated and destroyed Russian cities and towns

Jewish population very low Estimates: 25 million killed total

Cold War

Stagnation and Death of Stalin

Fight over the leadership

Soviet Economic Reform of 1965◦Economic independence

of enterprises◦Sales prices had to be

profitable◦Reduced number of

policy targets from 30 to 9

Prices rose then fell

Fall of Soviet Russia

Glasnost allowed people to express their dissatisfaction

Gorbachev vs. YeltsinRussia took over, differentiation became

harder Shortage of food plus refusal to change

resulted in a call for changeOfficially ended in 1991Communist Party was banned from 1991-

1992

Russian Federation

Yeltsin◦Ended price controls◦Drastic cuts in state spending◦Opened foreign trade

September-October 1993 constitutional crisis (replaced constitution with strong presidential powers)

Financial crash of 1998Putin take-over

Russia Today

Foreign InvestmentDomestic vs. Foreign PoliciesPutin and Medvedev control of

government

Questions???