Russia What do you know already? Geography / History – do the two areas link in any way?

A Brief History – Intro to Land of the Tsars: What advancements happened? What challenges did the leaders face? How do they compare to more modern leaders you have studied?

Russia Geography:

The Land The part of Russia located in Asia is called Siberia. This area is isolated, sparsely populated, and extremely cold in the winter time.

The Land The Northern European Plain extends into Western Russia. This area has a type of fertile soil called chernozem. Chernozem means black earth and the soil is dark in colour.

Comparison of arable land (2012) The Land Comparison of arable land (2012) The United States 173,450 India 160,519 China 142,615 Russia 122,559 * unit in thousands of hectares (1 hectare = 0.01 kmsq)

The Mountains The Urals are the longest mountain range in Russia. The Caucasus Mountains run from the Black Sea to the Caspian Sea and they generally divide Russia from Georgia and Azerbaijan.

Ports and shipping – the sea freezes! Russia in the period we are studying – where would be an ICE-FREE PORT?

SWOT survey – Russian Geography? Strength Weakness Opportunities Threats

Religion – Important later on… The beginning of Russia was in the early part of the ninth century By 989 Vladimir considered a number of available faiths and decided upon Greek Orthodoxy Christianity was implemented against people’s will Russian Icons weren't painted to be charming but to inspire reflection and self-examination. Under Alexander III as part of his RUSSIFICATION campaign religion was a key way to enforce the Tsar’s authority. The Tsar was thought to be appointed by God – to challenge him (or her) was a challenge to God.

Ivan IV the Terrible (1547 – 1584) Ivan IV (the Terrible) in 1547, reorganized the military, he then expanded the Russian territory hugely. Ivan was not terrible at the beginning but by the 1560s he carried out a pretty horrific campaign against the boyars (aristocrats), confiscating their land. In 1581, in a rage, he struck his son and heir Ivan with an iron rod, killing him.

Peter the Great (1682-1725) Peter the Great introduced military conscription, simplified the alphabet, changed the calendar, changed his title from Tsar to Emperor, and introduced a hundred other reforms In 1703 transfer the capital from Moscow to a new city. Later that new city was called St. Petersburg

Catherine the Great (1762-1796) Catherine went on to become the most powerful sovereign in Europe. She continued Peter the Great's reforms of the Russian state, further increasing central control over the provinces The rising influence of European culture in Russia during the 17th and 18th centuries brought Russian artwork closer to the familiar traditions of western painting

Alexander I (1801 – 1825) Alexander I ruled with much promise of change, but little tangible differences to the great Russian problems of Serfdom and the constitution. Alexander I was most notable for his foreign policy success’ such as his defeat of Napoleon’s army in 1812. He added some territory in Eastern Europe and Finland to the Russian empire.

Nicolas I (1825 – 1855) Nicolas oversaw a reign of repression and enforcement of Tsarist autocracy. There was general stagnation in the economy with a huge amount of bureaucracy. Nicolas used these tactics as a response to the failed Decembrist uprising of army officers in the first days of his reign. Nicolas’ reign ended with defeat in a disastrous war in the Crimea, this highlighted the backwardness of Russia.