The Spread of Civilization in Eastern Europe

Moving North  864 orthodox missionaries Cyril and Methodius to territory that is now Czech and Slovak republics. The Roman Catholics were more powerful so they moved on the Balkans and southern Russia, where their ability to speak the Slavic language helped gain converts. They devised a written script for the language derived from Greek letters- Cyrillic  Literature and literacy developed along with the spread of Christianity in the east. Also, missionaries willing to use local languages in services- opposite of Latin west

East Central Borderlands  Eastern missionaries did not monopolize borderlands of eastern Europe  Region organized in a series of regional monarchies loosely governed amid a powerful, land-owning aristocracy  Kingdoms of Poland, Bohemia, and Lithuania surpassed western kingdoms in territory size  Large influx of Jews- esp. in Poland

Emergence of Kievan Rus’  Russia not yet a full-fledged civilization  Slavic people had moved from Asian homeland during the time of the Roman Empire and mixed with earlier inhabitants and invaders, like the Bulgarians, who had adopted the Slavic language. Slavic political organization in family tribes and villages. Animist religion  6 th and 7 th centuries traders from Scandinavia began to work throughout he Slavic lands as a middleman from Byzantium to Scandinavia (Dnieper river)  Scandinavian traders set up some governments along their trade route- one in Kiev. Rurik, a native of Denmark, became the first prince of Kievan Rus about 855 CE and flourished until 12 th century. Scandinavians coined the term Russia

Vladimir I (ruled from )  Converted people to orthodox Christianity (was awed at splendor of Constantinople)  Organized mass baptisms and forced conversion  Russian Orthodox church developed  As it became Christian it was the largest single state in Europe- although highly decentralized

Institutions and Culture in Kievan Rus  Borrowed much from Byzantium (ie. Central ruler should have wide powers)  Fervent devotion to the power of God and many Eastern saints  Russian literature using Cyrillic  Peasants were fairly free farmers, although an aristocratic landlord class existed. Boyars- Russian aristocrats- had less political power than counterparts in western Europe  Yaroslav the Wise ( )- greatest ruler of the period used marriages to create ties with other European countries but still had main focus of Byzantium

Kievan Decline  Began to fade in 12 th century  Rival princes set up regional governments, royal family argued over succession, and decline of Byzantium reduced Russia’s trade and wealth  and invasions by Mongols of Asia- called Tatars in Russian  2 centuries Russia under Tatar control. Some social harmony during the time made it possible for Russian culture to reemerge when Tatars were forced out in the 15 th century  New Rome idea of the Russians- sense of Eastern Christian mission

The End of an Era in Eastern Europe  With Byzantium and Russia under siege east European civilization fell on hard times  Separate trajectories of east and west Europe