...Paper Catherine the Great Catherine II was originally born Sophie Augusta Fredericka in 1729. She was born to a noble family in and raised in Germany then call Prussia. She was born a princes and was raised as such. Sophie was considered as an immensely beautiful princes. However her family was considered as minor and as poor by royal family standards. What they did have was an important connection to the Russian Empire. Sophie left for Russia in 1744 to meet Empress Elisabeth at the age of 15. As with most princesses of the time she was married off to increase political and family ties. In Sophie’s case this was to Peter III. Grand Duke Peter was the nephew to the Empress and heir to the throne of Russia. Other than meeting Empress Elisabeth and Peter III her childhood was relatively dull. The first time Sophie met Peter she was not fond of him. She described him as being “small and infantile and talked about nothing but soldiers and toys”. He was far too childish for her. In addition Peter would drink in excess at the mere age of 16. Although she disliked him, Sophie’s marriage to Peter was her first step in becoming Catherine the Great. She unlike Peter immediately immersed herself in the Russian culture. She also converted from German Lutheran to Eastern Orthodoxy and thus she was reborn and renamed Catherine. Catherine was an intellect who learned the Russian language swiftly. The newlyweds were nothing alike. Even on their wedding night Peter stayed up all night drinking...
Words: 2783 - Pages: 12
...behavior is mentioned by the classical economists, even as a theoretical possibility."Robert E Lucas, Jr. When and how did the Industrial Revolution come about? Broadly speaking the complete transformation of manufacturing processes in industries especially textiles and iron marked the boom period of this era. The advent of newer and more efficient forms of technology meant that production leap-frogged generating revenue surplus for the economy. It also meant that the demand for raw materials increased multifold, which translated into more demand for colonies for their supply. Thus, technology boosted economy, which in turn impacted the foreign/strategic policies of the countries in question. Quite expectedly, the Industrial Revolution started in Britain and spread to other countries subsequently. Another facet of the Industrial Revolution was the social...
Words: 1611 - Pages: 7
...In nineteenth-century Russia, the woman question emerged as a prevalent topic for debate. It questioned women’s gender roles within society. The increase in women’s agency within the public sphere during the eighteenth century, brought on by Peter the Great’s reforms, changes in property laws, salon culture, and charity, engendered the woman question in the nineteenth century and influenced responses to it. Four responses to the woman question emerged: the feminist response, the nihilist response, the radical response, and the reactionary right response. Each of these responses reacted to or built upon preceding responses, each broadening the scope of the next. The feminists drew on eighteenth-century charity to shape its response that women’s...
Words: 1445 - Pages: 6
...History Essay: How far was there political and economic reform during the period 1881-1914? (30 Marks) The years in Russia between 1881 and 1914 were a time of great instability and unrest. Political assassinations were common place and military defeat was normal. Furthermore, Russia was an economically backward country – its industry was based solely around agriculture which itself was outdated and not modern. Russia wanted to become a great power like Britain, to do this it would have to be able to deal with these problems and would be essential for the survival of the Tsarist system. In 1881 Russia was a very diverse country, there were many different cultures and languages spoken and 80% of the population were peasants. Alexander III unexpectedly came to the throne in 1881 on the assassination of Alexander II. Alexander III was under no illusion that he could suffer the same fate as his father. He introduced repression of opponents as the corner stone of his reign. Alexander had three main beliefs: Repression of opponents, undoing the reforms of his father and to restore Russia’s position internationally and also her national identity, which he believed had been diluted throughout the 19th century. These were labelled ‘Russification’ and they came into being immediately he was crowned tsar in 1881. The primary aspect of Russification was to rid Russia of western ideas that Alexander III believed had weakened the nation and reduced its national identity. So, there was some...
Words: 997 - Pages: 4
...Peter I, also known as Peter the Great, is arguably one of the greatest absolute rulers that ever held power over the country of Russia. This man was able to achieve his goals during his reign despite the problems that he faced. During this time, some basic issues in several European countries included territory, economy, and religion. However, these issues varied depending on which country someone was responsible for. As for Peter the Great, he had to face the Church who held a large power but was not willing to change. Another domestic affair that he tried to tackle was education for the rest of Europe was advancing at a quicker pace than that of Russia. Not only that, there were several prominent wars that were fought while he was in power....
Words: 1502 - Pages: 7
...HISTORY The history of Russia is extremely important. How did it become what it is today? From the before the Russian revolution in 1917, communism became a driving force in the Russian existence. The cultural background in Russia also played an important role informing what the country is today. The new leaders such as Lenin, who introduced Marxism to the Russian society, often viewed capitalism as evil. The Russians also prided themselves in their army. With the emphasis placed on the military, the economy under communism has struggled immensely. These traits will eventually lead to the downfall of Communist Russia. The Russian population came forth from a mixed heritage, mainly Slavic. The language and tools of the early Russians is often related to agricultural work, thus it emphasizes their way of life. The growth of towns and villages bring a rise economically socially and politically, which changed the lives of the Slavs from a rural people to a more not so much urban people but less rural people. Class distinction was beginning to develop amongst the people as wealth from these villages and the enterprises in them In the beginning not all people were under strict control of the Czar, also, not all that were under the Czar were Russian. The Russian culture was very diverse due to colonization. It is not uncommon for someone at this time to be a Finn, Slav, or other race. Russians are not a race, but an ethnic group of mixed background. Some leaders...
Words: 1423 - Pages: 6
...for the end of the Cold War This is the transcript of a talk given at a seminar co-sponsored by the History Teachers’ Association of New South Wales and the US Information Service in Sydney on 2 September 1995. From this tutorial you will learn about: • influence of ideologies that led resulted in the division of the world into two opposed camps from 1945 • emerging differences between the superpowers Contents 1. US – Soviet relations were not synonymous with the Cold War 2. Chronology of the Cold War 3. Influence of ideologies of communism and capitalism on the Cold War 4. Soviet Objectives 5. American objectives 6. The Arms Race 7. The Third World was important for the Cold War 8. Why did the Cold War not end earlier? 9. Did the United States win the Cold War? Notes Suggestions for further reading 1. US – Soviet relations were not synonymous with the Cold War While the Cold War was central to post-1945 United States-Soviet relations,...
Words: 4442 - Pages: 18
...slavery is an important part of our heritage, knowing how it began and what humanity has done to control it. It is interesting to see how Christianity can change the heart of one person, who can affect the change in a country. One small adjustment, thousands of miles abroad, can affect any civilization and history of many countries. During the 19th century many countries developed laws to gradually or immediately shift civilization away from slavery. This paper explores the religious influences motivating this shift in the legal system as well as the consequences of these laws on work civilization. Slavery was found worldwide and came in many different forms. The most common was the Slave, treated as chattels and wild animals, having no rights and endured harsh physical abuse. The Slave was known more and referred to as the ‘Western Slave’ more commonly found in America. Serfdom, a Russian repression, was a different form of slavery. Serfs were not a legal person, had no property rights, no right to credit transactions and not protected by custom. However, a serf had his own land and property, unlike in slavery. Serfdom was found in China, Japan, India and elsewhere. Muslim Slaves were another form of slavery who was not totally chattel nor altogether human. The owner of the slave maintained unrestricted legal rights to their slave. Muslim slavery was found in Syria, Egypt, Turkey and other countries. The economy of Africa relied mainly on slave trade. In Dahoney...
Words: 2752 - Pages: 12
...gain power by offering huge economic reforms in order to appease the masses or to keep most important sectors of society prosperous and content. Although historians would argue that in many of these cases change occurred for political reasons, it is equally as easy to argue, if not more so, that at the heart of every issue that caused or had the potential to cause revolution were underlying economic motives, either for the common man or the ruling elite. This on-going theme of economic concessions can be seen at various points throughout the past hundred years and proved a key factor to the longevity of the regimes in charge. The first such example of this post-1900 occurred after the 1905 Revolution. Despite The October Manifesto in 1905 which granted political freedoms, little of which benefitted the peasantry, It was Stolypin’s reforms as Prime Minister for Nicholas II that achieved most after the 1905 revolution, quelling the peasant threat that had emerged prior to the revolution and afterwards, much more so than the introduction of the Dumas - representative assemblies granted in the October Manifesto. Similarly Lenin’s New Economic Plan dealt with the ever increasing militant peasantry created during the civil war. These huge reforms to a more capitalist economy were at the cost of political objectives, but were vital in sustaining the Bolsheviks newly found power. As Lenin himself said the policy was: “Two steps forward and one step back”, referring to the advance...
Words: 3234 - Pages: 13
... It is a great and proud country. Up until the 1990’s it was the only surviving superpower in the globe after World War II along with the United States. The Russian Federation is located east of Europe and north of Asia. Russia has boundaries with fourteen other countries, like China in Asia, Kazakhstan in the Middle East, and Finland in Europe. In this country there are only two distinct seasons winter and summer. Spring and autumn are brief periods of change between extremely low and extremely high temperatures. The coldest month is usually in January. The warmest month is usually in July. Russia has a pretty broad population but mostly by Russians and the main language there is Russian. Russia is the ninth most populous nation in the world with 139 million people. The currency is the Ruble. One dollar is equivalent to 30 rubles. The capital city of Russia is Moscow. Russia is home to the famous St Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow which looks like a castle with onion shaped domes. The Kremlin is also located in Russia which is where government business is conducted. Some famous Russian ornament is the Fabergé Egg. Made by Peter Carl Fabergé o nly 65 eggs were ever made and they are worth millions. Russia is also famous or infamous for its assault rifle the AK-47. This is just a brief overview of Russia. We are covering many different facets about this magnificent country. We will cover mostly its government, military, education, employment, economy, and sports...
Words: 4276 - Pages: 18
...general success even though it did have its moment of failure. The first five year plan was introduced in Russia in an attempt to catch up with the more advanced west. As Stalin said 'We are fifty or a hundred years behind the advanced countries. We must make good this distance in ten years.' The focus of the first five year plan on heavy industry made huge strides in modernising industry and increasing output, in that 'Coal, iron, and the generation of electrical power all increased in huge proportion’s and Russia felt it could compete again on a scale with its western rivals. However, despite overarching economic development, many of the targets set by central panning didn't consider the quality of products or waste of materials and on reflection, highlight a number of fundamental flaws in the measurement of success of the first five year plan. Stalin's idea of collectivisation forced the peasants to move to a commune, share the livestock and equipment whilst having to give the government their share of the revenue. 'The government figured that new technology and new farming machines, would allow mass production of food without the large amount of workers that was needed before'. Collectivisation was therefore introduced to increase efficiency and introduce mechanization. This added urgency to increase output meant that high targets were set which were met by use of the carrot and the whip, incentives but also punishments, pushing the economy towards its maximum potential...
Words: 3975 - Pages: 16
...Vlad Shtyrts Mr. Caruso H Mod Literature 1 May 2014 Analysis of corruption in Russia “They steal,” said Nikolai Karamzin, Russian poet, historian, and philosopher, to sum up Russia. His statement is quite accurate, because that is exactly what has been happening in Russia for the past half a millennia. Corruption is one of the main causes of all the problems in Russia. It has spread from the central government into the economy, education, health care, and national defense. Corruption directly impacts the lives of Russian citizens and the relationship with foreign nations. Russia is known to have a long history of corruption, every year it is becoming an increasing problem because it brings an overall instability to the country and affects all of its citizens. The money intended for the social systems is being routed into the pockets of rapacious politicians and criminals. What is corruption? According to the Oxford dictionary corruption is “dishonest or fraudulent conduct by those in power, typically involving bribery,” this is exactly what it means, but in Russia it is much more complex. There are many categories, types, and tier of corruption in Russia, each dealing with different aspects of the practice. Two main types exist, the grand and petty corruption. Grand corruption deals with the government branches, and has a greater monetary value. This type involves corruption in politics, lawmaking, and government contracts. Petty corruption is are the insignificant bribes...
Words: 7938 - Pages: 32
...National Defence University, Islamabad Faculty of Contemporary Studies International Relations Department Research Paper SIGNIFICANCE OF PAK-RUSSIA RELATIONS: FOREIGN POLICY OPTIONS FOR PAKISTAN By: Arshad Mahmood, M.Phil (IR), NDU, Islamabad 20 November 2012 Submitted to: Dr Shaheen Akhtar Associate Professor Department of International Relations NDU, Islamabad SIGNIFICANCE OF PAK-RUSSIA RELATIONS: FOREIGN POLICY OPTIONS FOR PAKISTAN ABSTRACT Pak-Russia relations, viewing from a realist perspective, have not been built upon strong pillars of understanding each other’s interests and concerns which are most essential for establishing enduring bilateral ties. The history of their bilateral relations is simply a tale of misperception and misunderstandings. Both the nations despite having convergence of interests on various bilateral, regional and international issues and immense potentials in cooperation have never availed opportunities. In fact both, Pakistan and Russia had viewed each other through the prism of other states and with wrong perceptions. The changing international environment and internal and regional political dynamics of both the states have now provided another chance their elites to revisit their bilateral relations and lay down a foundation for a prosperous future. SECTION-1 INTRODUCTION Background 1. On 26 December 1991 the world witnessed the collapse of the first and the largest communist country - the Union of Soviet...
Words: 6917 - Pages: 28
...Germany 8 Deutsche Bank, Germany 10 Russia 13 Sberbank, Russia 16 India 17 The State Bank of India 18 Major Themes: Comparison & Contrast 24 The debate between Capitalist and Communist Industrialization 25 Fiscal and Industrialization policy 27 Mission Statement and goals 30 The Banking Sector 31 Target Markets 32 Colonized Industrialization or De-industrialization 34 Conclusion 37 Appendix 1 39 Appendix 2 40 Work Cited 42 Introduction Mankind as a whole and the world as has been observed in the past has undergone much change in all aspects of human life. The concept of economic development in light of increasing industrial growth, free labour, the growth of private property as an institution and the development of the international trade as a concept have changed the way humans and hence nations interact and intervene in the world economic system. These gradual yet drastic changes in the structure of human interactions led to a wave of economic developments that initially started in Western Europe, but then slowly but gradually spread to other parts of the world including the rest of Europe, North America, the USSR and then eventually East Asia. During these economic developments and shifts in the world economic structure, several institutions interacted, reacted and evolved in ways unique to where the economic...
Words: 12530 - Pages: 51
...of Moscow, the country that would go on to form the Russian Empire. For such an important city and region, it surprising then that so many Americans don’t know just how it rose to power, after all the city just didn’t sprout up from the ground. So, how did Moscow reach such prominence? To fully understand that question, we must first look back in history to see what came before Moscow. For those who don’t know the history of Russia and its people, it might shock them to learn that the Russian heartland wasn’t always in the northern part of Russia or the city of Moscow; instead it was the city of Kiev. The easiest way to demonstrate just how important Kiev was to the Russian sense of identity is to read about its mythical founding in the Russian Primary Chronicles. According to this chronicle, written by a Russian monk, the city of Kiev was founded “when [Saint] Andrew was teaching in Sinope and came to Kherson, … he observed that the mouth of the Dnipro [the Dnieper River] was nearby. Conceiving a desire to go to Rome, he thus journeyed to the mouth of the Dnipro. Thence he ascended the river, and by chance he halted beneath the hills upon the shore. Upon arising in the morning, he observed to the disciples who were with him, ‘See ye these hills? So shall the favor of God shine upon them that on this spot a great city shall arise, and God shall erect many churches therein.’ He drew near the hills, and having blessed them, he set up a cross. After offering his prayer to God,...
Words: 3205 - Pages: 13
