largest state in Europe.
The Mongols and Muscovy
In the 1200s warriors from central Asia
known as Mongols, or Tatars, invaded
Kievan Rus. The Mongols set up a kingdom
called the Golden Horde. During
the time of Mongol rule, two strong
Russian states developed. Novgorod
became a powerful state in western Russia.
Muscovy, or Moscow, became the
strongest power in the north.
In 1478 the ruler of Muscovy, Ivan III
(also called Ivan the Great) conquered
Novgorod. Two years later he defeated
the Mongols and made the Russian
lands independent. Ivan IV came to the
throne in 1533. He called himself tsar
(emperor) of all Russia. Ivan IV earned
the title Ivan the Terrible because of his
cruel and violent rule.
The Romanov Dynasty
In 1613 Michael Romanov became tsar.
His family ruled Russia until 1917.
Under the Romanovs, Russia became
one of the most powerful states in
Europe.
Peter I, called Peter the Great, became
tsar in 1682. Peter added to Russia’s
territory and built a new capital, which
he named Saint Petersburg. Catherine
II, called Catherine the Great, came to
the throne in 1762. She also expanded
Russia. Nicholas II, who became tsar in
1894, was the last of the Romanov
rulers.
1200s 1480 1613 1917 1922 1991 1999
The Mongols
invade Kievan
Rus.
Ivan III ends
Mongol rule.
Michael
Romanov
becomes tsar
of Russia.
The Russian
Revolution
overthrows the
tsar.
Russia becomes
part of the
Soviet Union.
The U.S.S.R.
collapses; Boris
Yeltsin becomes
president of an
independent
Russia.
Yeltsin resigns
as president;
Vladimir Putin
becomes the
next president.
T I M E L I N E
106 Russia BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
The Russian Revolution
In 1914 Russia enteredWorldWar I.
After three years of terrible losses, the
Russian people rebelled against the tsar
in March 1917. Nicholas II stepped
down, and the country set up a temporary
government. Nicholas was later
executed.
In November 1917 a group called the
Bolsheviks seized control of Russia. Led
by Vladimir Lenin, the Bolsheviks set up
a Communist government. The new
government took Russia out ofWorld
War I.
The Soviet Union
Some Russians fought a civil war against
the Bolsheviks, but the Bolsheviks
defeated them. In 1922 the Bolsheviks
set up a new country called the Union of
Soviet Socialist Republics, or the Soviet
Union. Russia was the largest of the new
country’s republics, or states. The Communist
government of the Soviet Union
ruled harshly at times. Millions of
people died during the rule of Soviet
leader Joseph Stalin.
By the 1980s many people in the Soviet
Union wanted more freedom and a better
economy. A leader named Mikhail
Gorbachev tried to institute some
reforms. But the Communist government
could not solve the country’s problems.
In 1991 the Soviet Union
collapsed. Each of the 15 republics that
had made up the Soviet Union became
an independent country.
A New Russia
The first leader of the newly independent
Russia was Boris Yeltsin. His government
gave the people more rights
and freedoms. However, the government
also faced a poor economy and a number
of revolts. One of those revolts took
place in the southwestern region called
Chechnya. Some people in the region
wanted independence from Russia.
Chechen rebels carried out several
deadly attacks in Russia.
Yeltsin retired in 1999. His successor
continued to face problems with the
economy and with the rebellion in
Chechnya into the 21st century.
#More to explore
Communism • Ivan IV • Lenin,
Vladimir Ilich • Moscow • Nicholas II
• Peter the Great • Russian Revolution
• Tsar • Union of Soviet Socialist
Republics • Volga River
Catherine the Great ruled Russia from 1762
to 1796.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Russia 107
Russian
Revolution
Centuries of harsh rule under the tsars,
or emperors, of Russia came to an end
with the Russian Revolution of 1917.
The revolution took place in two stages.
In the end, it gave the Russian people an
entirely new form of government.
Background
The common people of Russia had few
rights under the tsars. They protested
this situation in 1905. Afterward, Tsar
Nicholas II created a lawmaking body
called the Duma. The Duma was supposed
to give some of the citizens a say
in the government. However, the tsar
still held most of the power.
February Revolution
By 1917, Russia faced several challenges.
The country was fighting Germany in
WorldWar I (1914–18). Russia was also
short of food and fuel for the cold winter.
In the capital city of Petrograd (now
Saint Petersburg), angry people protested
the hard conditions. The army
joined the protesters instead of stopping
them. Tsar Nicholas II had to give up all
power. This was called the February
Revolution.
A committee of the Duma appointed a
temporary government to replace the
tsar. This government was unable to
solve Russia’s problems. A group of
workers and soldiers rose to challenge
the government. The group was called
the Petrograd Soviet.
Other soviets soon appeared in other
cities. As the government grew weaker,
the soviets grew stronger. Several different
political parties fought for control of
the soviets. Eventually, the party called
the Bolsheviks came out on top.
Vladimir Lenin led the Bolsheviks.
