Early Russian History

Originally called Kievan Rus, the land of present day Russia was split between three groups

The Ukrainians, Belorussians, and the Russians were the three regional nationalities

In the Middle Ages, the Mongols invaded Russia and ruled for 250 years

A Prince from Moscow named Ivan IV, aka Ivan the Terrible defeated the Mongols

While the Czars enjoyed comfortable lives, the people who worked the land, known as serfs, lived hard lives and could be bought and sold with the land.

Serfdom was abolished in 1861, but the former serfs remained poor and struggled through life

In the 1900s, anger with the Czars fueled strikes and demonstrations. In one such demonstration, workers marched towards the Czar's palace. Soldiers fired into the crowd, killing nearly 1,000 people. This became known as Bloody Sunday

During World War I, food shortages triggered riots in the Capital city. Even soldiers began to fight with the Civilians to protest

Czar Nicholas was forced to step down, ending the rule of Czars

After the Russian Revolution, a group of Revolutionaries called the Bolsheviks seized power

Inspired by the writings of Karl Marx, they made Russia into a Communist State, with Vladimir Lenin as the leader of the Soviet Union

After Lenin died, Joseph Stalin became the new leader of the Soviet Union

Stalin forced a collectivization of agriculture that led to a famine (lack of food) that killed millions

Stalin's goal was to make The Soviet Union a world power and spread Communism throughout the world