The history of the Russian state is unique. It is filled with a huge number of different events. Of course, the whole history of the Russian state cannot be described in the framework of one article. Consider some of the main events.
East Slavic tribes
Researchers attribute the beginning of the formation of statehood to the VIII-IX centuries. During this period, the population moves from the appropriating economy to the producing one. This has caused property inequality.
In the VIII-IX centuries. city-states began to arise. To ensure the livelihoods of the population in them were formed:
- Government. It could be a council of elders or a popular assembly.
- City community. It was a territorial organization, consisting not of blood relatives, as before, but of neighbors.
- The squad. It was led by a prince. The tasks of the squad included protecting the territory from attacks, as well as collecting taxes.
After the Neolithic revolution since the XI century. the population began to use metal, the division of labor began. As a result, various social groups began to take shape in society: artisans, combatants, merchants, the city administration.
Subsequently, individual cities began to stand out among others. For example, Novgorod reached the heights of economic and social development. Around such large cities, Slavic statehood began to take shape. A special role in this process was played by Christianity, adopted in 988.
At the initial stages of the development of the state, the economy developed along an extensive path: not by improving production, improving the quality of labor, but by attracting additional force and developing new lands.
Many researchers attribute the beginning of the Russian state to the liberation from the Tatar-Mongol yoke. It is after this, historians believe, that the country moved to a new stage of development.
The territory of the Russian state has always attracted conquerors. The country was constantly under threat of invasion. In the 16th century The Russian state participated in battles for a total of 43 years, at 17 - 48, at 18 - 56 years.
Socio-economic situation
By the end of the 15th century, conditions were formed for the formation of the Russian state .
During the XIV-XV centuries. socio-economic prerequisites arose for strengthening feudal economy. A huge number of people were in different dependence on the representatives of the upper strata of the population - secular and spiritual nobility, as well as princely power. After liberation from the Tatar-Mongol yoke, cities began to recover. However, most of the territories, except the Novgorod-Pskov land, were in secondary positions in the socio-economic system.
Many possessions in the cities belonged to the feudal lords. In general, urban areas were subordinate to the increased power of the prince. Under her influence, the last signs of urban self-government were eliminated.
Feudal lords also played a major role in trade. Due to the profit received, the nobility strengthened its farms. The money accumulated by ordinary citizens was seized by the princes. Part was transferred to the Horde, part went to the personal needs of the ruler.
All these factors led to the formation of adverse conditions for the emergence of the early bourgeois elements. Feudalism was strengthened in the Russian state , feudal relations were established between the nobility and the common population.
The economic interaction of the territories was weak. Trade relations covered a small part of citizens. Large cities, being part of the Russian state , began to develop mainly as local centers of political and economic life.
After the country was liberated from the Horde, Moscow princes became the main political force.
The beginning of the reign of Ivan III
While the Russian lands were dependent on the Horde, European countries followed the path of intensive development. Some of them did not even know about any Russian state . After liberation from the Horde, the countries of Europe were literally bewildered by the sudden emergence of a colossal empire.
Some foreign politicians tried to take advantage of the creation of the Russian state to fight Turkey. First, Nikolai Poppel, a subject of the German Empire, arrived in Moscow. He proposed to Ivan III the crown and marriage of the emperor’s nephew with the daughter of the Russian ruler. However, the proposal was not accepted.
Other foreign powers also sought to establish ties with the Russian state . For example, Hungary needed an alliance to facilitate the struggle with Poland and Turkey, Denmark - to weaken Sweden. Sigismund Herberstein visited the Russian state in the first third of the 16th century. twice. It was he who first compiled the comprehensive "Notes on affairs in Muscovy."
The Russian government also needed to establish ties with foreign countries. However, the foreign policy of the Russian state in the first third of the XVI century. It was aimed at the implementation of special complex tasks and the diversion of forces and resources to fight the Ottoman Empire could only interfere with their implementation.
First of all, it was necessary to complete the unification of the Russian lands. For this, Fedor Kuritsyn was sent to Moldova and Hungary. He was supposed to agree on joint actions against Poland and Lithuania.
Relations with the Crimean and Kazan Khanates
Foreign policy of the Russian state at the end of the 15th century It was aimed primarily at neutralizing Turkey, which was becoming a powerful power. In addition, it was necessary to destroy the remains of the Horde, annex the Kazan Khanate. All these tasks were implemented by Ivan III.
The Kazan Khanate was annexed by force in 1487. However, the position of the Russian state was very fragile. After the accession of Vasily III to the throne, the Kazan khan severed all relations with Moscow.
The Russian government made an attempt to restore relations. However, the campaign of Basil III in 1506 ended unsuccessfully. Only after the death of the Kazan Khan in 1518, his place was taken by a Moscow protege. However, three years later he was overthrown, and power passed to Sahib-Girey, the brother of the Crimean ruler.
In the summer of 1521, the Crimean Khan attacked Russian lands. He reached Moscow itself, devastated the territory and captured many people. Vasily III had to give a letter of "eternal citizenship" to the Crimean Khan. But soon this document was returned.
Russian land was also attacked from the east. The main enemies were the Kazan Tatars.
In 1523, on the river. Sura was created fortress Vasilgrad. It became a stronghold for the fight against the Kazan Khanate. In 1524, Vasily III managed to regulate relations with the Crimea. After that, the campaign to Kazan began. The city was not taken, but peaceful relations were established. At the same time, the Kazan rulers agreed to the demand of Vasily III to transfer trade to Nizhny Novgorod.
Until the end of the first third of the XVI century, Kazan had a complex but peaceful relationship. Only in 1533 the Crimean and former Kazan khans united to march on the Russian state . However, reaching Ryazan, they met the Moscow army, which managed to repulse the attack.
Baltic direction
It was determined by the end of the XV century.
In 1492, the Ivan-city fortress was created. It was located opposite Narva.
The Livonian Order tried to take advantage of the confrontation between Lithuania and Russia to attack the latter. However, in 1501, troops were defeated at the Gelmed fortress. After 2 years, the Russian state and the Livonian Order entered into a truce. According to him, the bishop of Dorpat (modern Tartu) was obliged to pay tribute for owning this city.
Subsequently, due to the hostile policies of Livonia and Lithuania, Russia could not establish ties with Western states. Equally important was the influence of militant churchmen within the country. They opposed all "Latin."
After the capture of Smolensk, Russian troops were defeated by Lithuania. The conflict began to drag out and escalated into the war of 1518. In 1519, the Crimean Khan came to the rescue of Vasily III. His army made devastating raids on the Ukrainian lands of Lithuania. After that, the soldiers of the Livonian Order, with whom Moscow established allied relations, opposed Poland. However, the confrontation ended with a truce with the Polish ruler. After that, negotiations between Russia and Lithuania began. In 1522, a five-year truce was concluded, and Smolensk moved to Russian possessions.
As you can see, in the history of the Russian state, war occupied far from the last place. Often, only armed conflicts could ensure respect for the country from neighbors.
The value of land consolidation
The elimination of political barriers within the territory of the Russian state , the cessation of feudal conflicts created favorable conditions for the development of the national economic complex. In addition, the united state had more opportunities to repulse enemies, the confrontation with which did not end with the overthrow of the yoke and victories over the Livonian and Lithuanian troops.
The remains of the Horde still existed in the east and south: the Astrakhan, Crimean, Kazan Khanates, the Nogai Horde. Relations with the western states remained rather complicated. Belarus and Ukraine were ruled by the Lithuanian ruler. Russia needed access to the coast. All these problems were resolved by the unification of lands.
Process specifics
The domestic policy of the Russian state was based on feudal relations. The development of the country was based mainly on the strengthening of serfdom in the city and in the countryside. The main driving force behind this process was the church, which promoted a conservative ideology.
Spiritual and secular feudal lords were completely independent. They were large landowners, which provided them with a steady income. Citizens and representatives of the nobility as estates were poorly developed.
The unity of government in the state was achieved exclusively through feudal means. The Grand Duke possessed an advantage in material forces, which ensured him success in the fight against separatist sentiments. The church helped him in this.
At the same time, the political unity of the country was threatened for a rather long time. This was due to economic fragmentation, which gave rise to the desire of feudal groups to satisfy their own interests.
History of the Russian state in 1918-1920
In 1918, on September 23, the Act of the Ufa meeting was approved. This act proclaimed the Russian state "in the name of the restoration of independence and state unity." The prerequisites for these events were the Revolution of 1917, the establishment of Soviet power and the signing of the Brest Peace.
Immediate tasks in the Act proclaimed:
- Fighting the Soviet regime.
- Reunification of disparate territories of the country.
- Non-recognition of the Brest Treaty and other international agreements that were concluded both on behalf of Russia and on behalf of its individual regions after the Revolution.
- Continued struggle with the German coalition.
Centralization of the management system
In October 1918, the Provisional Government moved to Omsk from Ufa.
In early November, an appeal was issued to the regional governments on the immediate transfer of authority to the All-Russian administrative apparatus. Then the All-Russian Council of Ministers was formed, the head of which was Vologda.
Thanks to all these actions, the Cossack, national and regional governments in the east of the state were abolished. Formally, this allowed the consolidation of forces for resistance to the Bolsheviks.
Admiral Kolchak
In 1918, November 18, members of the Directory in Omsk were arrested. The Council of Ministers assumed full power, after which it decided to transfer it to one person - the Supreme Ruler. They became Alexander Kolchak.
After taking the title, the admiral formed a new government. It worked until January 4, 1920.
The political structure of the country
The state of Kolchak consisted of 3 separate territories. For some time, however, the Arkhangelsk and Omsk parts of the territory were connected.
Laws adopted by the Supreme Ruler were binding on the entire Russian state. The Omsk government provided financial assistance to the southern territories, and the northern one made purchases in Siberia to solve the problems of supplying bread.
The public administration system included provisional bodies of state power. They were empowered for the period of hostilities and until the restoration of order in the country.
Foreign policy of the Supreme Ruler
Kolchak sought to establish ties with the country's former allies in World War I. He recognized the state debt of Russia, other contractual obligations to other states.
Abroad, the interests of the country were represented by an experienced diplomat Sazonov. In his submission were all the embassies left over from the pre-revolutionary period. At the same time, they retained their property, functions and management apparatus.
De jure The Russian state was recognized internationally only by the Kingdom of Serbs, Slovenes and Croats. De facto, it was recognized by all member countries of the Entente, as well as states that arose after the collapse of the Empire (Baltic countries, Poland, Finland, Czechoslovakia).
Kolchak counted on participation in the Versailles conference. The government formed a special commission to prepare for the event. Kolchak believed that the Russian state would be represented at the conference as a powerful country that suffered huge losses for 3 years, held a second front, without which the Allies would not have won.
It was assumed that if, before the start of the event, the Entente countries did not legally recognize the existence of the state, one of the diplomats of pre-revolutionary Russia, in agreement with the whites, would act as its representative. But soon the Allies changed their position.
At the conference, it was decided to postpone the consideration of the international status of Russia until the end of the Civil War, that is, before a unified state power was established throughout its territory.
The end of the Russian state
Kolchak especially did not trust the allies, suggesting that he would be betrayed by them. So, in fact, it happened.
Historians believe that the main reason for Kolchak’s extradition to the Bolsheviks was the admiral’s allegations that the entire gold reserve, as well as the valuables plundered by Czechoslovakians during their stay in Russia, would not be allowed to be exported abroad. Kolchak’s order to check the property that the legionnaires exported from Vladivostok accelerated the denouement. This order became known to the Czechoslovak command and caused anger.
The admiral was forced to move to Irkutsk. This was decided by train. However, upon arrival at the destination, Kolchak was handed over to the local authorities. After this, numerous interrogations began. In 1920, at night from February 6 to 7, Kolchak was shot without trial along with the chairman of the Council of Ministers Pepelyaev by order of the Irkutsk Revolutionary Committee. On this the history of the Russian state ended. The country has entered a new era - the Soviet one. From this moment, a change in the state system began under the leadership of the Bolsheviks.