1. Chp 16: Human Geography of Russia & the Republics

2. In class assignment
Create an ILLUSTRATED timeline of the leadership transitions of Russia

3. Take Five… Why would Russia naturally be protected from invasion?
When you think of Russia, what types of people do you think of? European? Indian? Slavic? Jewish?
What future US state was swallowed up by the expansion of the Russian Empire?
What is a czar/tsar?
Have them write some thoughts to each of these questions

4. Russia and the Western Republics
800s AD Vikings establish trade and Kiev
1200s AD Tatars from Mongolia invade and sacked Kiev
1500s Ivan the Great takes control of Russia--ends foreign rule
Focus on expansion/conquest
Expansion of ethnic groups, languages, customs and religions
Vikings came to the region to take advantage of the river trade between the two seas. They established a settlement near Kiev. In time they adopted the customs of the local Slavic population and began to expand.
Between 1237 and 1240AD, invaders from Mongolia, called Tatars sacked the city of Kiev. Their ferocity of these Mongolian warriors was legendary! It is said that “like molten lava, they destroyed everything in their path.”
They controlled the region until the 1500s when Ivan the Great, a powerful prince of Moscow, put an end to their rule. Their focus was than to continue to expand to the east. By the 17th century they had built an empire that expanded to the Pacific Ocean. As these new territories were added to the Empire, they also added more people. Which means they were adding more ethnic groups, different languages and different religions to their vastly growing empire.

5. Mongols

6. Ivan the Great Ivan the Terrible…

7. St. Basil’s Cathedral 1561
Built to commemorate the military conquest of Ivan the Great against the Tatars
Ivan the Terrible had the architects eyes removed after the completion of the cathedral
 Legend has it that after it was completed, Ivan had the architect blinded in order to prevent him from building a more magnificent building for anyone else. (In fact, he went on to build another cathedral in Vladimir.)

8. Take Five…
Complete the Skill Builder questions on pg 362

9. Russia leadership Romanov family takes control of the throne 1613
Michael
Romanov

10. Russia Lags behind Western Europe
Science and technology lagged behind that of its European rivals
Peter the Great, Czar of Russia from 1682 to 1725
New Capital – St. Petersburg aka “Window to the West”
Industrial Revolution was sweeping over many Western European countries in the beginning of the 1800’s
Russia’s Industrial Revolution occurred at the end of the century
While Russia’s territorial growth was rapid, their progress in other was far less impressive.
Science and technology lagged behind that of its European rivals. Peter the Great, who was the Czar of Russia from 1682 to 1725 tried to change this. An example, he moved Russia’s capital from Moscow to a city on the Baltic Sea. The new capital, named St. Petersburg provided direct access by sea to Western Europe. Russian’s called their new capital their “Window to the West” Why would it be called that?
St. Pete is called Russia’s “Window to the West” and it’s not difficult to see why. The city, with its boulevards, canals and Baroque buildings, feels like Europe. Street signs are in English and the woman behind the counter at the coffee shop this morning could actually explain what was in each pastry.
Even though Peter the Great made impressive strides toward modernizing Russia, the empire continued to trail behind the West. While the Industrial Revolution was sweeping through Western Europe in the early 1800’s, Russia did not begin to Industrialize until the very end of the century. When industry did finally come to Russia, it resulted in harsh working conditions, low wages, and other hardships. All of these problems contributed to the people’s anger at the Czars who ruled Russia

11. Peter the Great
Moved the capital from Moscow to St. Petersburg on the Baltic Sea
Spread westernization
Opened up Russia to
new schools,
philosophy, free press,
court system etc.

12. Catherine the Great
was the most renowned and the longest-ruling female leader of Russia, reigning from 9 July, 1762 until her death in 1796 at the age of 67. Her reign was called Russia's golden age.

13. Nicholas II Last Czar of Russia Economic and military collapse
WWI ( )
Russian revolution
Executed by Bolsheviks
The Russian Communist Party lead V.I Lenin
Last Czar of Russia
During his rule, Imperial Russia went from being one of the foremost great powers of the world to economic and military collapse
In 1917, the Russian Revolution occurred, officially ending the rule of the Czars
He and his family were all executed in the same room on July 16th/17th, 1918 by the Bolsheviks.
The Russian Communist Party, led by V.I. Lenin, took control of the government. The Party also took charge of the region’s economy and gave Communist leaders control over all important economic decisions.

14. Rasputin Advisor to the Czar and Czarina
Medical expert to Czar’s son-Alexis
Russuan peasant and mythical healer
There is much uncertainty over Rasputin's life and the degree of influence he exerted over the Tsar and his government. Accounts are often based on dubious memoirs, hearsay and legend.[note 1] While his influence and role may have been exaggerated, historians agree that his presence played a significant part in the increasing unpopularity of the Tsar and Alexandra Feodorovna his wife, and the downfall of the Russian Monarchy. Rasputin was killed as he was seen by both the left and right to be the root cause of Russia's despair during World War I.[3]

15. End of the Czars

16. Vladamir Illych Lenin
Organized the different peoples absorbed by Russia’s expansion
New nation was called Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) or Soviet Union for short
New capital – Moscow
All wealth including land, industry and business was nationalized
 Under his administration, the Russian Empire was replaced by a new nation called the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), or the Soviet Union for short; all wealth including land, industry and business was nationalized and the capital was moved back to Moscow. Based in Marxism, his political theories are known as Leninism.
Marxism is a worldview and method of societal analysis that focuses on class relations and societal conflict, that uses a materialist interpretation of historical development, and a dialectical view of social transformation.

17. Josef Stalin, WWII & The Cold War
Lead USSR in fight against Nazi Germany
Relations worsen with allies
Installed Pro-Soviet governments
Spreading communism
Late 1940’s – tension between U.S and USSR leads to conflict
Diplomats called this the Cold War due to no open warfare
By the time WWII broke out, Josef Stalin had taken over control of the Soviet Union.
1941 he led the fight against Nazi Germany, however as the war drug on, relations between the Soviet Union and its allies (including the US), began to worse.
After the war, Stalin installed Pro-Soviet governments in the Eastern European countries that his armies had liberated from Germany.
U.S. Leaders feared that a new stage of Russian expansion was beginning and that Stalin would spread Communism all over the globe.
By 1940, tension between the Soviet Union and the US led to conflict. Diplomats called this conflict the Cold War because it never grew into open warfare between the two nations.
Why would the U.S have an issue with the Soviet Union spreading communism?

18. Fall of the U.S.S.R. 1989 Fall of the Berlin Wall
1985 – Mikhail Gorbachev became Soviet leader
1991 Fall of the U.S.S.R.
Dismantling of former Republics—
15 independent republics
Ethnic conflicts
Russia – largest and most powerful
Popularly elected president
Legislature – Federal Assembly (2 chambers)
Federal Assembly
State Duma
8th and last leader of the Soviet Union
He began giving more economic and political freedom to the Soviet people
This began the process that lead to the collapse of the Communist government and the Soviet Union in 1991
Was also the end of the Cold War
After the fall of the SU, the region was divided into 15 independent republics. Of these, Russia, formally known as the Russian Federation, is the largest and most powerful.
Today, Russia has a popularly elected president and a legislature that they call the Federal Assembly which is divided into two chambers – the Federation Council and the State Duma
Who is the current president of Russia? Vladimir Putin

19. The Beginnings of Communism
Command economy
Collective farms
The Cold War

20. Economic Dream vs. Harsh Reality
Karl Marx – German Philosopher
In a communist
society, he argued,
everyone would own
property together and
share the wealth
Marx believed that the capitalist system was doomed because it concentrated wealth in the hands of a few and left everyone else in poverty. He predicted that a Communist system would replace capitalism. In a communist society, he argued, citizens would own property together, and everyone would share the wealth

21. Economic Dream vs. Harsh Reality
Command Economy – the central government makes all important decisions
Government took control of major sources of state’s wealth
Goal – Rapid industrialization
Created enormous Collective Farms
Government took control of the major sources of the state’s wealth, including land, mines, factories, banks, and transportations systems.
Government planners decided which products factories would manufacture, what crops farms would grown, and even what prices merchant would charge for their goods.
Rapid industrialization became a major goal of Soviet planning. Even farming became an industry under Stalin.
Collective farms – large teams of laborers were gathered to work together. People were moved to the farms by the thousands

22. Starvation, Hunger, Death
Millions of people starved to death in famines caused, in part, by the creation of collective farms
People were swiftly punished for any form of protest
Historians estimated Stalin is responsible for the deaths of more than 14 million people
Although industrial and agricultural production increased, the region’s people had to make great sacrifices for this rapid transformation.
Those who survived soon realized that only a small number of individuals had benefited from the economic changes
Many people tried to do something about the betrayal, but at great risk. Under Stalin’s rule, the police swiftly, punished any form of protest. Some historians estimate that Stalin was responsible for the deaths of more than 14 million people.

23. Ethnicity, Religion and Artistic Genius
Rich variety of ethnic groups
Great number of religions – most following Orthodox Christianity
Buddhism, Islam and Judaism
Because of the many peoples absorbed during the centuries of Russian expansion. Russia has the greatest ethnic diversity of the region of republics.
Russia and the Western Republics are home to a great number of religions. Most Russians follow Orthodox Christianity, a religion Russia adopted in the 10th Century. But the region is home to many other religions, including Buddhism and Islam. Judaism is also an important religion in the region. However, persecution has led a large number of Jews to emigrate, especially to Israel and the US.

24. Golden Age of Culture Begins
Orthodox Christian Churches – earliest artistic achievements
Peter the Great encourages communication with Western Europe
Writers – Aleksandr Pushkin and Feodor Dostoyevsky
Composers – Peter Tchaikovsky and Igor Stravinsky
Artists - Socialist Realism
Religion and art are closely related in Russia and the Western Republics. The art and architecture, of Orthodox Christian churches, for example, are among the region’s earliest artistic achievements. Even today, people adore the beautifl onion-shaped domes and icons.
Peter the Great began to promote communication with Western Europe. As Russian artists combined artistic ideas from the West with their own experiences, a truly golden age of culture began
Writers dramatic scenes and colorful psychological studies give an important portrait of Czarist Russia
Art underwent another major change after the Communist party began to outlaw artists who did not work in the official style called socialist realism.
This style, promoted soviet ideals by optimistically showing citizens working to create a socialist society.

26. Take Five…
What is a dacha & a banya?

27. Russian Lifestyles
Urban cities (Moscow & St. Petersburg) similar to Western cities
Can read books, magazines, and newspapers from all over the world
Keep up with new movies, music and clothing trends
Experience a wide variety of foods
Dachas—weekend homes
Banya—bathhouse rituals
City dwellers can read books, magazines, and newspapers from all over the world. They are able to keep up with new movies, music and clothing trends. They also experience a wide variety of foods and cuisines.
Russians cherish the nation’s countryside. 30% of the population own homes in the country, where they spend weekends and vacations.
Dachas – are usually small, plan houses and often have gardens in which to grow vegetables
A custom Russians enjoy both in the countryside and the city is visiting a banya or bathhouse. In these bathhouses, Russians perform a cleaning ritual that combines a dry sauna, steam bath, and often a plunge into ice-cold water.

28. Dacha

29. Banya

30. Disaster…Chernobyl

31. In Class Assignment… Read pgs 368-369
Summarize the events of Chernobyl
Summarize the effects of Chernobyl

32. Lasting Chernobyl Effects

33. Chapter 16 – Section 2
Transcaucasia

34. Vocabulary
Red Army
Supra

35. Pre-Lesson Objective Questions
What three countries are part of Transcaucasia?
How has its role as a gateway between Europe and Asia affected Transcaucasia?
For how many centuries did Russia or the SU control either part or all of Transcaucasia?
What is the region’s most important industry?
What is a supra?

36. Republics Armenia, Georgia & Azerbaijan
Transcaucasia
Republics Armenia, Georgia & Azerbaijan

37. A Gateway of Migration Gateway between Europe & Asia
Trade routes—Black Sea region
Thriving commercial regions in Mediterranean Europe
Far East began on shores of the Caspian Sea
Languages
50 different peoples live in the region
Arab Geographers call it Jabal Al-Alsun or “Mountain of Language”
Indo-European, Caucasian & Altaic
People have long used Transcaucasia as a migration route, especially as a gateway between Europe and Asia.
Trade routes near the black sea led to the thriving commercial regions of Mediterranean Europe
Because of the presence of so many trade routes, this area has been affected by many different peoples and cultures. Today, more than 50 different peoples live in the region
They have a great variety of languages in the region as well. Arab geographers called the region Jabal Al-Alsun, or the “Mountain of Languge”
Most common are Indo-European, Caucasian, and Altaic

38. Migration brings Religion
Customs, Cultures and Religions
Most follow Christian and Islam
Early arrival of these religions due to closeness to the area in Southwest Asia where the two religions began
Armenia & Georgia – oldest Christian states in the world
Muslim’s invaded the Caucasus and converted many Transcaucasians to Islam – Majority in Azerbaijan
Numerous religions
However, most of the region‘s people belong to either Christian or Islamic Faith
These faiths arrived in the early date, because of Transcaucasia’s proximity to the area in Southwest Asia where the two religions began.
For example, Armenia and Georgia are the oldest Christian states in the world.
Islam is so prevalent because Muslim invaders stormed into the Southern Caucasus and converted many of the Transcaucasians to Islam. Today a great majority of Azerbaijan’s population are Muslim.

39. Conflict Not always lived together in harmony
During the rigid soviet rule, tensions seldom erupted into open hostility
Collapse of USSR in 1991, tensions grew into violence
Civil war in Georgia
Armenia fought a bitter war with Azerbaijan over disputed territory
The region has not always lived together in harmony. Under the Soviet rule, tensions seldom erupted into open hostility, however with the collapse of the USSR in 1991, tension among different groups have resulted in violence.
Civil War broke out in Georgia, and Aremenia fought a bitter war with Azerbaijian over a disputed territory called Nagorno-Karabakh

40. Invasion and conquest
18th century – Czar’s army starts making progress south of Caucasus Mountains.
Russia 1500s – southward expansion starts
Peter the Great takes Baku (Azerbaijan’s capital) in 1723
Russia annexed Georgia 1801
1828 Russia takes control of large stretch of Armenia
Transcaucasia has always been a place where rival boarders have come together. So they are all to familiar with the constant invasion of Imperial armies to protect and extend their borders.
18th Century – The Russian Empire was added to the list. Russia’s southward expansion started in the early 1500’s but it wasn’t until the 1700’s that the army finally began to make progress south of the Caucasus Mountains
The inhabitants of the region resisted, but in 1723 Peter the Great’s Army had taken control of Baku.
Russia annexes Georgia in 1801
1828 Russian armies take control of a large stretch of Armenian terrirory.

41. Invasion and Conquest Cont.
Late 1870’s, Transcaucasia added to Russian Empire
Russian Revolution brings Transcaucasia brief period of independence
1920’s Red Army (U.S.S.R.) takes control until 1991
Painful economic and political changes
Famines (collective farming)
Political beliefs
by 1870 the Czar’s troops had added Transcaucasia to the Russian Empire
After the Russian Revolution in 1917, Transcauscasia enjoyed a brief period of independence.
By Early 1920’s the Red Army, the name of the Soviet military, had taken control of the region. In the decades following the Soviet takeover, the people of Transcaucasia experienced the same painful economic and political changes as the rest of the Soviet Union.
People lost their lives in famines triggered by the shift to collective farming or were killed because of their political beliefs.

42. Economy of Transcauasia
Agriculture—tea & fruits
Grapes/wine in Georgia
Tourism
Before SU control, there was little industry here
Transformed from agriculture into an industrial and urban region
Humid subtropical lowlands and foothills of the region are ideal for valuable crops such as tea and fruits.
Grapes are one of the most important fruit crops. Georgians use the grapes cultivated along their Black Sea coast to produce their famous wines. Georgia’s mild climate also once fueled a profitable tourist industry.
There was little industry in Transcaucasia before the SU took control of the region. Soviet planners transformed this area from a largely agricultural area into an industrial and urban region.
A number of industrial centers built by the Soviets, continue to produce, iron, steel, chemicals, and consumer goods. However, today the oil industry is the most important.

43. Land of Flames Azerbaijan means “land of flames”
Chosen due to the fires that erupted seemingly by magic from the rocks and the waters of the Caspian Sea
Fires were the result of underground oil and gas deposits.
The significance of oil in the region has a long history. In fact, Azerbaijan means “land of flames” The republics founders chose the name because of the fires that erupted seemingly by magic from both the rocks and the waters of the Caspian Sea. The fires were the result of underground oil and gas deposits

44. Dividing the Caspian Sea
Sea or Lake?
As a sea 5 countries claim rights to resources on its borders
As a lake, 5 countries must share resources equally
Azerbaijan – large oil reserves off its coast
Russia – few offshore reserves
Since the breakup of the Soviet Union, Azerbaijan and the other four countries bordering the Caspian Sea have argued about whether or not the Caspian is an inland sea or a lake. The resolution of this argument will decide how the resources are divided among the 5 countries.
If the Caspian is a Sea, then each country has legal rights to the resources on its own part of the sea bed.
If it is a lake, the law says that most of the resource wealth must be shared equally among each of the different countries.
Azerbaijan has large reserves off its coast – what do you think they say?
Russia has few offshore reserves – what do you think they say?
The oil industry has given the region’s people hope for a better life. However, oil revenue has benefitted few Transcaucasians, as many continue to live in poverty.

45. Critical Thinking
The distinction between some geographic terms is not precise.
Caspian Sea is the largest inland body of water in the world

46. Critical Thinking Lake Sea
1.a. large inland body of fresh water or salt water
Sea
1.c. a relatively large body of salt water completely or partially enclosed by land
1.d. a relatively large landlocked body of fresh water

47. Critical Thinking
In your pod, discuss whether the Caspian Sea is a lake or an inland sea and explain the basis of your opinion.

48. Modern Day Transcaucasia
Pre-Soviet rule – small percentage of Transcaucasia’s population was literate
Education
99% literacy rates under communist rule
Training a new generation of skilled workers
Prepared to undertake industrial development and modernization
Education programs of the Soviet Union had a largely positive impact on its people. At the time of the Russian Revolution, only a small percentage of Transcaucasia's were literate. Communist leaders dedicated to train a new generation of skilled workers who would be prepared to undertake the tasks of industrial development and modernization. They succeeded, as literacy rates in Transcaucasia rose to nearly 99%, among the highest in the world. Today, high education systems remain a priority.

49. Hospitality Toasts accompany the food and drink
Most important tradition – mealtime celebrations
Example - Georgian Supra or dinner party
Supra
Breathtaking quantities of food and drink
Begin w/a great number of cold dishes
2-3 hot courses
Desserts to follow
Toasts accompany the food and drink
Show respect for tradition, eloquence and the value of bringing people together
In their quest for modernization, Transcaucasia did not forget the importance of tradition. Among the most important is the region’s mealtime celbrations. The Georgian Supra, or dinner party is one of the best examples of such gatherings. The word Supra means, tablecloth, but also refers to any occasion at which people gather to eat and drink.
In addition to the breathtaking quantities of food and drink, a supra is accompanied by a great number of toasts, short speeches given before taking a drink. Georgians take the toasts very seriously because they show a respect for tradition, eloquence and the value of bringing people together.

50. Supra

51. Post-Lesson Objective Questions
What three countries are part of Transcaucasia?
How has its role as a gateway between Europe and Asia affected Transcaucasia?
For how many centuries did Russia or the SU control either part or all of Transcaucasia?
What is the region’s most important industry?
What is a supra?

52. Chp 16 Section 3: Central Asia
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan & Uzbekistan
Trade route between China and the Mediterranean Sea (100 B.C.-1300s)
Caravan traders
Silk Road
Silk
Gold
Porcelain
Grapes, etc
Today, Central Asia consists of 5 Independent republics
4,000 mile journey between China and the Mediterranean Sea – traders called this the silk road after the costly silk they bought in China. In addition to the silk that traders carried, they had many other goods on their horses and camels such as gold, silver, ivory, jade, wine, spices, amber, linen, porcelain, grapes, perfumes, even ostriches and acrobats.

53. Ideas Technology The Silk Road Religion
The silk road also became a route for spreading ideas, technology, and religion.
Traffic on the silk road slowed in the 14th century, giving way to less expensive sea routes.
Technology

54. Extra Credit Points… What is the “Great Game”?
Struggle between Russia and Great Britain for Central Asia

55. Imperialism Great Britain and Russia vie for control The Great Game
Russia wins (1800s)
U.S.S.R. gains control of the region in the 1920s-1991
Interest in Central Asia exploded again in the 19th century when Russia and Great Britain were struggling for control of the region. Russian troops were moving forward southward, and British leaders wanted to stop the advance before the troops could threaten Britain’s possessions in India.
Both sides recruited daring young officers who made journeys through the region in disguise. These officers worked to create maps of Central Asia and to win local leaders to their side. Arthur Connoly, - one of the young British officers executed in Bukhoro – called this struggle the great game.
By the end of the 19th century, the Russian Empire had won control of Central Asia. In the 1920’s, the Soviet Union took control and governed the region until Since the collapse of the USSR, the Central Asian republics have been independent.

56. Economy Nuclear testing Petroleum “the Polygon” of Kazakhstan
Effects of exposure
Petroleum
Oil and gas reserves along the Caspian Sea
Oil fields in Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan
The “new” Great Game
Between 1949 and 1989, scientists exploded 470 nuclear devices in “the polygon”, a vast nuclear test site southwest of Semey.
These tests were so close, that Semey citizens could see mushroom clouds of the above-ground explosions
Underground explosions cracked walls in towns 50 miles away. The test caused widespreah health problems. Winds spread nuclear fallout over a 180,000-square mile area, exposing over a million people to dangerous levels of radiation. Exposure caused dramatic increases in the rates of leukemia, thyroid cancer, birth defects, and mental illness.
More hopeful is the potential for oil to bring wealth to Central Asia. Oil and gas reserves in the Caspian Sea. Oil fields have recently been discovered in Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. These discoveries have triggered what many are calling the new “Great Game” as nations all over the world begin to compete for profits from the region’s resources.

57. Ethnicities U.S.S.R. exploited different ethniciities
Redrawing borders
Uzbeks = largest ethnic group
Languages = Russian and Turkish
Religion = Islam
Brought by Islam warriors
Before the Soviets, each group lived in a particular region where it could follow its own way of life.
After the Soviets took over, they used the differences among the ethnic groups to establish their own authority in the region. Soviet planners carved the region into 5 new nations that corresponded to the largest ethnic groups. (Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tajik, Turkmen, and Uzbek). However, when they drew the borders of these nations, they deliberately left large numbers of one ethnic group as minorities in the neighboring republics of other ethnic groups. They were trying to prevent opposition to their rule by using the tensions that existed among these different groups.
Although the peoples of Central Asia are divided by a number of ethnic and political loyalities, there are unifying forces in the region as well. Islam, which was brought by Muslim warriors from Southwest Asia in the 8th and 9th centuries, is one of the strongest. Also, most central Asians speak languages related to Turkish.

58. Maintaining Traditions
Nomadic peoples
Yurts
Tourism
The expansive grasslands of Central Asia are ideal for nomadic people. Nomads are people who have no permanent home. As seasons change, they move from place to place with their animals in search of food, water, and grazing land. They live in one of their most prized posessions – a tent or Yurt. They are light and portable
Nomads decreased dramatically under Soviet control, as officials forced these people onto collective farms.

59. Yurts

60. Due on Tuesday, December 8th
Assignment
Chapter 16 Assessment – page
Reviewing Places and Terms (1-20)
Main Ideas (1-10)
Critical Thinking (1-5)
Geographic Skills (1-3)
GeoActivity – 10 Extra Credit Points
Do the Assignment on Google Docs!!
Due on Tuesday, December 8th

61. Today’s Issues Russia and the Republics
Chapter 17
Today’s Issues
Russia and the Republics

62. Take Five…
What is the major issue in Russia and the Russian republics after 1991?
Former Soviet Citizen
“We are floating in a zone of half lawlessness, half-law… We destroyed the old system but replaced it with nothing. There is a vacuum.”
The powerful central government of the SU once maintained tight control over Russia and the Republics. But when the SU collapsed in 1991, central authority weakened.
Central Authority weakened. Crime, conflict, and other signs of instability increased. A soviet citizen put it “We’re floating in a zone of half-lawlessness, half-law…We destroyed the old system but replaced it with nothing. There is a vacuum.
In several regions their demands have resulted in conflict. Leaders in these regions have tried to gain control over the conflicts and bring them to an end. The test formany leaders has been how to preserve law and order without returning to the undemocratic rule of the Soviet era.

63. Chp 17: Today’s Issues Regional conflict
After breakup of the U.S.S.R. conflict over territory, ethnic superiority and power
Instable governments
Independence based on ethnicity
Ex: Chechnya & Russia ( )
Russia invades 2nd time ( )
Ethnic rivalry in Georgia
Nagorno-Karabakh (fighting between Armenia & Azerbaijan)
Refugees
Cost
Death
Among the different subregions of the former Soviet Union, the Caucasus have experienced some of the most violent conflicts.
Among the republics that remained part of Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Chechnya has experienced the worst violence. In response to Chechnya’s demand for independence, Russia invaded Chechnya twice in the 1990’s causing over 100,000 causalities.
Because they were unable to defeat the rebels, Russia reluctantly entered into a peace agreement with Chechnya, ending the first phase of the war in August 1996.
Russia invaded Chechnya again in October The invasion began after a series of bombings that happened in Moscow and other Russian cities that Russian leaders blamed on Chechen terrorists. The invasion continued into As of that time, no one was certain when the conflict would end.
South Ossetia fought against Georgian troops on and off from 1989 to They were fighting to unite South Ossetia with North Ossetia which was located in Russia.
Armenia and Azerbaijan fought over a mountainous area of Azerbaijan called Nahorno-Karabakh.
Leaders in Azerbaijan say that the region’s history proves that Nagorno-Karabakh belongs to them. Armenia claims Nagorno-Karabakh because over three-quarters of its population is ethnic Armenian.

65. Question…
Do you think that diplomacy will work in this region? Why or why not?

66. Section 2: The Struggle for Economic Reform
After 1991 shifting from command to capitalist economies
Lifting price controls 1992
Inflation—250%
Privatization
Vouchers
Failure of the voucher system 1998 crash
40% impoverished
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia tried to move quickly toward a capitalist system. This meant ending the tight control that the central government held over economic activity.
In January 1992, Russia removed the price controls that had been set by the Soviet government on goods sold within the country. The effect was dramatic!
Almost immediately, the prices of goods increased by 250%
In the same year, Russia began to sell government-owned businesses to individuals and private companies. This process was called privatization. However, few Russians had enough money to buy large businesses. So leaders offered vouchers to the public. The vouchers were like loans that could be used to purchase businesses. The purchasers promised to repay the government with future profits
Mixed success. Many of the new businesses were not profitable, and their owners were unable to repay their vouchers. These failures contributed to an economic crash in Russia in In spite of this shaky start, though, over 60% of the country’s work force worked in the private sector by the end of the 20th century
Even though Russia’s economy has moved slowly toward recovery, the movement toward a market economy has yet to benefit most Russians. By the end of the 1990’s, nearly 40% of the Russian population lived far below the poverty line. Some actually even questioned if things had actually been better under Soviet Rule.

67. Threats to the new capitalist system
Organized crime
The Russian mafia
40% of private co.
60% of state-owned enterprises
Avoiding taxes
Distance decay= 11 time zones, 89 regional governments, weak “central” government (Moscow)
Vladimire Putin
federal districts with governor-generals
Many obstacles still remain in Russia’s move toward capitalism. Russia’s enormous size and the rise of organized crime are among the most important.
Organized Crime
As the government tries to improve the economy, it must also face a powerful enemy – organized crime called the “Russian Mafia”
The Russian Mafia grew rapidly during the 1990’s
By the end of the decade, the mafia had created its own economy. In 1998, the government estimated that organized criminals controlled, 40% of private companies and 60% of state-owned enterprises. Because illegal activity often go undetected, the government cannot collect taxes on them.
Distance Decay
A major obstacle facing economic reformers is distance decay. This means that long distances between places make communication and transportation difficult. Russia is such an enourmous nation, stretching 11 timezones. It has 89 different regional governments. The interaction and cooperation of these regional leaders with Moscow is crucial if the government economic reforms are to be successful. But because the central government in Moscow has been weak, officials far from the capital sometimes refuse to carry out the governments reform programs.
In Spring of 2000, President Putin created 7 large federal districts to gain more control over regional leaders. Each district has its own governor-general. His hopes are that by putting these governor-generals in place, it will force the regional officials to carry out the economic reforms that Moscow wants.

68. In Class Assignment
Look at the charts and graphs on pg 391 and answer the questions

69. Candy Question…
What happened to all of the U.S.S.R.’s nuclear weapons after 1991?

70. The Soviet Union’s Nuclear Legacy
Problems caused by the Soviet Union’s nuclear programs
USSR dissolution in the early 1990’s
15 new independent republics
World Leaders were concerned with the logisitics
Nuclear reactors were badly built and poorly managed
Problems caused by the Soviet Union’s nuclear programs are:
Nuclear warheads atop ballistic missiles
Poorly constructed and maintained nuclear power stations
Decaying nuclear waste dumps
All of these things threatened the region’s people and environment
When the USSR fell apart in the early 1990’s, leaders around the world had serious concerns about the fate of the region’s nuclear weapons.
The USSR that had once controlled these weapons, were now 15 independent republics and World Leaders wanted to know:
Who was in control of the weapons
Where they were located
And how well they were protected
They also wondered what would become of the nuclear scientists who had worked on these weapon systems
An obvious fear after the 1986 disaster at Chernobyl, was that the nuclear reactors were badly built and poorly managed.

71. Consequences of Collapse
Political Tensions
Security of region’s nuclear materials became uncertain
Caused political tension between region’s leader and other nations
Economic Health
Reluctance to shut down aging Soviet reactors
Steps to revive their economics
Nuclear waste from other countries
$21 billion in revenue over 10 years
Political Tension
Because the Communist government could no longer keep the USSR together, the security of the region’s nuclear materials became uncertain. This uncertainty has caused political tension between the region’s leaders and other nation’s, especially the United States
January 2000, a task force of former US officials issued a report suggesting just how important it is. The report said that the possibility of Russian nuclear materials being stolen or misused, is “the most urgent unmet national security threat” facing the United States.
Economic Health
This nuclear legacy also affects the economic health of Russia and the former USSR. For example, many regional leaders have been reluctant to shut down aging Soviet reactors because of the expense of building new plants that run on other kids of fuel, such as natural gas. Some republics have taken questionable steps to revive their economics. For instance, Russian lawmakers recently approved plans to make their country the worlds nuclear dump. January 2001, the Duma, or legislature, gave preliminary approval to a plan to import store, and treat nuclear waste from other countries. They are hoping this will earn Russia as much as $21 billion over the next 10 years.

72. Consequences of Collapse
Environmental Prospects
Angry Russian Environmentalists
12/2000 last active reactor shut down in Ukraine
US funded treatment plant
Plans for the disposal of other nation’s nuclear waste angered Russian environmentalists. However, other developments have given some hope that the region’s environmental prospects might improve. December 2000, the government of Ukraine finally shut down the last active reactor at Chernobyl. They have pledged to spend millions of dollars on a new protective dome for the site.
In October 2000, a US funded treatment plant opened near the White Sea. The 17 million dollar facility will treat radioactive waste from Russia’s fleet of nuclear submarines. Waste that used to be dumped into the sea