NOW WITH SLIDES and DEFINITIONS!!!

RUSSIA TERMINOLOGY BLOCKBUILDER

Peter the Great

EURO-CENTRIC TsarEducated in the WestBegan process of “westernization”

Slavophile vs. Westernizer- Cleavage noticed by political scientists

George Kennan

Different political traditionsEmbracing outside influence (westernizer)Vs. Pride in local customs and isolation

(Slavophile)

Tsars/ Enlightened DespotRule through traditional legitimacy

PeterCatherine (came from Germany), gained access to

West through the Black Sea (often called an enlightened despot)Someone who rules with clear goals for the country in

mind

Later Tsars vacillated between Slavic and Western ideals.

None responded properly to revolutionary ideas.

Decemberist Revolt 1825/ WarsFrustration with Tsar Alexander I/Nicholas I,

who successfully resisted Napoleon’s invasion, but did so at a great cost to Russian citizensInstead of responding to revolt with reform, Tsars

responded with secret police (Alex II did allow zemstvas)

RUSSO JAPANESE WAR- loss to Japan led to revolutionist movements gaining strength in Russia

WORLD WAR I- Russian soldiers fighting without guns or shoes, mass defections of industry. Russia flung into chaos.

MARXISM/LENINISMMARX- Communist Manifesto 1849. Revolution

would happen in industrialized country, the working class would rise due its unhappiness. Abolish property, encourage equality and

cooperation

-------LENINISM- revolution could not wait to take place in

industrialized country like Germany or UK or US. Instead, the revolution would happen by force of a “vanguard” that would have to remain centralized to obtain same goals as Marx

BOLSHEVIKS/ WHITE vs. REDSupporters of Lenin, took control of the

government in late 1917, renaming Russia the USSR

These leaders, called the Bolsheviks, later faced civil war against former military leadership who led the White Army. Lenin’s Red Army was victorious in late 1920.

NEP/ Democratic CentralismBOTH LENIN’s POLICIES.

NEP (New Economic Policy), which allowed for private ownership, but owned by centralized leadership. New plan did not emphasize industrialization.

Democratic Centralism- vanguard leadership group had to lead because people couldn’t organize themselves properly.

Nomenklatura/Elite recruitment used by vanguard

leadership“vanguard” would choose carefully the best from those already chosen from local leaders

Party was very carefully selected (7%)This elite recruitment still has effect

reverberating through Russia, as chosen elite from last communist generation still alive now working in democratic Russia (VLAD PUTIN)

CENTRAL COMMITTEE / POLITBURO / GENSEC

Central Committee was 300 of top party leadershipMet twice a year

Politburo was heart and soul of communist party Only 12 menDecisions far reaching

Head of Politburo was General SecretaryGuess who was Gen Sec when Lenin died?

STALINISMDescription of totalitarian style of leadership

that took place under Joseph Stalin, most notably the programs of collectivization and industrialization

FIVE YEAR PLAN- unrealistic goals of industrialization and modernization (oil, steel, and electricity). Workers were fed by rural farms that were collectivized.

PURGES- execution of over a million party members for “disloyalty”.

DESTALINIZATIONNikita Khrushchev, the man who replaced

Stalin after his death in 1953, immediately set out to reform Stalinist policies.In 1956, he delivered a “secret speech” at

Central Committee meeting denouncing Stalinist purges and tactics

Hoped to loosen government restrictions on censorship, decentralize economic decision makingMembers were critical of his reforms, and the choice

of Leonid Brezhnev to replace Khrushchev indicated that the elites of the party did not share his views on loosening totalitarian tactics.

GORBIE!!First GEN SEC of a younger generation. Gorbie admired

Kruschev’s reformist ideals and set out to do the same. Unfortunately, the party had spent time since Kruschev

even further eroding the legitimacy of their party (economic and political issues.)

GLASNOST- “openness” allowed more open discussion on political and social issues. FLOODGATES OPEN!

PERESTROIKA- attempts to keep old soviet structure and still modernize economy. Sounds hard, right? DISASTER.

DEMOCRATIZATION- communist party still controlled, but elected deputies could attend a new Congress of the People’s Deputies. “President” would be elected by the deps. They chose Boris Yeltzin, a well like party firebrand to be the new pres.

YELTSINFormer politburo member, new “president”.When Gorbie was victim of attempted coup by

Communist Conservatives (like Brezhnev), protest broke out, led by Yeltsin.

Gorbie restored to power briefly, but Russian Republics were ready to break from republic.

When Russsia dissolved, Yeltsin had the most power, later elected first president of newly created Russian Federation.

Yetlsin, as a president, known for “SHOCK THERAPY” economics- rapid privatization to market economy.

CONSTITUTION OF 1993Current regime of the Russian Federation (Russia)Created Duma, Constitutional Court, Federation

Council.

Assymetric federalism describes the federal nature of a place like Russia- some of the regions are much more powerful than others (power devolved that way). Regions with more economic resources or military traditions hold more power/clout with national government.

Semi-presidential in nature- combines parliamentary and presidential governments (there is a PM and a Pres)

PRESIDENTIAL POWERS (on paper)APPOINT THE PRIME MINISTER- Duma can

reject the nominee as many as 3 times. If they do so, the President can also…

DISSOLVE THE DUMA (just not in acid)- Yeltzin did this when he dissolved the old Russian Parliament in 1993(he also fired tanks at them. Yay Russia).

This has not happened since 1993, but there’ve been some close calls.

ISSUE DECREES WITH FORCE!- pres and his cabinet have a lot of centralized power. Duma doesn’t have check on Presidential Power.

If PRES DIES/RESIGNS, the PM gets the job.

DUMAWeak weak weakLower house450 deputiesTried to impeach Yeltsin, failed. Legislation initiates usually with Pres.

In 2007, single member seats were done away with and replaced with Proportional Representation, eliminating small minority parties (need 7% to be seated in Duma).

Parties were once fluid, now just a few exist/are relevant.

PARTY TIME!CRPF- 2nd strongest party in Russia. Power has

dropped off with emergence of United Russia. Not exactly like old Communist Party. Emphasis on centralized planning and nationalism (regain old territories!)

Liberal Democrats- crazy crazy crazy. Zhirinovsky. Extreme nationalism. Wants to nuke Japan. Anti-semetism. Has gained power in 2 most recent elections.

A Just Russia- formed in 2006. Passed election threshold in 2007 to get 38 seats in the Duma.

Patriots of Russia- “Kremlin Product”. Party of “statists” and “patriots”, but critics say it’s a party formed to oppose CRPF and uphold views of…

UNITED RUSSIAUsed to be called “unity party”Formed in2001 by oligarchs to support then PM Vladimir Putin’s run for President

Controlled Duma since 2003.Won overwhelmingly in Presidential elections (Putin, Putin, Medvedev, Putin)

Pro-Putin

OligarchsBe rich, man. Real rich. Benefactors of “Shock Therapy”Benefits to relationship with YeltsinWhen Putin took office, he resisted being

controlled like Yeltsin was towards the end of his political careerGusinsky, an oligarch from Yeltsin’s days,

criticized Putin, he was jailed, later exiledKhororsvky, richest man in Russia, sentenced

to jail for tax evasionFinancial crisis has left oligarchs desperate

for political power from Putin

Constitutional CourtTheir Supreme CourtExcept, there’s no…. Oh you should get this

by now

NashiState sponsored youth organization

Organized marches on behalf of Putin during 2008, 2010, and most recently in 2011-12.

Sounds like Hitler youth? That’s because it kind of is.

Cultural HeterogeneityRussia was invaded a lot between 10th and 17th century

Russia rapidly expanded its borders in the 19th century

Russian Federation reflects countless republics and “autonomous regions” based on ethnicityBorders are subject to interpretation…

CleavagesNationality- Religion (or lackthereof)

Russian OrthodoxMuslimAtheism

Social ClassUrban/Rural

CONFEDERATION OF IND. STATES

Unites the fifteen former Republics of Soviet Union

Weak, squabblingNationalistic differences

Bound together by trade and Russian influence

GEORGIARussia invaded in 2008 after region of

Georgia claimed independenceMove threatened independence of Georgia, since it had claimed independence after fall of Soviet Union

Move by Russia reflected it’s military presence, and also as a geo-political moveGeorgia’s president was a staunch

supporter of US, and did not get along with Putin

Russian Federation

Better known as Russia. 9 subunits, or sub-regions. The most volatile being…

CHECHNYAThe Caucasus Region (Sub Region)Russia has hard time controlling region

Chechnya’s religious/nationality based

There have been several terrorist acts related to independence movement

STATISMStrong state presence would protect people from outside influences and life vulnerabilities

Equality of Result vs. Equality of Opportunity

RESULT- equality of people to have the same thing (collectivist ideals) found in Russia and other Eastern Cultures

Vs.

OPPORTUNITY- individualistic values emphasized. “He got ahead in life”

Terrorism

Duh.

Relations with the West

Post- cold war tensionsNot admitted into WTOVoted against Iraq invasionVotes against Syrian action

POPULATION

Aging populationLife expectancy low (DRINKING!)

Encouraging Russians to return to homeland

Economic issues preventing families from having more babies