Peoples Analysis: Russia

Name of group: the Russians
Time period: mid-15th century
Location: Russia
Important neighbors: the Golden Horde, Sweden, Poland-Lithuania, Siberia, Ottoman Empire
Strengths:

• territorial expansion
• cossacks (peasant-adventurers)
• loyalty of the boyars (nobility)
• commercial and cultural contact with the West
• provincial and urban governments
• increased manufacturing output

Weaknesses:

• the Time of Troubles were rebellion and invasion
• restricted freedom of peasants
• exploitation of peasants through serfdom (practically just slavery in this time period)
• Agriculture saw little improvement
• peasant revolts were brutally repressed

Impact on neighbors:

• Westernization
• Russian expansion in Asia and Western Siberia
  
• partition of Poland
• the war with Sweden

Legacy:

• the reign of Peter the Great and Catherine
• change in the political and cultural place of Russia in European developments

Summary: Russia left a huge legacy upon the world as "the thrid Rome". For further clarification, please see the essay entitled, Is Russia really the third Rome?
Kevin G., 2/11/11

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Ottomans

Name of Group: the Ottomans
Time period: 1453-1683
Location: Southeast Europe
Important neighbors: Persia, Egypt, Arabia, Byzantium
Strengths:

• military/advanced weaponry
• Janissaries
• the Turkish language in literature and art
• military aristocracy/nobles

Weaknesses:

• dynamism slowly being lost
• poor communication
• widespread corruption
• the power of the sultans diminished

Impact on neighbors:

• caused the fall of the Byzantine empire
• conquest of Constantinople
• inflation from Latin America

Legacy:

• conquest of Constantinople to Istanbul
• Suleymaniye mosque
• successor states, i.e. Turkey and the Balkans

Summary: The Ottomans conquered Byzantium, a prevalent empire in Eastern Europe. They are now essentially Eastern Europe.
Kevin Garcia 2/16/11