History of Russia/Contents

by Alfred Nicolas Rambaud

Contents

The beginnings of Russia

1. Geography of Russia

   Eastern and Western Europe compared: seas, mountains, climate — Russian rivers and history — The four zones — The geographical unity of Russia

2. Ethnography of Russia

   Greek colonies and the Scythia of Herodotus — The Russian Slavs of Nestor the Chronicler — Lithuanian, Finnish, and Turkish clans in the ninth century — Division of the Russians of to-day into three branches — How Russia was colonized

3. Primitive Russia: the Slavs

   Religion of the Slavs — Funeral rites — Domestic and political customs: the family; the mir or commune; the volost or canton; the tribe — Towns — Trade — Agriculture

4. The Varangians: formation of Russia; the first expeditions against Constantinople (862–972)

   Northmen in Russia — Origin and customs of the Varangians — The early Russian princes: Rurik, Oleg, Igor — Expeditions against Constantinople — Olga — Christianity in Russia — Sviatoslaf — The Danube disputed between Greeks and Russians

Princely Russia

5. The Clovis and Charlemagne of the Russians: Saint Vladimir and Iaroslaf the Great (972–1054)

   Vladimir (972–1015) — Conversion of the Russians — Iaroslaf the Great (1016–1054) — Union of Russia — Splendor of Kief — Varangian-Russian society at the time of Iaroslaf — Progress of Christianity — Social, political, literary, and artistic results

6. Russia divided into principalities—Supremacy and fall of Kief (1054–1169)

   Distribution of Russia into principalities — Unity in division — The successors of Iaroslaf the Great — Wars for the rights of eldership and the throne of Kief — Vladimir Monomachus — Wars between the heirs of Vladimir Monomachus — Fall of Kief

7. Russia after the fall of Kief—Power of Souzdal and Gallicia (1169–1224)

   Andrew Bogolioubski of Souzdal (1157–1174) and the first attempt at autocracy — George II. (1212–1238) — Wars with Novgorod — Battle of Lipetsk (1216) — Nijni-Novgorod founded (1220) — Roman (1188–1205) and his son Daniel (1205–1264) in Galitch

8. The Russian republics: Novgorod, Pskof, and Viatka, up to 1224

   Novgorod the Great — Struggles with the princes — Novgorodian institutions — Commerce — The national Church — Literature — Pskof and Viatka

The invasions from the 12th to the 14th century

9. The Livonian knights: conquest of the Baltic provinces by the Germans

   Conversion of Livonia — Rise of the Livonian knights: union with the Teutonic knights

10. The Tatar Mongols: enslavement of Russia

    Origin and manners of the Mongols — Battles of the Kalka, of Riazan, of Kolomna, and of the Sit — Conquest of Russia — Alexander Nevski (1252–1263) — The Mongol yoke — Influence of the Tatars on the Russian development

11. The Lithuanians: conquest of western Russia (1240–1430)

    The Lithuanians — Conquests of Mindvog (1240–1263), of Gedimin (1315–1340), and of Olgerd (1345–1377) — Jagellon — Union of Lithuania and Poland (1386) — The Grand Prince Vitovt (1392–1430) — Battles of the Vorskla (1399), and of Tannenberg (1410)

Muscovite Russia