(no subject)
History Homework
Nealy Bowen
Honors U.S. History
Ms. Moy
1. What accounts for the belief held by many Russians that their country has a special mission in the world?
For five centuries before communism and its atheist ideals became popular in Russia, the people there followed the religion of Russian Orthodox Christianity. Also, the tsars that ruled the Russian Empire at that time had expanded it. It was out of this great power over much land and the belief that their Empire had inherited the job of leading the Christian world, that the Russians’ feeling of having a special mission in the world arose.
2. Why was Peter the Great eager to expose his country to the changes taking place in Western Europe?
Peter the Great wanted to open Russia up to Western European technological advances because he felt that if he kept his military and even his men up to speed with Western Europe, then Russia would have a chance to become a power in that area. This resulted in changes in the Russian army and the creation of a Russian navy. These actions are somewhat similar to the arms race that happened during the cold war.
3. In what ways did Russia become more westernized under Alexander II?
Alexander II freed the Surfs. He also allowed decisions about certain local affairs, such as taxes, road care, and plumbing to be made by the people. He also set up a system of trial by jury and stated that all people must be treated equally by the law.
4. How did Nicholas II try to control the forces pushing Russia toward revolution?
Nicholas II set up a Duma which was an assembly of representatives whom he promised to share some of his power with. When this first Duma ended up pushing democratic reforms, Nicholas II ended it and started another one. When he ran into similar problems with the second Duma as he had with the first, he set up a third which, after a new voting process, ended up being less liberal than the first two. He listened to his third Duma and even agreed to some of their proposed reforms. He also proised to preserve civil rights.
5. How did the reforms of Mikhail Gorbachev contribute to the collapse of the Soviet Union?
Gorbachev’s reforms were called perestroika, which means restructuring. He gave more economic control to the people that managed factories and farms than they had had before. This, in turn, took power away from Moscow. This transition of power gave groups that wanted to break free of Moscow the feeling that they could actually do so. Thus, by promoting less dependence on the government and creating reforms in the economy and government Gorbachev’s reforms lead to the downfall of the Soviet Union.
Terms.
State-run economic system
lass struggle
Collective interests of the states
Western-style parliamentary democracy
Autocracy
Bureaucratic control
Command economy
Ideological successor
Purges - Josef Stalin would kill many people in his purges. He would kill people he believed were against him, even people in his own government and army (Great Purges).
Perestroika - This word means “restructuring of the government” and it was the first of Gorbachev’s two slogans (Boorstin & Kelley).
Foreign investment
Free-market forces -
Glasnost - This word means “a more open society” and was one of Gorbachev’s two slogans (Boorstin & Kelley).
Gross domestic product (GDP) - This is a sum of the worth of all goods and services within a country. Boorstin & Kelley refer to it as the GNP, or gross national product.
“the West” - This term refers to America and its allies, including parts of Western Europe. Boorstin & Kelley’s A History of the United States, along with other sources, use this term.
Nationalize - To nationalize something is to make it into something public. This was what Gorbachev tried to do to the government and economy of the U.S.S.R. while he was leader.
"Great Purges." Great Purges. 23 Jan. 2006. Spartacus. 23 Jan. 2006 .