{OOC} History
History: As Russia the person is actually the country, it's basically the entire history of Russia up to the vague present.
In prehistoric times Russia was just a bunch of vast steppes that tribes of Nomads lived on. In the 9th century a predecessor state of Russia was established known as Kievan Rus'. Kievan Rus' ultimately disintegrated as a state when the Mongols invaded in 1230. The Grand Duchy of Moscow, as an important centre of trade, steadily grew bigger and bigger by annexing it's rivals and eventually became the biggest Russian Empire.
It has fought quite some battles and in 1547 it's very first Tsar (Emperor/King) appeared, who continued to annex the Tatar Khanates and bring many changes to Russia. In that time an unsuccessful war was being waged against the coalition of Poland, Lithuania and Sweden for access to the Baltic coast. Russia knew his state was isolated so access to the coast was important. But the state was weakened because of various reasons and the Crimean Tartars even managed to burn down Moscow. All the misery of Russia's people eventually turned into a civil war (known as the Time of Troubles in Russian history) in the early 1600's.
In 1613 the chaos ended under the Romanov dynasty. Russia managed to restore peace with Sweden in 1617 and get the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth to sign a truce in 1619. Russia wasn't quite at peace though. There were a lot of revolts because of the serfdom during the 17th century, such as the Salt Riot, Copper Riot and the Moscow Uprising. But Russia still continued to expand regardless. Though it still remained isolated from sea trade.
Under the iron rule of the German princess Catherine II in 1773, Russia allied himself with Austria and Prussia and claimed territories of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. It was then that Russia turned into a major European power.
Skip to 1812 when Napoleon's France tried to invade Russia. Russia resisted fiercely and with the help of General Winter, they drove the French away and the invasion failed miserably. Russia had made sure to clear out Moscow before the French army arrived there, leaving them without any supplies and even a burning Moscow. Though whether the Russians actually started the fire is unsure. Either way, Napoleon couldn't put out the fire as Russia had taken any means of doing so away and the old bucket technique wasn't enough to put out a fire in a city that consisted mainly out of wooden buildings, so France was forced to retreat. Russia continued to pursue France to the very gates of Paris where he then defeated France.
Russia got to play a bigger political role after that but the Russian Empire was still rather isolated and starting to lag behind in the Industrial Revolution. It was a terrible disadvantage as a great power.
It was in the 19th century that serfdom was finally emancipated. However, many socio-economic conflicts were aggravated. People were made to work in factories in harsh conditions and that quickly started revolts. In 1905 there was a certain incident that changed a lot of things and Russia had his first mental breakdown. On 22 January peaceful demonstrators marched out to deliver a petition to the Tsar with reforms they desperately wanted. Like an end to the Russo-Japanese war that was going on over warm water ports.
When the strikers reached the Tsar's palace and sang hymns and called out to their Tsar, who wasn't even there at the moment, Russia couldn't take it anymore. He had tried so hard to make his state the best but his people still weren't happy. Russia took his rifle and shot at the crowd to make them disperse, turning it into a massacre. The peaceful patriotic day the strikers had been hoping for turned into the Bloody Sunday of 1905.
Despite the fact the Tsar hadn't been at the Winter Palace, he was still blamed by the people and they started resisting his autocratic rule. It was the beginning of the Revolutions that were to come.
These Revolutions, the February and October Revolution in 1917 in particular, managed to overthrow Russia's social structure during World War I. It was no longer an Imperial Russia but it was turning into USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) better known as the Soviet Union and they stepped out of the war. Although other nations tried to force Russia to rejoin the war he put his foot down and by 1921 he had defeated his internal enemies and brought new states under his control. Though there were losses too, like Lithuania who managed to escape his grasp.
Russia's history between 1922 and 1991 is basically the history of the Soviet Union. Russia underwent a lot of changes and heavy industrialization and still he struggled as there were many internal struggles when a man by the name of Joseph Stalin took control as a dictator. People were forced to work while those who resisted were arrested, deported or executed.
In 1939 World War II started and at first Russia didn't have much to do with it, he had made a pact of peace with Germany although it was a very tense peace. Instead Russia took the opportunity in the new chaos to invade Poland and annex the Baltic Nations.
In 1941 the real conflict started when Germany decided to disregard the pact and together with the other Axis Powers tried to invade Russia. Russia was quick to join the Allies then. Germany had a successful start in his invasion but he made the same mistake as France did and when General Winter came along Russia turned the tables around. Much blood was shed and during the battles. Lithuania had a little uprising of his own and managed to claim independence while Russia was too busy fighting.
Eventually Russia had moved through most of Eastern Europe and in 1945 captured Berlin. That marked the end of World War II in Europe. Russia fought his last battle for the war in Manchuria and the war ended triumphantly for the Soviet Union. He even reclaimed Lithuania after the war. However thanks to the war Russia had lost millions of his people and the economy was left in shambles.
Not too long after that Russia got himself into another war in the mid-1940s that lasted up to 1990. The Cold War. Russia and America could not agree with each other and this created a fierce competition between the two. This competition involved a nuclear arms race, proxy wars and races to the moon among other things. Though neither dared to strike each other directly as that would lead to mutually assured destruction by nuclear weapons. A lot of other international wars happened where Russia stuck his nose in too, and people feared there would be a third World War.
Russia still suffered from economic problems and the economic stagnation eventually led to the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1990 and with that an end to the Cold War. With it's fall the Baltic Nations declared independence, Lithuania being the first to do so, with the Singing Revolution. Russia tried to prevent this but his attempts failed and the Baltic Nations withdrew from the Union entirely. The USSR was officially dissolved in 1991.
Russia also came to know it's first president in 1991 who worked on reforming the economy though it did not improve much. It constantly fell back into crisis up until 2000. It's been steadily growing again ever since then and Russia's been busy trying to keep this growth stable.
In prehistoric times Russia was just a bunch of vast steppes that tribes of Nomads lived on. In the 9th century a predecessor state of Russia was established known as Kievan Rus'. Kievan Rus' ultimately disintegrated as a state when the Mongols invaded in 1230. The Grand Duchy of Moscow, as an important centre of trade, steadily grew bigger and bigger by annexing it's rivals and eventually became the biggest Russian Empire.
It has fought quite some battles and in 1547 it's very first Tsar (Emperor/King) appeared, who continued to annex the Tatar Khanates and bring many changes to Russia. In that time an unsuccessful war was being waged against the coalition of Poland, Lithuania and Sweden for access to the Baltic coast. Russia knew his state was isolated so access to the coast was important. But the state was weakened because of various reasons and the Crimean Tartars even managed to burn down Moscow. All the misery of Russia's people eventually turned into a civil war (known as the Time of Troubles in Russian history) in the early 1600's.
In 1613 the chaos ended under the Romanov dynasty. Russia managed to restore peace with Sweden in 1617 and get the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth to sign a truce in 1619. Russia wasn't quite at peace though. There were a lot of revolts because of the serfdom during the 17th century, such as the Salt Riot, Copper Riot and the Moscow Uprising. But Russia still continued to expand regardless. Though it still remained isolated from sea trade.
Under the iron rule of the German princess Catherine II in 1773, Russia allied himself with Austria and Prussia and claimed territories of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. It was then that Russia turned into a major European power.
Skip to 1812 when Napoleon's France tried to invade Russia. Russia resisted fiercely and with the help of General Winter, they drove the French away and the invasion failed miserably. Russia had made sure to clear out Moscow before the French army arrived there, leaving them without any supplies and even a burning Moscow. Though whether the Russians actually started the fire is unsure. Either way, Napoleon couldn't put out the fire as Russia had taken any means of doing so away and the old bucket technique wasn't enough to put out a fire in a city that consisted mainly out of wooden buildings, so France was forced to retreat. Russia continued to pursue France to the very gates of Paris where he then defeated France.
Russia got to play a bigger political role after that but the Russian Empire was still rather isolated and starting to lag behind in the Industrial Revolution. It was a terrible disadvantage as a great power.
It was in the 19th century that serfdom was finally emancipated. However, many socio-economic conflicts were aggravated. People were made to work in factories in harsh conditions and that quickly started revolts. In 1905 there was a certain incident that changed a lot of things and Russia had his first mental breakdown. On 22 January peaceful demonstrators marched out to deliver a petition to the Tsar with reforms they desperately wanted. Like an end to the Russo-Japanese war that was going on over warm water ports.
When the strikers reached the Tsar's palace and sang hymns and called out to their Tsar, who wasn't even there at the moment, Russia couldn't take it anymore. He had tried so hard to make his state the best but his people still weren't happy. Russia took his rifle and shot at the crowd to make them disperse, turning it into a massacre. The peaceful patriotic day the strikers had been hoping for turned into the Bloody Sunday of 1905.
Despite the fact the Tsar hadn't been at the Winter Palace, he was still blamed by the people and they started resisting his autocratic rule. It was the beginning of the Revolutions that were to come.
These Revolutions, the February and October Revolution in 1917 in particular, managed to overthrow Russia's social structure during World War I. It was no longer an Imperial Russia but it was turning into USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) better known as the Soviet Union and they stepped out of the war. Although other nations tried to force Russia to rejoin the war he put his foot down and by 1921 he had defeated his internal enemies and brought new states under his control. Though there were losses too, like Lithuania who managed to escape his grasp.
Russia's history between 1922 and 1991 is basically the history of the Soviet Union. Russia underwent a lot of changes and heavy industrialization and still he struggled as there were many internal struggles when a man by the name of Joseph Stalin took control as a dictator. People were forced to work while those who resisted were arrested, deported or executed.
In 1939 World War II started and at first Russia didn't have much to do with it, he had made a pact of peace with Germany although it was a very tense peace. Instead Russia took the opportunity in the new chaos to invade Poland and annex the Baltic Nations.
In 1941 the real conflict started when Germany decided to disregard the pact and together with the other Axis Powers tried to invade Russia. Russia was quick to join the Allies then. Germany had a successful start in his invasion but he made the same mistake as France did and when General Winter came along Russia turned the tables around. Much blood was shed and during the battles. Lithuania had a little uprising of his own and managed to claim independence while Russia was too busy fighting.
Eventually Russia had moved through most of Eastern Europe and in 1945 captured Berlin. That marked the end of World War II in Europe. Russia fought his last battle for the war in Manchuria and the war ended triumphantly for the Soviet Union. He even reclaimed Lithuania after the war. However thanks to the war Russia had lost millions of his people and the economy was left in shambles.
Not too long after that Russia got himself into another war in the mid-1940s that lasted up to 1990. The Cold War. Russia and America could not agree with each other and this created a fierce competition between the two. This competition involved a nuclear arms race, proxy wars and races to the moon among other things. Though neither dared to strike each other directly as that would lead to mutually assured destruction by nuclear weapons. A lot of other international wars happened where Russia stuck his nose in too, and people feared there would be a third World War.
Russia still suffered from economic problems and the economic stagnation eventually led to the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1990 and with that an end to the Cold War. With it's fall the Baltic Nations declared independence, Lithuania being the first to do so, with the Singing Revolution. Russia tried to prevent this but his attempts failed and the Baltic Nations withdrew from the Union entirely. The USSR was officially dissolved in 1991.
Russia also came to know it's first president in 1991 who worked on reforming the economy though it did not improve much. It constantly fell back into crisis up until 2000. It's been steadily growing again ever since then and Russia's been busy trying to keep this growth stable.