Russian Empire

former empire in Eurasia and North America (1721–1917)

The Russian Empire (1721-1917), also called Imperial Russia, was a country in Europe as well as Asia. It started in 1721 when Peter I of Russia founded it. Before that, it was known as the Tsardom of Russia. It lasted until it was declared a republic in March 1917 after the Russian Revolution. It was an absolute monarchy ruled by Russian emperors known as 'Tsars'. They were members of the House of Romanov and believed that they had the divine right of kings over their people.

Russian Empire
Россійская Имперiя (Russian)
1721–1917
Flag of Russian Empire
Flag
Coat of arms of Russian Empire
Coat of arms
Motto: "Съ нами Богъ!"
S nami Bog! ("God is with us!")
Anthem: 
"Гром победы, раздавайся!"
Grom pobedy, razdavaysia! (1791–1816)
("Let the Thunder of Victory Rumble!") (unofficial)
"Коль славен наш Господь в Сионе"
Kol' slaven nash Gospod' v Sione (1794–1816)
("How Glorious Is Our Lord in Zion") (unofficial)
"Молитва русских"
Molitva russkikh (1816–1833)
("The Prayer of Russians")
"Боже, Царя храни!"
Bozhe Tsarya khrani! (1833–1917)
("God Save the Tsar!")
     Russian Empire in 1914      Territories ceded before 1914      Protectorates or occupied territories
     Russian Empire in 1914
     Territories ceded before 1914
     Protectorates or occupied territories
CapitalSt. Petersburg
(1721–1728, 1730–1917)
Moscow
(1728–1730)
Demonym(s)Russian
GovernmentAbsolute monarchy (1721-1906)
Constitutional Monarchy (1906-1917)
History 
• Established
1721
• Russian Revolution (end of monarchy)
1917
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Tsardom of Russia
Russian republic
Today part of Russia
 Belarus
 Ukraine
 Poland
 Finland
 Estonia
 Latvia
 Lithuania
 Armenia
 Azerbaijan
 Georgia
 Moldova
 Kazakhstan
 Kyrgyzstan
 Tajikistan
 Turkmenistan
 Uzbekistan
 United States
 Turkey
 China
Peter the Great, the founder of Saint Petersburg

In 1914, the area of the Russian Empire was about 21,799,825 km². In 1897, its population was 128,200,000 (1897 year). Its official language was the Russian language. Its official church was the Russian Orthodox Church.

The Russian Empire was led by a Tsar who had complete control of the nation. In this autocracy, only the Tsar could make or cancel laws. In 1905 the Tsar granted a new constitution in which he shared some power with a partly elected parliament called the Duma. The Russian Empire was a great power, and one of the biggest empires that ever existed.

Russian society change

Most people in Imperial Russia were peasants. They lived mainly in rural areas until the late 19th century, when the Emancipation of the Serfs freed them from the farms where they had to stay. They were allowed to marry whomever they wanted, own property, and vote.

A few people were nobility, also called boyars. They were educated and held higher prestige than the peasants. Towards the end of the 19th century, many of the educated wanted to remove the Tsar and give people more power.

History change

Russo-Japanese War to the Russian Revolution change

In 1904 Russia led Nicholas II got permission from the Qing dynasty to build the Trans-Siberian railway to extend the Railway into Qing Dynasty China and Korea however the Empire of Japan led by Emperor Meiji saw this as a threat and the Japanese declared war on Russia and won the war in 1905. In 1914 Russia declared war on Austria-Hungary and Germany since the Franco-Russian Alliance Of 1894 they made with the France. In 1917, World War I caused the bad conditions for workers in factories to become even worse with a food shortage. People blamed it on the Tsar and rebelled against his government. There were riots in cities such as St Petersburg and Moscow. The Tsar was soon forced to abdicate in the February Revolution in 1917. After the October Revolution he was assassinated with his family during the Russian Civil War. In 1922 most of the Russian Empire became the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, or USSR when a communist government won the Russian Civil War. Some counties in the Empire escaped, but the biggest ones were forced into the USSR.

References change