Before Fusion: CIS

The world was much easier to manage when there were two poles of influence. Modern day Commonwealth of Independent States is largely an agglomeration of neo-feudal states without a global idea. The natural "Global North/South" split will more equally take into account interests of all sovereignties, but it will take time to arrive at such a configuration.

Eurasia's history is marked by the freeing influence of the West and the willful approach of the East. It stands as the gateway between these two ways of thinking and two ways of life. The Russian Federation is the biggest and most influential state of this formation. It has a relatively low population and very vast territory. Combined with the northern climate this led to the development of wait-and-see progress bursts, aggressively defensive martial culture (with a necessity to centralize) and a mobilization economy. Being considered a Western country in the East and an Eastern country in the West, Russia offers a way of thinking that blends both perspectives.

Differences between Europe and Russia - digest part 1

Historically Russia has been a European state. However its history differs drastically from that the bulk of Europe:

Early Middle Ages

Due to the compact size of Europe (primarily agricultural) lands were claimed early on in medieval history. Thus development of Feudalism in Western and Central Europe involved nobles expropriating land from agricultural communities in exchange for protection. This led to the development of the class of knights, which combined with early introduction of organized Catholicism led to the development of codified law. By the mid 11th century the medieval system of Feudalism was already formed.

In contrast to that early Rus' was located in the frontier steppes, having to defend against large groups of nomads. Defence required a greater number of armed warriors, which led to the total armament of agricultural and urban communities. Logically, an armed population cannot be easily exploited.

In contrast to Europe, until the mid 11th century the main source of wealth of Russian princes were tradable assets and slaves, due to the north-south river trade route through Rus' into the Byzantine empire.

Also, being a steppe frontier, Rus' had available unoccupied land. Thus until the mid 11th century nobility wasn't as involved in expropriation of lands from communities - their domains continued to grow. Subsequently expropriation of land increased, which is evidenced by a number of armed rebellions of the following period.

Possibly, the high degree of connectivity of elites in the totality of the Rus' lands prevented codification of law, since informal agreements were sufficiently enforceable.

Thus the pre-Mongol invasion Rus' did not develop into a Feudal society and remained in the late stage of the "barbarian" system, with elements of communal tribalism remaining (possibly never heading for the western-style Feudal path of development).

Middle Ages

From the mid 11th century and into the 13th century the West went through an equivalent of an Industrial Revolution. This is evident by the large increases in the number of built windmills. From the mid 12th century the construction of gothic cathedrals required large scale mining of stone, technological development and specialization. In turn this led to increased intellectual development.

At the same time Catholic Europe experienced the struggle for control between the emperors of the Holy Roman Empire and Papacy. This gave enough time for the French monarchy to establish itself and become another force in competition with Catholic control. Subsequently the development of influential Italian trade sovereignties (with focus on diplomacy and secret intelligence) also played a role in furthering development of Europe.

At the same time prior to the arrival of the Mongol invasion force the development of Rus' did not take it to the Feudal system.

In the 13th to the 15th century Europe entered into a period of crisis, reaching a development of ideological and economic plateau. Feudalism progressed from direct exploitation of humans (serfs) to exploitation of the land. This new, external factor of exploitation eased the subsequent transition to another external factor of exploitation - capital. These developments were greatly affected by the Black Death plague, which combined with greater exploitation by the nobiles led to a de facto anti-feudal revolution in the late 14th century.

Subsequently in the 15th century nobiles gradually started to lose their influence. In order to retain it the majority of nobles in the leading monarchical domains chose to align with the monarchies against the free gentry, which was growing in influence. These were the "new monarchies" (more central and punitive) that later became the basis of creation of the state system of early modernity. The development of this system began to replace the previous repressive (and organising) functions that were built into the economic systems of slavery and feudalism and came in parallel with the genesis of capitalism, which made the economic relationship between the capitalist and the worker an exchange of work for payment.

On the Rus' territories of the 13th century another crisis unfolded. The system of the Golden Horde was established and changed which completely changed the character of most institutions in Rus'.

In the pre-Mongolian Rus' there was a triangular balance between Veche (parliament), Prince and the Boyars (Barons). In some principalities (Pskov, Novgorod, Vyatka) the parliament held more influence making for oligarchic leaning systems, in others (Galicia-Volhynia, Kiev) the Boyars were dominating and in yet others (Suzdal', Vladimir) the Princes. In none of the principalities of pre-Mongolian Rus' did the Princes have enough power to dominate both the parliament and the barons.

With the arrival of the Golden Horde Princes could summon additional forces from the Horde. As a result of this the parliaments disappeared in the Rus' states that were vassalages of the Horde. The struggle between the barons and the prince also diminished because of the necessity of union between the two to successfully prosper in competition against the other vassalages of the Horde. Hence instead of the competition between the nobles and the monarchy (observed in the West) on Rus' a completely different, oligarchic concept of baron-prince combine takes place.

The most effective of these combines was organized in Muscovy principality (first a minor territory of a larger vassalage) which as result became the representative of the Horde on Rus'. In turn, because of that it gained leadership in Rus' (not because of the beneficial placement near trade routes or being the leader of the struggle to liberate Rus', with its only major military engagement against the Horde being against an usurper who was not a legitimate ruler).

In the mid 15th century Muscovy began to prepare for the struggle to inherit the influence of the Golden Horde, which by then was noticeably weakened. In preparation for armed conflicts it reformed its government and separated military functions for economic ones. Thus the real reason why Muscovy became the inheritor of the Golden Horde was its strong military administrative organization, that from that point on could exist only by expansion (thus becoming an empire).

Transition of systems

From the mid 15th century there was a drastic difference between the development of the elites in the West and Russia. Western elites formed in the conditions of intense social competition from the top down, vs Russian elites where always capped by either the Golden Horde or later the Tzars.

During the Renaissance and Reformation the united (North) Atlantic World system was formed. This added a proto-capitalist sea born entity in the "long 16th century" which added a flow of resources that was first and foremost was invested in military needs. This new historical entity was needed to transition from the Feudal system to the Capitalist system and first manifested itself in England and eventually became apparent in all of Europe, with almost all European colonial powers playing a key role.

During the "long 16th century" this new historical entity led to development of three systems which subsequently competed for dominance. In the French version the peasants and monarchy dominated nobility, which developed a highly institutionalized state separated from the ruling elite. In the German lands version where the ruling dominated the peasantry and monarchy, which developed a highly institutionalized state closely tied with the ruling elite. The English version developed a weakly institutionalized state separated from the ruling elite.

This historical entity created the State (repression/control system) and Capital (exchange based economic system), with the subsequent development of European history marking the beginning of evolution of Capitalism.

The end of this period in Europe is marked by the end of the religious Thirty Year War and the English Civil War.

In Russia, after the end of the domination of the Golden Horde, this period started with capturing the lands of Novgorod and distribution of its lands to lower nobility. This breaks the baron-prince combine and creates contradictions between the barons and nobility.

In the mid 16th century the need to centralize the growing state became apparent and the old oligarchic-combine system of governance created a multitude of problems. This was resolved by creation of the emergency commission known as "oprichnina", which suppressed the problematic combine.

Thus in the middle of the 17th century in the West the entities of State (repression/control system) and Capital (exchange based economic system) were formed at the same time as Overseeing Autocracy was formed in Russia, which isn't an early modern state or a form of Feudalism. It becomes an overseeing construct which is above the government and the law.

This led to rebellion which was suppressed by the lower nobility and economic elites. To pay for the gained stability the autocracy initiated the institute of serfdom (in the mid 17th century). This serfdom included city dwellers and forced nobility into service.

Thus in this period saw the State/Capital system start a maritime expansion while the Overseeing Autocracy started land based expansion, starting a period of two mirroring North Western/Eastern systems with corresponding subjects of the times: Hegemony of Holland on sea and Tsardom of Muscovy in the eastern lands; British Empire and Russian Empire; USA and USSR.

Russian beginnings

We know of the Korchak, Penkovka, Kolochin, and Kyiv cultures of the 2rd to 6th centuries, with the earliest being the Kiev culture. Kievan/Kyivan Rus' is the first known eastern slavic state. It was formed in the 9th century from a variety of Slavic, Norse and Finnic tribes. The name Rus' originates from the Viking rulers that were invited from the region of modern day St. Petersburg to reign in Novgorod in late 862 (who were already at war with the Byzantine Empire from the early 9th century). Kievan/Kyivan Rus' was formed by movement from the Novgorod region southward to control the trade routes from Khazar raids. The western migration of various nomadic tribes in the 8th century caused instability in the Khazar Khaganate causing conflicts with the Rus' and Slavs that were previously Khazars against Arab raids. The city of Kyiv/Kiev was a slavic settlement dating to the 5th century on a major trade route between Scandinavia and Constantinople when it was a Khazar tributary. After it was captured by the Novgorodians it became Rus' capital.

Kievan Rus'

Over the course of the 9th century Kyiv conquered the bulk of the Eastern Slavic tribes, imposing tribute on them. After the Rus' attack on Constantinople in 860 Byzantium sent missionaries to convert them and Slavs to Christianity. After subsequent Rus' attacks a peace treaty between the Byzantine Empire and the Rus' was signed in 945. After a series of conflicts in the late 10th century Rus' was Christianized in the late 980s, more forcibly in the North than in the South. After the Great Schism of 1054 Rus' maintained communion with Rome and Constantinople eventually following the East Orthodox faith.

Internal conflicts continued into the 11th century with the position of Kyiv weakening as regional clans grew in influence. The Kievan Rus' fell fragmented and declined in the 12th century. In the early 13th century it was devastated by the invasion (with northwest avoiding destruction) by the Mongol Empire with most Rus' principalities being forced to submit to Mongol rule, with the exception of Novgorod Republic and a few others.

Fragmentation of Kievan Rus' led to the independence of Novgorod. Unlike the Price run Kievan Rus', Novgorod was a Republic, enabled by its status as a regional trade center. It had an institution of Veche (modernly represented by the word "soviet") which was present in the tribal assemblies predating the Rus' state. It was the highest legislative and judicial authority in Novgorod until late the 15th century. It was a lower chamber of the parliament with the upper chamber being made up of the former magistrate members. The economic power was centered in the hands of wealthy merchants. Veches also existed in Pskov (farther West) and modern day Poland and had similarities to the peasant republics of Scandinavia. Princes were invited to Novgorod for the purpose of protection and were mostly military leaders.

Novgorod has been in conflict with the Swedish, Danish and German crusaders since the 12th century, famously defeating the Livonian Order in mid 12th century at the Battle on the Ice. Kievan Rus' ended with the invasion of Mongols, who devastated the land and its people. Novgord was saved from Mongol pillaging and paid tribute to the Golden Horde.

Consolidation by Moscow

The Grand Duchy of Moskovy started as a vassal state to the Golden Horde in the late 13th century. At the beginning of the 14th century Moskovy started to expand. After an intermarriage with the Golden Horde khans and became the most influential principality in Rus'. At about the same time the leadership of the Russian Orthodox church moved to Moscow. Subsequently the principality continued close cooperation with the khans and started to collect tribute from other principalities on their behalf, using the new found wealth to further expand its borders.

Subsequently Moscow survived a territorial conflict with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania to the west. And subsequently after expanding the influence of the Russian Orthodox Church Muscovy rulers used its influence to unite the warring Rus' principalities against the Golden Horde. At the Battle of Kulikovo in 1380 Moskovy forces defeated the Horde only to be sacked two years later. After a period of uncertainty the relations with the Horde improved while Moscow expanded further East and North. It set up a network of monasteries that allowed for economic control of the surrounding area and expanded Moscow's influence on the surrounding principalities.

In the mid-15th century Moscovy went through a civil war as a result of which the control re-solidified and Moscow expanded further. Subsequently in the second half of 15th century Moscow solidified unquestioned control over the other principalities and successfully battled for sovereignty from the Golden Horde, and gained territory in the west after a number of inconclusive Russo-Lithuanian wars (and tripled in size). In a struggle against nobility the state centralized in the 16th century and conducted ideologically motivated purges by instituting Russia's first political police. Russia gained a standing army, started the wars with the Ottoman empire and expanded further by conquering Kazan in the East and Astrakhan in the South East (though lost some western territories).

To the East of Poland

Balts settled the area East of Poland in the 5th century though there are 1st century Roman accounts of peoples that were possibly Balts. Lithuanians were one of the Balt peoples, with modern Estonians (first mentioned in 1st century) and Latvians (territorially identifiable towards the end of first millennium of Common Era) also belonging to the same group. The Lithuanians are also thought to have emerged towards the end of the first millennium. In 9th to 11th centuries future Lithuania was a tributary to Denmark and from 10th to 11th centuries to the Kievan Rus'.

In the 11th century Rus' and Lithuanias were mutually invading each other. From the 12th century Poles and Lithuanians were sporadically raiding each other and from late 12th century a Lithuanian military force existed. Lithuanian statehood existed from the early 13th century with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania forming in 1236 at the same time as the Crusade organized against the then pagan Balts. A period of ideological turbulence ensued where the rulers were Western Christian, pagan and Eastern Christian.

Lithuania also suffered from the Mongol invasion (though to a lesser degree than more eastern Rus') and paid tribute. Under the pressure from the (later merged) Livonian and Teutonic Orders, Lithuania maintained ties with the Pope but avoided conversion and remained a pagan-ruled. Lithuania used the collapse of the Kievan Rus' to expand into its territories as it competed with The Grand Duchy of Muscovy. In the 14th and 15th centuries Lithuania covered most of modern Belarus and Ukraine and stretched to the Black Sea.

Only 10 percent of its territory was ethnically Lithuanian and it depended on its Ruthenian (Rus') lands and people. The Ruthenian prices were Orthodox Christians and many Lithuanian prices also adopted the Eastern Orthodox religion. This way the capital Vilnius was transformed into a center of the Kievan Rus' civilization. Though the grand duke remained pagan until the Christianization of Lithuania in 1387 to the Latin faith because of an alliance and subsequently a marital union with Poland which provided protection from the Teutonic Knights.

Lithuania could have also aligned with the Grand Duchy of Moscow but it was too distant and was competing for the loyalties of the Ruthenian prices. Due to the conversion to Catholicism the Pope prohibited Teutonic Knights from warring with Lithuania, which eventually helped to neutralize their threat. After a period of civil war Teutonic attacks were repelled with the help from Poland and the previously loose confederation of territories united for protection began to centralize.

After a period of expansion and an attempt to subjugate all of Ruthenia at the end of the 14th century Lithuania suffered a defeat by the Golden Horde and the need for a permanent alliance with Poland became apparent.  In the early 16th century the Polish-Lithuanian forces entered into a series of wars with the Grand Duchy of Moscow (which attempted to gather the former lands of the Kievan Rus') and resulted in loss of territory.  This loss of territory and the wars with the Teutonic Order caused the creation of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the mid 16th century with many Lithuanian territories transferred to Poland and a gradual transition to Polonization and Polish domination.