Abstract
This paper discusses the long history of Russia and the events that led to the 1905 revolution, which was one of the major events that led to the Bolshevik revolution of 1917. The paper discusses the major causes of the revolution, the political recourse of the revolution, and the long lasting impacts it had on society.

From the Paper
"Russian discontent went back as far as the 1800's. There was an almost non-existent middle-class. The country was ruled by a Tsar; he was the ultimate ruler and had control over taxation, law, army, religion, etc. Tsar shared some of his power with nobles (high class citizens) and the rest of the population was peasants and servants. The servants were basically slaves; they could be bought and sold as chattels. Clearly this presented a major problem amongst the general population and something needed to change. The non-noble class desperately needed an improvement in their lifestyles. However, how is a country that has been operating under the same concept and beliefs for centuries supposed to change its ways over night without major moves and reforms that could potentially cause more problems?"

Tags:tsars, alexander II, december uprising, bolsheviks, alexander III, zemstva, emancipation of serfs, crimean War

Abstract
This paper gives an overview of some of the powers at the disposal of the president and how they have created serious implications for the development and consolidation of democracy. It starts with a brief discussion about the Soviet Union's legacy and contribution to the Russian presidential system. It also looks at how the presidency arose in Russia and covers Yeltsin's presidential abuses and powers as well as Putin's.

From the Paper
"Powerful executives have traditionally been at the helm of Russian politics. The tsars were at the peak of a steep pyramid of power, only God superseding their authority. Willerton (39-40) contends that the custom of having a strong executive head-ing the country bled over into the Soviet period, with execu-tives like Stalin, Khrushchev, and Brezhnev occupying much of their time with the purpose of consolidating power within the party-state system. The General Secretary of the Communist Party was the country's senior-most executive, holding broad powers of supervision over other secretaries and subordinate bodies."

Tags:gorbachev, political, putin, science, soviet, stalin, union, ussr, yeltsin

Abstract
This paper discusses the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in December 1979 and how it was the culmination of years of Soviet policy that thrust that country into the maelstrom of the Cold War. It discusses the Soviet foreign policy during the Cold War and their focus on the alliances of the United States. The paper also discusses the US policy towards Afghanistan during this time.

From the Paper
"The year 1986 was one of the most important for the Cold War conflict in Afghanistan. As Gorbachev attempted to reform the USSR through his policies of glasnost and perestroika, he was faced with mounting criticism of the Soviet actions in Afghanistan. Pressure grew internationally, economically, internally and by non-aligned countries; even China made normalization of their relations contingent on withdrawal. His capitulation to this pressure was made clear with his speech to the 27th CPSU Congress in February 1986. In this famous speech, Gorbachev referred to the Afghan war as a "bleeding wound," communicating his intent to begin to disengage. While history has proven Gorbachev's intentions to have been sincere, in Washington, although there was some cautious optimism, there was no easing of the US support to the resistance. In fact, just the opposite occurred."

Tags:congress, invasion, alliance

Abstract
This paper examines how Russian organized crime (ROC) has matured into a predominant criminal threat to global economies and how it is unique from other forms of mafia in that it is void of a familial hierarchical composition and exists in independent pods, occasionally drawn together through mutual interests. The paper explores the conditions that cultivated the ROC in Russia, how a nation in transition has coped and contributed to ROC power, and the needed interventions to reduce the impact of organized crime in Russia.

From the Paper
"The Soviet Union's history was characterized under Stalin's dictatorship (1930-1953) as strong and inflexible, with a tightly controlled economy. The resulting oppressive environment was fueled by corruption and secrecy leaving legal and illegal activities indistinguishable. The culture that manifested under these conditions, more than social mobility, cultivated ROC. By prioritizing heavy industry over consumer goods, a resilient portion of Russian society forged an illegal underground economy providing otherwise unattainable goods to the citizenry at high costs. Cheating the state was not only accepted, but also respected. Although under Stalin's rule, economic crimes such as these were punished by death, unyielding underground entrepreneurs persevered and became wealthy. Economic order relaxed somewhat following Stalin's death, and under the eventual rule of Brezhnev (1977-1982). "

Tags:mafia, drugs, corruption

Abstract
This paper discusses how the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in December 1979 was the culmination of years of Soviet policy and thrust that country into the maelstrom of the Cold War. It looks at how covert aid to those Afghanis resisting first the Communist takeover of the government and then the Soviet military began in the months before the invasion and continued until the end of the Cold War with the break up of the Soviet Union. It also examines how this support of the indigenous resistance by the United States first frustrated Soviet geopolitical aims in the region and then contributed to and exposed the weakness of the Soviet system. The paper includes an annotated bibliography.

From the Paper
"Soviet control of Afghanistan, aside from issues of perceived global dominance, concerned the Americans as they viewed Afghanistan as a stepping-stone to Pakistan. This perception was shared by the Pakistanis. In a geopolitical sense, the control of Pakistan equalled control of the Straits of Hormuz, which control the Persian Gulf. Soviet control of Persian Gulf sea lanes meant a possible disruption of oil supplies, which meant control of Afghanistan was of key strategic importance to the US. Recognition of this concern was reflected in the covert aid supplied to the resistance even before the invasion, which is discussed below."

Tags:communism, united, states, Brezhnev, Doctrine

Abstract
The paper discusses how the Bolsheviks were able to gain control of Russia during the revolutionary period due to a combination of factors. The paper explains how the Bolsheviks built upon the existing economic, social and political turmoil created by the tsarist regime, used the mistakes of the Provisional Government to their advantage and gained control over other revolutionary parties by way of their charismatic leaders, control of the army and control of the major industrial cities. The paper shows how the Bolsheviks had to fight to secure their government by successfully wiping out opposition during the Russian Civil War and satisfying the demands of the people for "Peace, Land and Bread."

From the Paper
"Historically the tsarist regime has been contested with revolutionary action; in fact, the Romanov Dynasty was born out of autocratic turmoil during the "times of trouble" from 1584 to 1613 . During this time there were many rebellions, riots, and mutinies, they were not directed at reforming the autocratic institution, but merely aiming to take its place. Revolutionary action continued after the death of Alexander the Great, who did not name an heir, as there was a rapid turnover in the occupation of the throne. This period was known as the "era of the palace revolutions" and is characterized by an increased importance in maintaining the loyalties of the senior military."

Tags:Tsars, Karl, Marx, Lenin, communism, Provisional, Government, Red, Guard

Abstract
This paper contains an analysis of factors, both internal and external, that caused the financial crisis in Russia in 1988. The main argument of the paper is that the main causes of the crisis originated from inside. The monetary system that the Russian government created after the fall of the USSR failed to provide a stable channel for the implementation of an adequate monetary policy. The paper shows that the banking system was ill-designed and corrupt, mainly serving as a channel for government funds to favored industries. Finally, the paper shows that the extreme usage of government debt (often for the personal benefit of the Russian officials) was the factor that shut the whole economy down. Bonds were printed like paper, which is unsustainable even in the short-run.

Table of Contents:

A Self-made Crisis
Fake Monetary System
The Banks that Weren't
Russian FIGs
A Pyramid of Bonds
The Fall of the Babylon
The Responsibility
Works Cited

From the Paper
"In 1998 Russia was hit by a large-scale financial crisis. The bad news of Russian default (or payment suspension) in August 1998 was one of the primary concerns of almost all Russian and western media. The events and outcomes of the crisis were relatively similar to the ones that took place in Asia in 1997 or, more recently, in Argentina (the latter has recently defaulted on the largest government debt in history). These amounted, but were not limited to: national currency being largely devaluated, collapse of the banking system, and political unrest resulting in dramatic changes in the government."

Tags:bank, central, government, mismanagement, dollar

Abstract
This paper examines the factors that have contributed to the election of the same political party in Russia since the fall of Communism. Russia has been in an economic depression since the fall of the Soviet Union, yet the same party is re-elected through democratic vote. The reasons for this puzzling outcome are discussed in this paper and identified as using democracy to purge the conservative communists of their rank, old elites regaining state control and loyalty of those counting the votes. Each factor is discussed in great detail along with its contribution and impact on the electoral outcome. This paper is ideal for anyone, from a Russian politics expert to a curious novice.

From the Paper
"Mikhail Gorbachev, along with the Soviet leaders was the first to introduce semi competitive elections into the USSR and then later Russia. Although elections are a focal point of a democracy, they were not initiated by Gorbachev for this use. "The goal of these elections was to purge the conservative ranks of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) from their positions of power within state structures as a way to liberate these state institutions and thereby make them available as instruments by executing Gorbachev's economic reforms" (McFaul and Petrov, 24). The existing powers of the Soviet Union at the time of the introduction of democracy were all communists, who held high political ranks. In order for Gorbachev to implement his reformation of the economy, these political figures needed to be removed from their ranks, otherwise there would be great opposition to the changes planned. When these leaders were removed, the state organizations were free from communist control and could be used in any way that Gorbachev desired."

Tags:authoritative, campaigns, communism, communists, competative, control, cpsu, democracy, depression, eastern, economic, elections, electoral, elites, europe, gorbachev, history, kramlin, leaders, power, process, putin, rank, russia, russian, soviet, state, studies, union, ussr, voters

Abstract
This paper explains how Joseph Stalin used his understanding of the Marxist dialectic to better understand what good can come of any given society. It shows that Stalin manipulated the dialectic only because he knew it needed to be modernized to work properly in a more modern society, a Communist society. Stalin's movements in education and the labor force were truly remarkable and positively changed the face of Communism as the world knew it.

From the Paper
'Manya Gordon viewed the Stalin Revolution and the five year plan as a complete change in the position of labor. "Stalin made a point of making all labor and trade union commonplace and merging the entire Soviet labor force into one government operated establishment. In doing this, Stalin forced all government personnel in opposition to his plan to resign and filled their positions with his own followers who, in turn, helped induce the interests of the workers in the five year plan."5 In the opinion of Gordon, to a non Communist, the five year plan meant the complete betrayal of the workers interests for the sake of building a new, state owned industry. In relation to this, Stalin declared, "the trade unions are called upon to play a decisive role in the task of building social industry by stimulating labor productivity."6 Hence, the trade unions were compelled to drive the workers, to organize shock brigades, and to bring discipline to those who are lacking in production. In short, "the trade unions are a "whip" over the workers."7 Instead of defending the interests of the workers, the labor organizations were obliged to disperse Stalin's "brand" of Marxism which was actually very different from Lenin's Marxist policy. "Lenin insisted that all trade unions must be non political, while Stalin insinuated that all non political aspects of the unions must be eliminated. Eventually the people accepted Stalin's policy even though it depicted the laborers as a lower status of beings, much the same as earlier Russian capitalists."8 This fact would also mean that Stalin was not, in fact, a Marxist as he claimed to be, because a Marxist would be more concerned with the non political aspect of a trade union. For example, "Stalin planned for industrial workers to increase production by twenty eight percent, but only give the workers a six percent pay raise."9 Thus, Stalin was more concerned with industrialization than with the proletariat, hardly a display of Marxist theory. Another historian concerned with Stalinism and its effects was Raymond Bauer."

Tags:communism, economy, lenin, marxism, plan, socialism, totalitarianism

Abstract
This paper focuses on the military developments and achievements of Peter the Great, who began his rule of Russia in 1789. It examines how, while his advances were remarkable in pushing Russia ahead to join the rest of Europe, the people of Russia suffered greatly. It compares the advantages of having a strong navy and military with the suffering of poverty, starvation and forced labor the peasantry faced. It also includes figures regarding poverty, population, the military, soldiers and taxation.

From the Paper
"For Russia to even hope to gain a Baltic port and further, for Peter to create a powerful nation, the establishment of a trained, and organized standing army became an imminent priority. Peter the Great was enthusiastic about the army, and expected all those around him, form his own son to landless peasants to be equally enthused. He realized that to fill the empty ranks and increase the army's capability, masses of troops were needed. While conscription had been practiced in Eastern Europe during 30 Years War, this was only as an emergency measure, not for the purpose of building a standing army. By using conscription as the principle of an organized method for building a permanent armed force, Peter became, essentially, the first European leader to introduce compulsory military service."

Tags:czar, navy, poverty, taxes, army