Abstract
This paper looks at how during most of Russia's history, from the time of the later Middle Ages until 1917, the predominant ruler of this land was the czar. It examines how beginning slowly with Alexander Nevsky and ending swiftly and dramatically with Czar Nicholas II, how the history of the czars' is filled with triumph and defeat, jubilee and sadness, war and peace and most of all, never-ending change.

From the Paper
"For about the next hundred years, Mongols princes slowly built up their power and independence away from the khan. In 1462 Ivan III, known as Ivan the Great, began his rule. He purchased and conquered lands around him, including the rich merchant republic of Novgorod (McKay, Buckler, Hill, 2003). This greatly expanded the territory that was directly ruled by the Moscow princes, and in turn expanded his power. In place of the princes who he had defeated, he put in place new princes who were strongly loyal to him. He demanded the loyalty of the nobility in a very coy manner. He changed the nobility into "service nobility", in which they could only own land if they served in his army (McKay, Buckler, Hill, 2003). In 1480 he announced his sovereignty over the khans. The Tatars (Mongols) sent in troops, but Ivan successfully held them off for seven months until their retreat. Moscow became the capital and the official rule of Russia free from Tatar influence began ("Muscovite Russia")."

Tags:catherine, ivan, nicholas, alexander, nevsky

Abstract
This paper compares and contrasts the reign of the last Czar Nicholas, II and the revolutionary, Joseph Stalin.

Abstract
This essay considers the influences of Modernism during the reign of Czar Peter I, specifically in the changes made to civil life, and military structures. Most effective and enduring of these changes was the development of a naval force, one that can be recognized as the central influence of the Russians during the Great Northern War.

From the Paper
" When Czar Nicholas I emancipated the serfs of the Russian Empire in 1861 it was not so much a liberal revolution as a return to traditional standards - for serfdom was not an ages-old institution in Russia, as in Western Europe, but a relatively late-developing tangent to the rise of imperial, centralized power. Historically, the great majority of the Russian people have been peasants, and by the mid-19th century almost all peasants were either serfs of private landowners or in serflike bondage to the state.

It was not always so. In Kievan Russia (879 A.D. - 1240 A.D.), and under the Tartar occupations (11th century - 14th century), most peasants had been freedmen, though there were some who were simple slaves. Though the process of the establishment of serfdom in Russia is variously interpreted, it can be ... "

Abstract
This paper provides a thorough history of the period of Russian history under the rule of Czar Ivan the Terrible. The paper discusses his upbringing and the process that turned him into a Czar. It looks at his marriage to Anastasia and the impact she had on his introducing some reforms in the region. It discusses Ivan's sickness and his conquests and also briefly mentions his family life.

From the Paper
"Ivan was a brilliant man who could have done a lot during this rule in Russia. If his childhood wasn't so scarred with traumatic memories he would have been a great statesman. Even though he did a lot of good things for his country, no one can forget the acts of cruelty of his regime. His behavior got modified after the death of his first wife. In the end he destroyed himself by getting rid of the people he loved dearly. This was a reason why he lost the war with himself. Russia went through a terrible phase as it was left without a strong ruler after the death of Ivan IV. No one could fill the void. People wished that Ivan IV was still around."

Tags:czar, noble, death, anastasia

Abstract
This paper is an in-depth analysis of the causes of the Bolshevik Revolution. The author discusses the harsh economic conditions of the times, the rule of Czar Nicholas, the oppression of the lower class, and the influences of Karl Marx on the intelligentsia who wanted reform. The paper looks at the numerous riots that took place, the effects of World War I, and the crumbling of the Romanov dynasty.

From the Paper
"The causes of the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 were many. The revolution was the culmination of a long period of repression and unrest. The Tsar weaknesses in his character and reactionary policies and his failure to understand his people: From the time of Peter I (Peter the Great), the czardom increasingly became an autocratic bureaucracy that imposed its will on the people by force, with wanton disregard for human life and liberty. The last Tsar Nicholas II (1894-1917) was a loyal family man but he had serious defects of character. He was easily influenced by his wife (German), he ignored his ministers and he failed to understand the problems of his people (he was too remote from them). He was a reactionary and an indecisive autocrat. Moreover the Czarist monarchy dramatically demonstrated the weaknesses to which a hereditary system is prone. A male heir to the throne was necessary to assure the continuation of the dynasty. The son of the Czar and Empress, Alexis, was a frail boy who suffered from the crippling hereditary disease of hemophilia."

Tags:nicholas, lenin, petrgrad, rasputin, revolution, germany, czar, tsar, peasant, economics, pogrom, serf, marx, karl, bloody, sunday, riot, st, petersburg, kremlin, cossaks, kerensky

Abstract
This paper looks at how Russian history influenced the life and writing of novelist Leo Tolstoy. The author discusses the repressive atmosphere under Czar Nicholas I, the Russian economic system and military events, all which affected Tolstoy and his novels, such as "Anna Karenina" and "War and Peace."

From the Paper
"During Leo Tolstoy's lifetime (1828-1910), Russia and Europe went through a number of political and intellectual changes. Writing evolved from Romanticism to Realism during the period. As the term "realism" implies the realistic novelists like Tolstoy focused on observation and attention to detail. In Russia the czars retained absolute power by preventing the political and social changes that the Western European countries were experiencing. Intellectuals including Tolstoy led the effort toward reform. The reform efforts met with considerable resistance until the twentieth century. For the writers, retention of power by the czars meant repression of writing."

Tags:leo, russia, literature, nicholas, war, peace, anna, karenina, peasant, czar, alexander, cossacks

Abstract
This paper argues that Putin's authority in Russia today draws upon the same wellspring of absolutism that fuelled the power and destructiveness of the Red Czar, Stalin. In this analysis, the Soviet absolutism of the 20th century is rooted in Russian traditions that stretch back for centuries under the Czarist empire. In this context the Soviet era desire for a strong absolutist leader who will fix things will be seen to have been a recurring element in Russian society for much of its history.

From the Paper
"Today, in the early 21st century, Soviet Russia of the 20th century and the Czarist empire of the centuries before that are shadows of history remembered - if at all - through Cold War spy thrillers and the memories of an older generation of Ukrainians, Russians, and East Europeans whose lives were shaped or destroyed by Soviet power. In the popular view, Russia is a westernized - if corrupt - no different from many authoritarian "democracies" around the world. This essay will argue, however, that this view of Russia is radically flawed."

Tags:russia, soviet, absolute

Abstract
This paper analyzes the issue of marijuana decriminalization for medical purposes. Starting with a discussion of an upcoming Supreme Court ruling, the author provides an analysis of the case for decriminalization, including a recent book full of anecdotal evidence. The author then discusses how the federal government has taken a hard line against marijuana users and even doctors who prescribe the drug. This no-compromises attitude led to a lawsuit in 1997, in which several prominent doctors and patients sued the Drug Czar and Barry McCaffrey for violating their rights when, under Proposition 215, marijuana could be used in California and Arizona for medical reasons. The doctors claimed that they had been threatened by the DEA for prescribing the drug, while patients had been arrested and faced stiff penalties. The case has gone back and forth several times, while Proposition 215 has been suspended. The outcome is unclear, and the author finished the essay by describing how decriminalization necessitates removing marijuana from "Schedule I" status, which is reserved for dangerous drugs which have no medicinal value.

Abstract
This paper relates that documentation has been found indicating that the great October Revolution of Russian history was nothing more or less than a bloody riot with some, but not many, murders in the fighting plus a great deal of raping and pillaging of the privileged class. The author points out that it was in February, 1917, that the people, particularly of Moscow and the army, seized power in a bloodless coup and put into place a totally ineffective "Provisional Government" forcing Czar Nicholas to abdicate the throne. The paper states that the main problem among the Social Democratic Party was that the two men leading the two main factions of the party vehemently disliked one another; Ulyanov and his faction the Bolsheviks was slightly the larger faction and Trotsky's Mensheviks were of the educated middle ground and a definite minority of the party.

From the Paper
"Back in 1898, using the Manifesto of Karl Marx, the much-acclaimed German philosopher and firm believer in the "Dictatorship of the Proletariat," two men one Vladimir Ilich Ulyanov and the other Leon Trotsky along with many others formed the Political Party known as the Social Democratic Party. This party whose main goal, actually their sole goal, was to bring as much pressure to bear as possible upon the Crown in an unsuccessful effort to gain some semblance of social justice for the masses. This they did by means of every sort of act of civil disobedience they could think of for the people to engage in such as general strikes, specific strikes, create unrest within the military and any other disruptive acts of opportunity that presented themselves."

Tags:ulynov, trotsky, stalin, civil-disobedience, documentation