Recent History of Russia

(part one: A Tarnished Reputation)

or a period of forty years, from the defeat of Napoleon in 1812 to the disastrous Crimean War in 1856, the Russian Empire was a significant world power. Weathering internal struggles over succession, Russia underwent a period of expansion. Pushing both to the west and to the south, the empire solidified its hold on what had once been the Kingdom of Poland and acquired significant holdings in Central Asia.

Instead of taking its social cues from the rest of New Europa, there was a flowering of native culture. Universities were founded in cities like St. Petersburg and Kiev. There was international recognition of literary luminaries such as Gogol, Pushkin, and Turngenev. The Russian Imperial Ballet became a worthy rival to the Ballet de l'Opera of Paris.

The resounding defeat of Russian forces at the hands of Ottoman, British, French, and Austrian troops signaled an end of this "golden age". Relationships with Prussia sour as the erstwhile ally decides to stay out of the fighting. The treaty which ends the war forbids Russia from maintaining either a working navy or armed fortifications along the Black Sea, effectively crippling her. Like a young lover who has been spurned, much of the Empire's energies turn inwards.

However, this has not prevented her from making the occasional grab for land when the circumstances are right. Tajikstan, which had been practically colonized by Russians for many years in the same that the British had colonized India, was officially annexed in the 1860's. Taking advantage of the Khanate's divided attention five years ago, they gained a foothold in Kazakhstan.