The Middle Ages

Middle Ages

Monday, December 14

In the Middle of What? The Middle Ages Begin!

Main Idea: After Rome fell in the West about 500 AD, there was no protection in Europe. This led to feudalism, less learning, and the loss of a common language.

Vocabulary

•  Middle Ages---A period between the Fall of Rome in 500 AD and the beginning of the Renaissance in around 1400.
• Medieval--Having to do with the Middle Ages (Do you like medieval music?)
• Dark Ages--A term for the early part of the Middle Ages, from 500-1000, called that because it was a time of war, disease, and little learning.
• Reasons for Middle Ages
•  Fall of Rome--no Roman army to protect Europeans
• Vikings---attack the undefended areas by using LONGBOATS that can go up most rivers
• Destruction of Trade Routes--trade became dangerous and all but died out, emptying out the cities.
• Learning Declines
• Loss of a common language. Lack of trade and interaction cause those in different parts of the Empire that spoke Latin to develop new ways of speaking it and languages develop---Spanish, Italian, French, Portuguese, etc.

Watch the MME HERE
Take the American dialect quiz HERE

Tuesday, December 15

I.  The Hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church

Main Idea: The Roman Catholic Church controlled all parts of life in the Middle Ages.

• sacrament--a ceremony, performed by a priest, that Catholics need to get into heaven (marriage, communion, confession,  baptism)
• Excommunication--when a person is not allowed to take the sacraments of Canon Law
• Canon Law--Church Law
• Church Hierarchy (Levels)
• Pope  (leader of world Catholics)
• Cardinal  (leader of a large area like the NW USA)
• Bishop  (leader of a smaller area like Idaho or part of a large state like CA)
• Priest, Monk, Nun  (work with one city or area specifically)
• Watch the MME HERE

II.  The Franks Build an Empire

Charlemagne AKA Charles the Great

Main Idea:  The Franks built a large empire and spread Christianity and learning all over Europe

• Franks
• Charles "The Hammer" Martel
• Battle of Tours
• Pepin the Short
• Charlemagne
• defeated Saxons
• Spread Christianity
• spread learning
• crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope
• Treaty of Verdun--Frankish Empire split into three parts, and falls

Watch the MME HERE

Wednesday, December 16

Finish Charlemagne Lesson.  Graphic Organizer

Feudalism

I would disagree with this to a degree, because it leaves off the Church.  The Pope was above the King and was also a vassal/landowner.  Priests lived on each manor as well.  

• Feudalism--the exchange of land for military service and taxes
• Vassal--someone given land by a king in exchange for military service and taxes
• Manor--the land given to the vassal
• Peasant--a farmer given land and protection by vassal in exchange for a portion of the crop and military service
• Serf--a non-free peasant, like a slave, tied to the land
• Knight--a highly trained, mounted soldier

MAP Assignment--Time given in class Thursday.  Due Friday.

Use book and/or maps below

Thursday, December 17

Castles

Work on Maps

Main Idea: Castles were the main line of defense in the Middle Ages and became very advanced.
Motte and Bailey Castle: early castle with wooden stockade, moat and an inner keep on a hill.

Keep: the inner section of a castle and the safest part in an attack.
Moat: a trench around the outer wall of a castle
Gate Tower: heavily-fortified entrance to the castle
Great Hall: the largest room, where the occupants ate, entertained, and many of the lower residents slept.
Arrow Loops: allowed archers to shoot through the wall without exposure
Seige: to surround a castle and try to make it surrender.

Students who missed class need to watch the videos on Youtube of David Maccauley's 'Castle' at Castles: Part One (Part One)
Castles: Part Two (Part Two)
Castles: Part Three (Part Three)
Castles: Part Four (Part Four) Total Time of all four is under one hour.

Friday, December 18

Finish Maps and Turn In


Knighthood, Chivalry and Women 





Main Idea: Many of our modern ideas about love and romance come from Medieval concepts of courtly love and chivalry (such as opening doors, etc). But women were less respected than men in the Middle Ages, and in the working classes, the life of a girl and woman was short, dangerous, and out of her control

.



Chivalry---the code of conduct for knights that stressed loyalty to God, feudal lord and lady fair.
Knight--a heavily armed and armored mounted warrior loyal to a vassal. 

• Page --- age seven to 14. Train in chivalry and non-fighting skills
• Squire--age 14-12--take care of knight's horse, armor, etc. train with weapons
• Knight--must do an act of heroism.

Destrier--a large war horse
Epic Poems--long narrative poems about either a quest or a conflict between the different loyalties of a knight. For example, the conflict between love and loyalty, or love and duty. 

Courtly Love--invented to make knights behave.  Pure and polite, highly romantic.
Troubadours--early songwriters/musicians who sang love songs while they played an instrument, usually a lute or other stringed instrument.
Women in the Middle Ages: could not inherit land if daughter, started working as child, married at 12, had many children, most died, childbirth dangerous, arranged marriages, only escape was to become a nun.
Women and Catholic Church--women no real power, no women priests, could only be nuns.




Watch the following if gone:
Medieval French song with lute.
Life of Women in the Middle Ages
Knighthood
Knight in Training
A Modern Knighthood Bestowed by Queen Elizabeth



Monday, January 4
These are NOT notes.  But if you are gone, you need to look them over.  If you were here, you can find lots of useful things on here to help with your coat-of-arms, that is due Friday.

Creating a Medieval Coat of Arms

Main Idea: Knights in the Middle Ages took the items that they wore or used in battle and created coats-of-arms, which allowed them to show off their 'colors' in their manors. We still use coats-of-arms on a regular basis in the U.S. and the rest of the Western World, and even in the rest of the world.

Coats of Arms Elements


An example of a coat of arms is below.


Not shown---the base, which supports the bottom of the coat of arms. It can be a grassy area, rock or some other solid structure.

Coats of Arms Rubric

Total possible 50 points
1. Shield (5 points)
2. Helmet/Headgear (5 points)
3. Wreath (5 points)
4. Crest/Plume (5 points)
5. Mantle (5 points)
6. Supports (2) (5 points)
7. Base (5 points)
8. War Cry (5 points)
9. Neatness (5 points)
10. Color (5 points)


Watch this video if you are gone: Coats of Arms: Origins







What do all the animals, colors, and so forth mean? Check this link.




Sample Coats of Arms from Former Students






































A couple of funny ones:








Tuessday, January 5

Cathedrals: Cities of God

Main Idea: In the middle ages, giant structures called cathedrals were built to honor God.

Cathedral: a large church that is the home church of a bishop. Cathedra means chair, because the bishop had his chair there. A cathedral also housed holy relics.
Relic: a piece of a saint or other sacred object kept in a church and visited by pilgrims.
Stained Glass: told stories from the Bible and church history in pictures, because most people in the Middle Ages could not read or write.
Romanesque Architecture: short, squat, small windows and heavy walls. Early cathedrals were in this style because the walls had to be thick to suppor the roof.
Gothic Architecture: tall, graceful churches with large windows and narrow supports, made possible by buttresses.
Flying Buttresses: an external support that holds up a wall.
Gargoyle: a stone statue used on the outside of a cathedral, often as a drain spout.

Watch the Video to Learn More: Cathedral by David Macauley

Wednesday, January 6

Crusades: Causes

Main Idea: The Crusades were holy wars between European Christians and Middle Eastern Muslims that have caused distrust ever since.

•  Crusades: wars between 1096 and 1204 to free the holy land.
• Pilgrimage: a journey to a holy place to receive forgiveness of sins.
• Holy Land: the land in the Bible where Jesus lived and taught. (Now Isreal)
• Pope Urban: called for Crusades to free the Holy Land
• Muslims: followers of Muhammad who lived in the Holy Land
• Islam: The religion of Muhammad, believers in the same God as the Jews and Christians

Causes of Crusades:
1. Holy Land controlled by Muslims and the worry that Muslims would not let Christians make pilgrimages to the Holy Land.
2. Constantinople (Eastern Roman Empire) asks west for help against Muslims.
3. Troublesome knights in Europe threatening the people and the church. Sending on a crusade would get rid of them.
4. Landless younger sons. Younger sons could not inherit land. This way they could seek their fortune in the holy land.
5. Adventure
6. Forgiveness of sins
7. Merchants wanting wealth


Thursday, January 7

The Crusades

Crusades Study Guide/Skeleton Notes                                                                               Name

Morris 2016                                                                                                                        Period

You will need a textbook to do this.  We are doing it in class on Thursday this week.

 Causes of the Crusades

1.        Crusades means _____________________________

2.       The main reason for the Crusades was _____________________________.

3.       Why was the Holy Land holy to Christians, and why did Christians want to be able to go to the Holy Land?_____________________________________

4.       In 1093, a call for help was sent to Europe by _______________ in Constantinople.

5.       Pope __________ called for the Crusades.

6.       Give four main causes of the crusading spirit.

1.

2.

3.

4.

6. Using page 340, give three good things that could happen to a person as the result of going on a crusade.

                                1.

                                2.

                                3.

7.  Using page 340, give three bad things that could happen to a person as a result of going on a crusade.

                                1.

                                2.

                                3.

8.  It was easy to identify a person on the Crusades, because they wore a ____________.

The First Crusade

1.        In the First Crusade, most of the warriors were from _________, but there were also five other nationalities that had many warriors.  These were ______________________________________________________.

2.       Only ____________ Crusaders, about ____% of  those who left Europe, made it to Jerusalem.

3.       On ___________, _________ the Crusaders captured Jerusalem.  How did they treat those they captured?_______________________________

4.       The Crusaders managed to capture a narrow strip of land _________ miles long called the ____________________.

5.       In _____________, the Muslim forces recaptured the Crusader state of _____________.

The Second Crusade

1.        The Second Crusade’s goal was to _____________________.

2.       The result of the Second Crusade was ______________________.

3.       The brilliant Muslim military leader who defeated the Crusaders was named ___________.

The Third Crusade

1.       The Third Crusade ended in a _________ when Richard the Lion-Hearted and Saladin reached a compromise.  What was the compromise?  ________________________________________________________________________

The Fourth Crusade

1.       In ______, a new pope, ___________, called the Fourth Crusade.  The goal of this Crusade was to _____________________.

2.       Instead, the Crusader army sacked the city of __________________.  This caused a split in the Christian church.

Children’s Crusade

1.       The Children’s Crusade began in __________.  What was the result of this crusade?

Friday, January 8

Early Middle Ages Study Guide

Morris 2016

1.       The Middle Ages began in ___ and ended in _________.

2.       The Middle Ages is called the Middle Ages because it is between to other time periods.  One is marked by the _______________ and the ______________.

3.       Renaissance means _______________.

4.       What is the root cause of the beginning of the Middle Ages?

5.       Why is the early Middle Ages also called the Dark Ages?

6.       What three things made the Dark Ages “dark”?

7.       What is feudalism and why was it developed?

8.       Why were castles needed in the Middle Ages?

9.       Be able to fill in a feudal pyramid.  King, Nobles, Knights, Peasants, Serfs

10.   Be able to fill in a pyramid of the Church hierarchy.  Pope----priests

11.   What is canon law?

12.   What is a sacrament?

13.   What is excommunication? 

14.   Who were the Vikings and why were they a threat?

15.   Know the three Frankish kings and what each did:

a.       Charles “The Hammer” Martel

b.      Pepin the Short

c.       Charlemagne

d.       

16.   What two things did Charlemagne spread in Europe?

17.   Why did cities and trade die out in the Dark Ages?

18.   What was the Treaty of Verdun?

19.   What are the three steps to knighthood and at what age is each done?  Who is eligible to be a knight?

20.   What were the two choices available to women in the early Middle Ages?

21.   What is a pilgrimage and why did many make them?  What is a relic?

22.   What was life like for most people in the early Middle Ages?

23.   What does cathedral mean?  Who is based in a cathedral?

24.   Be able to identify a Romanesque or Gothic cathedral.  What is a gargoyle?

25.   Why were statues and stained glass used a lot in churches?

26.   What two inventions allowed cathedrals to be tall and graceful with large windows?

27.   What is the difference between a buttress and a flying buttress?

28.   How long did it take to build a cathedral?  Why did towns compete to have the best ones?

29.   What was the goal of the Crusades?

30.   Give four reasons people went or were sent on a Crusade.

31.   What was the reward for going on a Crusade?  Dying on a crusade?

32.   How far is it from Europe to the Holy Land?

33.   Why is the Holy Land holy to:

a.       Jews—

b.      Christians—

c.       Muslims—

34.   Who controlled the Holy Land at the time of the Crusades?

35.   Be able to match the crusade with what happened in each crusade:  First, second, third, fourth, children’s.

36.   What was one bad outcome of the Crusades?

37.   What Pope called for the Crusades and why?

Wednesday, January 13 

I.  Church Reform

Main Idea:  Catholic reformers believed the church was too corrupt.  Monasteries were created where men and women could live more like Jesus. Friars and Nuns helped the poor and those in need.

• St. Benedict--wrote rules for monasteries, founded 300 monasteries.  Future church leaders learned there.
• Monastery--a place where monks and nuns lived in prayer and work.
• Monk--a man living in a monastery
• Nun--a women living in a monastery (usually called an abbey or convent)
• St. Francis--founded first friars.  Rejected all worldly possessions.  vow of poverty.  help others
• Friars--like monks, but lived in towns and helped people by running orphanages, schools, hospitals, often with the help of nuns
• Reformers attacked church crimes:
• simony--the buying of a paid position in the Catholic church
• married Popes, bishops and priests
• MME  Life in a Monastery  (2:00)

II. Church versus King Smackdown

Main Idea: The kings of Europe struggled with the Roman Catholic church for power during the Middle Ages. One king, Henry IV, tried to name his own bishops (lay investiture) and was excommunicated by the Pope Gregory VII. He then had to beg forgiveness.

• Review terms--canon law, sacrament, excommunication
• Papal Interdict--When a pope cuts of sacraments to everyone in a given area. 
• Henry IV--Holy Roman Emperor, challenged Pope Gregory over Lay Investiture and was excommunicated.
• Lay Investiture--when a king names his own religious officials, including bishops and other clergy
• Pope Gregory VII--reform pope, excommunicated Henry IV
• Concordat (Agreement) of Worms (1122) -- Compromise--Pope names bishops, king can veto

Thursday, January 14 and Friday, January 15

The High Middle Ages Begin

Main Idea:  Life in Europe began to improve about 500 years into the Middle Ages.  This is called th High Middle Ages.

I. Changes in Farming

• around 800 AD the climates begins to warm, allowing for longer growing seasons, crops farther north, and more food
• The three-field system replaces the two-field system. Two field allowed 50% of fields to be planted, the other 50% fallow to recover. Three-field system meant one field was used for the main crop, one was fallow, and the third grew a high-nitrogen, high-protein crop of legumes, such as beans,peas, or lentils. This made the soil better, improved nutrition, and meant 66.6% of the land was being farmed rather than 50%.
• Metal plow--could plow deeper than a wooden plow
• Horse replaces oxen. Horse could plow twice as much land in a day. The invention of the chest harness made this possible.

II. Growth of Towns

• now that not everyone was needed to farm, because of the improvements, people began moving to the new towns that began to grow around 1000 AD.
• Towns did not belong to feudal lords, but to the king. No need to serve a feudal lord
• Town air makes you free. If you were a serf, and you could escape to a town for one year and one day, you became a free man or woman.
• Re-birth of trade due to the Crusades. More products and trade routes.

III. Guilds


Guild--a group of skilled craftsmen who did the same trade and joined together to protect their product quality, keep prices high, and take care of retired members.
Steps in a guild:
Apprentice--as a child, a person lives with a master craftsman and works for free in exchange for training, room, and board. After seven years or so, an apprentice would become a journeyman.
Journeyman--a craftsman who has passed apprenticeship. Can now work for wages and can move from place to place. When he gets enough skill, he will make a masterpiece.
Masterpiece--a work that proves that a journeyman is a master craftsman.
Master--a craftsman who is a member of the guild and has created a masterpiece




IV. Surnames

With the growth of towns, more than one person had the same first name, so last names, or surnames, came into use. Most surnames described a person's job (baker, smith, miller, brewer, etc), described them (Tall, etc) or was the place of where they were from.

Videos to Watch

Medieval Towns
Guilds

Friday, January 15

Review Guild Signs and Medieval Signs
Watch Cathedral Video.
Quiz Monday

If gone, watch here.  

Notebook Rubric for January Check
Notebook Checks all next week by random draw, by period. 
A.   Notebook
     1. Study Guide Answers Fall of Rome
     2. Middle Ages Begin
     3.  Hierarchy of the Catholic Church
     4. Franks Build Empire
     5. Feudalism
     6. Knighthood, Chivalry and Women
     7. Cathedrals
     8. Causes of Crusades
     9. Answers to Early Middle Ages Study Guide
     10.  Church Reform
     11.  Church/King Smackdown
     12. High Middle Ages Begin
          a. Changes in Farming
          b. Growth of Towns
          c. Guilds
          d. Surnames
     
B.  Flap
     1. Judaism Quiz
     2. Rome Study Guide Questions
     3. Comp Book Rubric
     4. TEST--Fall of Rome
     5. Charlemagne Handout
     6. Treaty of Verdun Map
     7. Early Middle Ages Review Questions
     8. Early Middle Ages Test

C.  Journal
     at least six entries on Monday, and one more each day following.

Tuesday, January 19

The Triple Whammy: War, Plague and Schism, Part One

Main Idea: The 1300's had three big events that ended the Middle Ages and launched the Renaissance. These were the 100 Years War, the Black Plague, and the Great Schism.


I. The Bubonic Plague

• killed between 1/3 and 1/2 of Europe's population. 20-25 million die.
• raised the value of workers by making them scarce
• made the Catholic Church weak
• Ended feudalism
• farmland becomes pasture

What is the Black Plague?

• contagious, often fatal disease spread by fleas on rats.
• started in China, spread to Europe by trade routes
• rats came on ships
• swelling of lymph nodes, fever, coughing, chills, death

Videos Used (Watch if gone) (Total Viewing Time is roughly 24 minutes)We watched a two-minute clip in class, but this video covers the lesson very well and should be used if you missed the lesson.

1. History's Turning Points: The Black Death Part One
2. History's Turning Points: The Black Death Part 2
3. History's Turning Points: The Black Death Part 3

Thursday, January 21


The Triple Whammy, Part II: The Great Schism and the 100 Years War 

I.  Great Schism (Split)  The church split for 39 years and lost its credibility and power. 

• Argument between French Popes in Avignon and European Popes in Rome
• 1414--Council of Constance--three popes fired, new one chosen to replace them.  Only true Pope from now on is Roman.
• Openings for Disagreement--Men now dare to disagree
• John Wycliffe---Humans do not need church to get to heaven, just Bible.
• Wycliffe translates Bible into Vernacular (spoken language of an area), in this case English
• John Huss-burned at stake for agreeing with Wycliffe

Gregorian Chants and Musical Notation
Battle for the Bible: Wycliffe, Huss and Tyndale


II.   The 100 Years War 1337-1453 led to the extinction of knights because of the longbow, and made England and France into strong, unified nations.

Cause: King of France dies without a male heir  and the English king claims the throne as a relative.
Longbow: an invention that led to the extinction of knights. 

• 6 feet tall
• could shoot up to 300 yards and kill at 200
• required no armor and less training

Battle of Crecy (France): British longbowmen defeat heavily-armored French knights.
Battle of Augincourt (France): Same thing, same result.
War made the kings of England and France stronger, and led to nationalism. Love of country.
Joan of Arc: young French peasant girl who received messages from God to lead the French army in battle. She was victorious, but later captured and burned at the stake as a witch.

If you are gone, watch these clips:
1. Joan of Arc Biography in Cartoon Format
2. Henry V's Band of Brothers Speech/Shakespeare Augincourt
3. How to Shoot an English Longbow
4. The Longbow: Weapons that Made Britain
5. As Tears go By Augincourt

Friday, January 22


England Becomes a Nation
Main Idea: England became a unified nation after the Norman Conquest in 1066.

• Name Angle-Land and Angli-ish come from Angles.  Also Celts and Vikings
• Normans:  "Northmen" French speaking Vikings from Normandy, France who invaded in 1066. 
• Edward the Confessor: King of England dies without leaving a male heir, causing a struggle for the throne.
• Harold Godwinson: son of Edward's advisor, he claims the throne with no blood gies to Edward.
• William the Bastard (Later called William the Conqueror). Norman leader and nephew of Edward, he decides to claim the throne by attacking England across the English Channel.
• Norman Conquest. 1066. 
• Battle of Hastings, 1066. Battle where William defeated Harold and claims throne. 
• Bayeaux Tapestry--240-foot-long tapesty that is a visual storybook of the Norman conquest, embroidered by women hired by William after the conquest.
• · Great animated version of the Bayeaux Tapestry http://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_559561&src_vid=bDaB-NNyM8o&v=LtGoBZ4D4_E&feature=iv
• William does census of England, Domesday Book of 1080 records it all
• Magna Carta--Great Charter 1215.  King has no money, citizens force him to sign, thus limiting the King's power.  Among these:
• royal judges
• Trial by jury
• Common Law
• No taxation without representation
• Equal protection under the law
• Parliament--represented people.  1259  Two townsmen and two knights from every section of England.

II.  Antisemitism in Europe

     Reasons:

1.  Jews forced to live in ghettos
2. Jews not allowed to do most trades
3. Jews not allowed to own land
4. Usury--lending money at interest.  A sin in Catholic Church but Jews could do it
5. Jews had different customs 

Study Guide High Middle Ages

Morris 2016

Church Issues

1.       Why did some within the Catholic Church not like the way the Catholic Church was acting in the Early Middle Ages?

2.       What did Benedict start and why?

3.       What was life like in a monastery or convent?

4.       How did monasteries preserve learning in the Early Middle Ages?

5.       What is—

Simony

Excommunication

Lay Investiture

Papal Interdict

Monk/Nun

6.       How were friars different than monks?  Who started the friars?  Why types of things did friars and nuns do in the Middle Ages?

7.       How did Pope Gregory win his conflict with King Henry?  What did King Henry IV do to get in trouble?  Who won the smack down?

8.       What caused the Great Schism?

9.       What two places did Popes live during the Great Schism?

10.   What ended the Great Schism?

11.   Council of Constance-

12.   John Wycliffe disagreed with the Catholic Church?  What did he believe?

13.   John Wycliffe believed the Bible should be in the local spoken language, or __________.

Plague

14.   The plague originated in ________________.  It was carried by two animals, __________ and ____________, to Europe on ___________ via trade routes.

15.   ___ million Europeans died of the Plague, roughly ____ of the population.  (fraction)

16.   Why did the Plague spread so quickly?

17.   How did Plague spread?

18.   What were symptoms of the Plague?

19.   How did the Plague effect:

a.       The Catholic Church

b.      Feudal Lords

c.       Serfs and Peasants

d.      Farms and land use

e.      People’s attitudes about life and death

20.   How did the Plague help end the Middle Ages?

100 Years War

21.   Who fought in the 100 Years War? 

22.   What was the war about?

23.   Where was it fought?

24.   What weapon changed history in the 100 Years War?

25.   Who used the weapon in the HYW?

26.   How did this weapon end the era of the knight?

27.   What battle is known as the end of the knight?

28.   Why were archers so effective?

29.   Facts about longbow?

30.   Who was Joan of Arc and why is she so important?

31.   Why did Joan of Arc end up leading the French Army? How successful was she?

32.   What happened to Joan of Arc and why?

33.   What was the outcome of the 100 Years War?

Changes in Farming

34.   What happened to Europe’s climate around the year 1000?

35.   Explain the Three Field System and why it is better than the two-field system.

36.   What advance was made in the plow?

37.   What animal was used in the Dark Ages for plowing?  What animal replaced it, and what invention allowed for the new animal.

38.   The new animal could plow __ times as fast as before.

39.   How were legumes helpful to human beings?

40.   How were legumes helpful to the soil?

Growth of Towns

41.   Why did many serfs and peasants move to towns?

42.   Who owned the towns?

43.   Why does “town air make you free”?

44.   What is a guild?  What are the four steps in a guild?

45.   What is a surname and why did it develop in the High Middle Ages?

46.   Early universities were guilds of teachers and learners.

47.   What is a surname and why did surnames develop in towns?

Norman Conquest and England

48.   Who were the Normans and where did they live?

49.   Why did William invade England?

50.   What year?

51.   What battle gave William victory?

52.   What did William do after his victory to gain control of England?

53.   What is the Domesday Book?

54.   Why did King John have to call his nobles?

55.   What is the Magna Carta and why is it important?

56.   What are some rights given by English kings that we have in the United States today?

57.   What is parliament?

58.  Reasons for anti-Semitism in Europe



Happy Easter Egg!

Study Guide Rise and Fall of Russian Communism  HARD COPY

Morris

Part One: Russian History

1.       Russia is ranked ___ in the world in size and stretches across ___ time zones.  #1, 11

2.       Russia is on the continents of ________ and __________.  The dividing line is the ______ Mountains.  Europe, Asia, Ural Mountains.

3.       The ______ and ______ combined to form Russia’s largest ethnic group, the ________. Slavs, Vikings, Russians

4.       Russians adopted ______________ Christianity which they got from ______________. Orthodox, Constantinople

5.       The Russians use the ___________ alphabet which they got from _________________. Cyrillic, Constantinople

6.       Russia was controlled by the ___________ for several centuries.  How did this effect its development?  Mongols.  It made Russia backwards.

7.       Why did Moscow become Russia’s most important city after Kiev?  On three rivers, for trade

8.       What is a Russian king called and why?  Tsar.  Named after the Caesars of Rome.

9.       What did Peter the Great do? Why?  Modernized Russia and made it more European.  He admired Europe and felt Russia was backwards.

10.   Where did Peter move the Russian capital?  St. Petersburg.

11.   What is a serf?  A slave tied to the land.

12.   What Tsar freed the serfs and what happened to him?  Alexander.  Assassinated (killed)

Part Two:  Karl Marx, Marxism/Communism

13.   Why did Karl Marx think capitalism was doomed to fail?  Because the workers will overthrow the owners.

14.   What did Marx believe about wealth in a capitalist system?  The rich get richer, the poor get poorer.

15.   What did Marx believe workers would do eventually in a capitalist system?  Why?  Revolution.  They will be tired of being taken advantage of.

16.   What are the strengths and weaknesses of Marxist theory?  Strengths—helps poor, levels wealth.  Weaknesses—hurts well-off, doesn’t reward individual effort.

Part Three:  The Russian Revolution

17.   Who was Tsar at the time of the revolution?  What kind of ruler was he and how do you know?  Nicholas.  He was a poor leader.  He had chances to compromise after 1905 but never did.

18.   What caused Bloody Sunday and what happened on Bloody Sunday, 1905?  Poor Russians wanting 8-hour day and basic rights.  They were killed by the Tsar’s soldiers.

19.   How did World War I weaken the Tsar’s power and help the communists?  Many Russians died.  The communists told the workers they were killing each other to make the businesses rich.

20.   What caused the Civil War in Russia and who won?  Communist Reds versus Tsarist Whites.  Reds won.

21.   Who was the first leader of communist Russia after the revolution was successful?  Lenin.

22.   Who was Rasputin and why is he important?  What happened to him and why?  Mad monk.  Had power over Tsar and family.  He was murdered by Tsar’s supporters.

23.   What happened to the Tsar and his family?  Why?  They were murdered by the communists.  The communists didn’t want the Tsar to have any chance of regaining power.

24.   What was Russia renamed by the communists?  Soviet Union or USSR.

25.   Why were attempts to let the workers run factories failures?  What did the communist government do instead?  SKIP

26.   Lenin killed ___ million of his own people. 4

27.   After Lenin died, he was replaced by _____________. Stalin

28.   Describe how Stalin ruled the Soviet Union.   Harshly, killing those who opposed him

29.   Why did Stalin kill or imprison so many of his own people?  He was afraid they were plotting to overthrow him.

30.   What were the Five Year Plans and how did they help Russia industrialize?  Plans to industrialize Russia quickly.  They forced factories to meet quotas or be punishe.

31.   What is a purge?  Why did Stalin have the purges?  Purges get rid of people the government doesn’t want.  He eliminated those he didn’t trust.

Part Four:  World War II

32.   Who did Stalin sign a non-aggression pact with in 1939?  Why?  Hitler.  He didn’t want war.

33.   Did Hitler intend to honor the agreement?  What was his strategy?  No.  Hitler planned to attack Russia as soon as he defeated Europe.

34.   How did Stalin defeat Germany in WWII?  He used scorched earth and the Russian winter, and had help from the US.

35.   How many Russians were killed in WWII?  16 million

36.   How did the US help Russia defeat Hitler in Russia?  We went war supplies.

Part Five:  Post-War Russia and Europe

37.   After the war, what did Stalin do to change Europe?  Why?   He made Eastern European countries communist.

38.   What weapon did Russia successfully develop in 1949?  Atomic bomb

39.   What happened to Germany after WWII?  Why?  It was divided in four parts, English, French, American and Russian.  Russia kept its piece and forced it to be communist.

40.   What happened to the German capital of Berlin?  Why?  It was also divided in four.  Because Germany had lost the war.

41.   What alliance did Western Europe form after WWII to protect against communism?  NATO

42.   What alliance did the Soviet Union form in 1955 to protect its interests?  Warsaw Pact.

43.   What was the cause and effect of the Berlin Airlift of 1948?  Cause:  East Germans closed highways and railroads in and out of West Berlin.  Allies flew in supplies.  West Berlin stayed free.

44.   What was the “Iron Curtain”?  An imaginary  curtain that separated communist Europe from free Europe. 

Part Six: The Cold War

45.    What was the Cold War and why is it called the Cold War?  Why was it cold?  A war between Russia and the United States where the two sides didn’t actually fight each other but built weapons of mass destruction.  Cold because they didn’t fight each other.

46.   Why was the Korean War fought and why was it a part of the Cold War? Who won/why?  It was fought to keep North Korea from turning South Korea communist.  Russia supported North Korea and we supported South Korea.

47.   What happened in the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1961?  How serious was it and why?  Russia tried to put nuclear missiles in Cuba and we made them take them out.  It was almost WWIII.

48.   Why was the Berlin Wall built? To keep East Germans from escaping into West Berlin.

49.   Why did the U.S. built the Interstate Highways in the Fifties?  Mainly to make it easy to get military supplies and people between cities if there was a nuclear war.

50.   Who fought in the Vietnam War?  How was it part of the Cold War?  Who won/why?  North Vietnam, supported by China and Russia, and South Vietnam, supported by the United States.  North won because politicians wouldn’t let the military fight a total war.

51.   Why did many people in the Fifties feel afraid?  What are some things people did to make themselves safer?  Nuclear/cold war.  Bomb shelters.  Duck and cover. Drills.

Part Seven: The Fall of Russian Communism

52.   Why did Russia finally lose the Cold War?  Or how did the US win it?  The US could spend much more money on weapons and the Russians could not spend that much and keep their people supplied with material goods.

53.   Why was President Ronald Reagan’s “Tear Down This Wall” speech so important?  It put pressure on the communists to grant more freedom.

54.   What year did the wall come down?  How long did it take after that for Russia itself to reject communism?  1989.  2 years, 1991.

55.   How many of the former Russian communist nations are still communist?  Zero

56.   What type of government does Russia have now and why?  Semi-democratic oligarchy.

57.   What is President Vladimir Putin’s background?  Is he making Russia more or less free?  Why do you think so?  Former spy with the communist KGB.  Less free.  Fewer rights for non-Russians, less free speech.