Timeline of Russian history 1614714 220185427 2008-06-18T17:53:47Z AnnaFrance 7002667 Fixing [[Wikipedia:Disambiguation pages with links|links to disambiguation pages]] using [[Project:AutoWikiBrowser|AWB]] __NOTOC__ This is a '''timeline of [[Russia]]n history'''. To read about the background to these events, see [[History of Russia]]. See also the [[list of leaders of Russia]]. ''This timeline is '''incomplete'''; some important events may be missing. Please help add to it.'' <div class="toc"> [[#9th century|9th]] - [[#10th century|10th]] - [[#11th century|11th]] - [[#12th century|12th]] - [[#13th century|13th]] - [[#14th century|14th]] - [[#15th century|15th]] - [[#16th century|16th]] - [[#17th century|17th]] - [[#18th century|18th]] - [[#19th century|19th]] - [[#20th century|20th]] - [[#21st century|21st]]</div> == 9th century == {| class="wikitable" width="100%" ! style="width:6%" | Year || style="width:10%" | Date || Event |- | |[[862]] || || [[Varangians|Varangian]] leader [[Rurik]] gained the control of [[Staraya Ladoga|Ladoga]] and built the Holmgard settlement in [[Velikiy Novgorod|Novgorod]]. |- | [[879]] || || [[Rurik]] died. He was succeeded by [[Oleg of Novgorod|Oleg]], a relative, possibly his brother-in-law. |- | [[882]] || || [[Oleg of Novgorod|Oleg]] moved the capital from [[Velikiy Novgorod|Novgorod]] to [[Kiev]]. |} == 10th century == {| class="wikitable" width="100%" ! style="width:6%" | Year || style="width:10%" | Date || Event |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[907]] || || ''[[Rus'-Byzantine War (907)]]'': [[Oleg of Novgorod|Oleg]] led an army to the walls of [[Constantinople]]. |- | || ''Rus'-Byzantine War (907)'': A [[Rus'-Byzantine Treaty (907)|Rus'-Byzantine Treaty]] allowed [[Kievan Rus'|Rus']] merchants to enter the city under guard. |- | [[912]] || || [[Oleg of Novgorod|Oleg]] died and was succeeded by [[Igor, Grand Prince of Kiev|Igor]], who may have been [[Rurik]]'s son. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[941]] || May || ''[[Rus'-Byzantine War (941)]]'': A [[Kievan Rus'|Rus']] army landed at [[Bithynia]]. |- | September || ''Rus'-Byzantine War (941)'': The [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantines]] destroyed the [[Kievan Rus'|Rus']] fleet. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[945]] || || ''Rus'-Byzantine War (941)'': Another [[Rus'-Byzantine Treaty (945)|Rus'-Byzantine Treaty]] was signed. [[Kievan Rus'|Rus']] renounced some [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]] territories. |- | || [[Igor, Grand Prince of Kiev|Igor]] died; his wife [[Olga of Kiev|Olga]] became regent of [[Kievan Rus']] for their son, [[Sviatoslav I of Kiev|Sviatoslav I]]. |- | [[963]] || || [[Olga of Kiev|Olga's]] regency ended. |- | [[965]] || || [[Sviatoslav I of Kiev|Sviatoslav]] conquered [[Khazaria]]. |- | [[968]] || || ''[[Siege of Kiev (968)]]'': The [[Pechenegs]] besieged [[Kiev]]. A [[Kievan Rus'|Rus']] general created the illusion of a much larger army, and frightened them away. |- | [[969]] || July 8 || [[Sviatoslav I of Kiev|Sviatoslav]] moved the capital from [[Kiev]] to [[Pereyaslavets]] in [[Bulgaria]]. |- | [[971]] || || The [[Byzantine Empire]] captured [[Pereyaslavets]]. The capital moved back to [[Kiev]]. |- | [[972]] || || [[Sviatoslav I of Kiev|Sviatoslav]] was killed by the [[Pechenegs]] during an expedition on their territory. His son [[Yaropolk I of Kiev|Yaropolk I]] succeeded him. |- | [[980]] || || [[Yaropolk I of Kiev|Yaropolk]] was betrayed and murdered by his brother [[Vladimir I of Kiev|Vladimir I, The Great]], who succeeded him as Prince of [[Kievan Rus'|Kiev]]. |- | [[981]] || || [[Vladimir I of Kiev|Vladimir]] conquered [[Red Ruthenia]] from the [[Poland|Poles]]. |- | [[988]] || || ''[[Christianization of Kievan Rus']]'': [[Vladimir I of Kiev|Vladimir]] destroyed the pagan idols of [[Kiev]] and urged the city's inhabitants to baptize themselves in the [[Dnieper River]]. |} == 11th century == {| class="wikitable" width="100%" ! style="width:6%" | Year || style="width:10%" | Date || Event |- | [[1015]] || || [[Vladimir I of Kiev|Vladimir]] died. He was succeeded by [[Sviatopolk I of Kiev|Sviatopolk I]], who may have been his biological son by the rape of [[Yaropolk I of Kiev|Yaropolk's]] wife. Sviatopolk ordered the murder of three of Vladimir's younger sons. |- | [[1016]] || || [[Yaroslav I the Wise|Yaroslav I]], another of [[Sviatopolk I of Kiev|Sviatopolk's]] brothers, led an army against him and defeated him, forcing him to flee to [[Kingdom of Poland (1025–1138)|Poland]]. |- | [[1017]] || || [[Yaroslav I the Wise|Yaroslav]] issued the first Russian code of law, the [[Russkaya Pravda]]. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1018]] || || ''[[Kiev Expedition (1018)|Polish Expedition to Kiev]]'': [[Sviatopolk I of Kiev|Sviatopolk]] led the [[Kingdom of Poland (1025–1138)|Polish]] army into [[Kievan Rus'|Rus']]. [[Red Ruthenia]] returned to Polish possession. |- | August 14 || ''Polish Expedition to Kiev'': The [[Kingdom of Poland (1025–1138)|Polish]] army captured [[Kiev]]; [[Yaroslav I the Wise|Yaroslav]] fled to [[Velikiy Novgorod|Novgorod]]. |- | [[1019]] || || [[Yaroslav I the Wise|Yaroslav]] defeated [[Sviatopolk I of Kiev|Sviatopolk]] and returned to the princedom of [[Kievan Rus'|Kiev]]. He granted autonomy to [[Novgorod Republic|Novgorod]] as a reward for her prior loyalty. Sviatopolk died. |- | [[1024]] || || ''[[Rus'-Byzantine War (1024)]]'': A [[Kievan Rus'|Rus]] fleet was annihilated by the [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantines]] near the island of [[Lemnos]]. |- | [[1030]] || || [[Yaroslav I the Wise|Yaroslav]] reconquered [[Red Ruthenia]] from the [[Kingdom of Poland (1025–1138)|Poles]]. |- | [[1043]] || || ''[[Rus'-Byzantine War (1043)]]'': [[Yaroslav I the Wise|Yaroslav]] led an unsuccessful naval raid on [[Constantinople]]. According to the peace settlement, Yaroslav's son [[Vsevolod I of Kiev|Vsevolod I]] married a daughter of the [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]] emperor [[Constantine IX Monomachos|Constantine Monomachos]]. |- | [[1054]] || || [[Yaroslav I the Wise|Yaroslav]] died. He was succeeded by his eldest son, [[Iziaslav I of Kiev|Iziaslav I]]. |- | [[1068]] || || [[Iziaslav I of Kiev|Iziaslav]] was overthrown in a popular uprising and forced to flee to [[Kingdom of Poland (1025–1138)|Poland]]. |- | [[1069]] || || [[Iziaslav I of Kiev|Iziaslav]] led the [[Kingdom of Poland (1025–1138)|Polish]] army back into [[Kiev]] and reestablished himself on the throne. |- | [[1073]] || || Two of [[Iziaslav I of Kiev|Iziaslav's]] brothers, [[Sviatoslav II of Kiev|Sviatoslav II]] and [[Vsevolod I of Kiev|Vsevolod I]], overthrew him; the former became prince of [[Kievan Rus'|Kiev]]. |- | [[1076]] || December 27 || [[Sviatoslav II of Kiev|Sviatoslav]] died. [[Vsevolod I of Kiev|Vsevolod I]] succeeded him, but traded the princedom of [[Kievan Rus'|Kiev]] to [[Iziaslav I of Kiev|Iziaslav]] in exchange for Chernigov. |- | [[1078]] || || [[Iziaslav I of Kiev|Iziaslav]] died. The throne of [[Kievan Rus'|Kiev]] went to [[Vsevolod I of Kiev|Vsevolod]]. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1093]] || April 13 || [[Vsevolod I of Kiev|Vsevolod]] died. [[Kievan Rus'|Kiev]] and Chernigov went to [[Iziaslav I of Kiev|Iziaslav's]] illegitimate son, [[Sviatopolk II of Kiev|Sviatopolk II]]. |- | May 26 || ''[[Battle of the Stugna River]]'': A Russian army attacked the [[Cumans]] at the [[Stuhna River|Stugna River]] and was defeated. |} == 12th century == {| class="wikitable" width="100%" ! style="width:6%" | Year || style="width:10%" | Date || Event |- | [[1113]] || April 16 || [[Sviatopolk II of Kiev|Sviatopolk]] died. He was succeeded by [[Vsevolod I of Kiev|Vsevolod's]] son, his cousin, [[Vladimir II Monomakh]]. |- | [[1125]] || May 19 || [[Vladimir II Monomakh|Vladimir]] died. His eldest son, [[Mstislav I of Kiev|Mstislav I]], succeeded him. |- | [[1132]] || April 14 || [[Mstislav I of Kiev|Mstislav]] died. His brother [[Yaropolk II of Kiev|Yaropolk II]] followed him as prince of [[Kievan Rus'|Kiev]]. |- | [[1136]] || || [[Novgorod Republic|Novgorod]] expelled the prince appointed for them by [[Kievan Rus'|Kiev]] and vastly circumscribed the authority of the office. |} == 13th century == {| class="wikitable" width="100%" ! style="width:6%" | Year || style="width:10%" | Date || Event |- | [[1223]] || || ''[[Battle of the Kalka River]]'': The warriors of Russia first encountered the [[Mongol Empire|Mongol]] armies of [[Genghis Khan]]. |- | [[1227]] || || [[Boyar]] intrigues forced [[Mstislav the Bold|Mstislav]], the prince of [[Novgorod Republic|Novgorod]], to give the throne to his son-in-law [[Andrew II of Hungary]]. |- | [[1236]] || || [[Alexander Nevsky]] was summoned by the Novgorodians to become Grand Prince of [[Novgorod Republic|Novgorod]] and, as their military leader, to defend their northwest lands from [[Sweden|Swedish]] and [[Germany|German]] invaders. |- | [[1237]] || December || ''[[Mongol invasion of Rus]]'': [[Batu Khan]] set fire to [[Moscow]] and slaughtered and enslaved its civilian inhabitants. |- | [[1240]] || July 15 || ''[[Battle of the Neva]]'': The [[Novgorod Republic|Novgorodian]] army defeated a [[Sweden|Swedish]] invasion force at the confluence of the [[Izhora River|Izhora]] and [[Neva River]]s. |- | [[1242]] || April 5 || ''[[Battle of the Ice]]'': The army of [[Novgorod Republic|Novgorod]] defeated the invading [[Teutonic Knights]] on the frozen surface of [[Lake Peipus]]. |- | [[1263]] || November 14 || [[Alexander Nevsky|Nevsky]] died. His appanages were divided within his family; his youngest son [[Daniel of Moscow|Daniel]] became the first Prince of Moscow. His younger brother [[Yaroslav of Tver]] became the Grand Prince of Tver and of [[Vladimir-Suzdal|Vladimir]] and appointed deputies to run the Principality of Moscow during Daniel's minority. |} ==14th century== {| class="wikitable" width="100%" ! style="width:6%" | Year || style="width:10%" | Date || Event |- | [[1303]] || March 5 || [[Daniel of Moscow|Daniel]] died. His eldest son [[Yury of Moscow|Yury]] succeeded him as Prince of Moscow. |- | [[1317]] || || [[Yury of Moscow|Yury]] married the sister of [[Uzbeg Khan]]. Uzbeg deposed the Grand Prince of [[Vladimir-Suzdal|Vladimir]] and appointed Yury to that office. |- | [[1322]] || || [[Dmitri of Tver|Dmitriy the Terrible Eyes]], the son of the last Grand Prince of [[Vladimir-Suzdal|Vladimir]], convinced [[Uzbeg Khan]] that [[Yury of Moscow|Yury]] had been stealing from the khan's tribute money. He was reappointed to the princedom of Vladimir. |- | [[1325]] || November 21 || [[Yury of Moscow|Yury]] was murdered by [[Dmitri of Tver|Dmitriy]]. His younger brother [[Ivan I of Russia|Ivan I Kalita]] succeeded him. |- | [[1327]] || August 15 || The ambassador of the [[Golden Horde]] was trapped and burned alive during an uprising in the Grand Duchy of Tver. |- | [[1328]] || || [[Ivan I Kalita|Ivan]] led a [[Golden Horde|Horde]] army against the Grand Prince of Tver, also the Grand Prince of [[Vladimir-Suzdal|Vladimir]]. Ivan was allowed to replace him in the latter office. |- | [[1340]] || March 31 || [[Ivan I Kalita|Ivan]] died. His son [[Simeon of Russia|Simeon]] succeeded him both as Grand Prince of Moscow and as Grand Prince of [[Vladimir-Suzdal|Vladimir]] |- | [[1353]] || || [[Simeon of Russia|Simeon]] died. His younger brother [[Ivan II of Russia|Ivan II, The Fair]], succeeded him as Grand Prince of Moscow. |- | [[1359]] || November 13 || [[Ivan II of Russia|Ivan]] died. His son, [[Dmitri Donskoi]], succeeded him. |- | [[1380]] || September 8 || ''[[Battle of Kulikovo]]'': A Russian force defeated a significantly larger [[Blue Horde]] army at [[Kulikovo Field]]. |- | [[1382]] || || The Mongol [[Khan (title)|khan]] [[Tokhtamysh]] reasserted his power by looting and burning [[Moscow]]. |- | [[1389]] || May 19 || [[Dmitri Donskoi|Dmitri]] died. The throne fell to his son, [[Vasili I of Russia|Vasili I]]. |- |} == 15th century == {| class="wikitable" width="100%" ! style="width:6%" | Year || style="width:10%" | Date || Event |- | [[1425]] || February || [[Vasili I of Russia|Vasili]] died. His son [[Vasili II of Russia|Vasili II, The Blind]], succeeded him as Grand Prince of Moscow; his wife [[Sophia of Lithuania|Sophia]] became regent. His younger brother, [[Yury Dmitrievich]], also issued a claim to the throne. |- | [[1430]] || || [[Yury Dmitrievich|Dmitrievich]] appealed to the [[Khan (title)|khan]] of the [[Golden Horde]] to support his claim to the throne. [[Vasili II of Russia|Vasili II]] retained the Duchy of Moscow, but Dmitrievich was given the Duchy of Dmitrov. |- | [[1432]] || || [[Vasili II of Russia|Vasili II]] led an army to capture Dmitrov. His army was defeated and he was forced to flee to [[Kolomna]]. [[Yury Dmitrievich|Dmitrievich]] arrived in Moscow and declared himself the Grand Prince. [[Vasili II of Russia|Vasili II]] was pardoned and made mayor of Kolomna. |- | [[1433]] || || The exodus of Muscovite [[boyars]] to [[Vasili II of Russia|Vasili II's]] court in [[Kolomna]] persuaded [[Yury Dmitrievich|Dmitrievich]] to return Moscow to his nephew and move to [[Galich, Russia|Galich]]. |- | rowspan="4" valign="top" | [[1434]] || || [[Vasili II of Russia|Vasily II]] burned [[Galich, Russia|Galich]]. |- | March 16 || The army of [[Yury Dmitrievich]] defeated the army of [[Vasili II of Russia|Vasily II]]. The latter fled to [[Nizhny Novgorod]]. |- | April 1 || [[Yury Dmitrievich|Dmitrievich]] arrived in [[Moscow]] and again declared himself the Grand Prince. |- | July 5 || [[Yury Dmitrievich|Dmitrievich]] died. His eldest son Vasili Kosoy, the Cross-Eyed, succeeded him as Grand Prince. |- | [[1435]] || || [[Yury Dmitrievich|Dmitrievich's]] second son, [[Dmitry Shemyaka]], allied himself with [[Vasili II of Russia|Vasili II]]. Vasili the Cross-Eyed was expelled from the [[Moscow Kremlin|Kremlin]] and blinded. Vasili II returned to the throne of the Grand Prince. |- | [[1438]] || || ''[[Russo-Kazan Wars]]'': The [[Khan (title)|khan]] of the recently established [[Khanate of Kazan]] led an army towards [[Moscow]]. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1445]] || July 7 || ''[[Battle of Suzdal]]'': The Russian army suffered a great defeat at the hands of the [[Tatars]] of [[Khanate of Kazan|Kazan]]. [[Vasili II of Russia|Vasili II]] was taken prisoner; operation of the government fell to [[Dmitry Shemyaka]]. |- | December || [[Vasili II of Russia|Vasili II]] was ransomed back to Russia. |- | [[1446]] || || [[Dmitry Shemyaka|Shemyaka]] had [[Vasili II of Russia|Vasili II]] blinded and exiled to [[Uglich]], and had himself declared the Grand Prince. |- | [[1450]] || || The [[boyar]]s of Moscow expelled [[Dmitry Shemyaka|Shemyaka]] from the [[Moscow Kremlin|Kremlin]] and recalled [[Vasili II of Russia|Vasili II]] to the throne. |- | [[1452]] || || [[Dmitry Shemyaka|Shemyaka]] was forced to flee to the [[Novgorod Republic]]. |- | [[1453]] || || [[Dmitry Shemyaka|Shemyaka]] was poisoned by Muscovite agents. |- | [[1462]] || March 27 || [[Vasili II of Russia|Vasili II]] died. His son [[Ivan III of Russia|Ivan III, The Great]], succeeded him as Grand Prince. |- | [[1463]] || || Russia annexed the Duchy of Yaroslavl. |- | [[1471]] || July 14 || ''[[Battle of Shelon]]'': A Muscovite army defeated a numerically superior [[Novgorod Republic|Novgorodian]] force. |- | [[1474]] || || Russia annexed the Rostov Duchy. |- | [[1476]] || || [[Ivan III of Russia|Ivan]] stopped paying tribute to the [[Great Horde]]. |- | [[1478]] || January 14 || The [[Novgorod Republic]] surrendered to the authority of Moscow. |- | [[1480]] || November 11 || ''[[Great stand on the Ugra river]]'': [[Ivan III of Russia|Ivan's]] forces deterred [[Akhmat Khan]] of the [[Great Horde]] from invading Russia. |- | [[1485]] || || [[Ivan III of Russia|Ivan]] annexed the Grand Duchy of Tver. |- | [[1497]] || || [[Ivan III of Russia|Ivan]] issued a legal code, the ''[[Sudebnik of 1497|Sudebnik]]'', which standardized the Russian law, expanded the role of the criminal justice system, and limited the ability of the [[Russian serfdom|serfs]] to leave their masters. |} == 16th century == {| class="wikitable" width="100%" ! style="width:6%" | Year || style="width:10%" | Date || Event |- | [[1505]] || October 27 || [[Ivan III of Russia|Ivan]] died. He was succeeded as Grand Duke of Russia by his son, [[Vasili III of Russia|Vasili III]]. |- | [[1507]] || || ''[[Russo-Crimean Wars]]'': The [[Crimean Khanate]] raided the Russian towns of [[Belyov]] and [[Kozelsk]]. |- | [[1510]] || || With the approval of most of the local nobility, [[Vasili III of Russia|Vasili]] arrived in the [[Pskov Republic]] and declared it dissolved. |- | [[1517]] || || The last Grand Prince of the [[Ryazan Principality]] was captured and imprisoned in [[Moscow]]. |- | [[1533]] || December 3 || [[Vasili III of Russia|Vasili]] died; his son [[Ivan IV of Russia|Ivan IV, The Terrible]], succeeded him. His wife [[Elena Glinskaya]] became regent. |- | [[1538]] || April 4 || [[Elena Glinskaya|Glinskaya]] died. She was succeeded as regent by Prince Vasily Nemoy. |- | [[1547]] || January 16 || An elaborate ceremony crowned [[Ivan IV of Russia|Ivan]] the first ''tsar'' of Russia. |- | rowspan="3" valign="top" | [[1552]] || August 22 || ''[[Siege of Kazan (1552)]]'': Russian armed forces arrived at [[Kazan]]. |- | October 2 || ''Siege of Kazan (1552)'': The Russian army breached the walls of [[Kazan]]. |- | October 13 || ''Siege of Kazan (1552)'': The civilian population of [[Kazan]] was massacred, the city occupied. |- | [[1556]] || || Russia conquered and annexed the [[Astrakhan Khanate]]. |- | [[1558]] || || ''[[Livonian War]]'': [[Ivan IV of Russia|Ivan]] demanded a back-breaking tribute from the [[Bishopric of Dorpat]]. The Bishop sent diplomats to Russia to renegotiate the amount; Ivan expelled them and invaded and occupied the Bishopric. |- | [[1560]] || August 2 || ''[[Battle of Ergeme]]'': [[Ivan IV of Russia|Ivan's]] army crushed the forces of the [[Livonian Brothers of the Sword|Livonian Order]]. |- | [[1561]] || November 28 || The [[Livonian Brothers of the Sword|Livonian Order]] agreed to the [[Union of Wilno]], under which the [[Livonian Confederation]] was partitioned between [[Grand Duchy of Lithuania|Lithuania]], [[Sweden]] and [[Denmark]]. Lithuania and Sweden sent troops to liberate their new territories from Russian possession. |- | [[1565]] || February || [[Ivan IV of Russia|Ivan]] established the ''[[Oprichnina]]'', a Russian territory ruled directly by the tsar. |- | [[1569]] || July 1 || The [[Union of Lublin]] was signed. [[Kingdom of Poland (1385–1569)|Poland]] and the [[Grand Duchy of Lithuania]] were merged into the [[Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth]]; Poland began aiding Lithuania in its war against Russia. |- | [[1572]] || || The ''[[Oprichnina]]'' was abolished. |- | [[1581]] || November 16 || [[Ivan IV of Russia|Ivan]] killed his eldest son. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1582]] || January 15 || ''Livonian War'': The [[Peace of Jam Zapolski]] ended [[Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth|Polish-Lithuanian]] participation in the war. Russia gave up its claims to [[Livonia]] and the city of [[Polatsk]]. |- | October 23 || ''[[Battle of Chuvash Cape]]'': Russian soldiers dispersed the armed forces of the [[Siberia Khanate]] from its capital, [[Qashliq]]. |- | [[1583]] || || ''Livonian War'': The war was ended with the [[Treaty of Plussa]]. [[Narva]] and the [[Gulf of Finland]] coast went to [[Sweden]]. |- | [[1584]] || March 18 || [[Ivan IV of Russia|Ivan]] died of mercury poisoning. The throne fell to his mentally retarded son [[Feodor I of Russia|Feodor I]]; his son-in-law [[Boris Godunov]] took ''de facto'' charge of government. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1590]] || January 18 || ''[[Russo-Swedish War (1590–1595)]]'': The [[Treaty of Plussa]] expired. Russian troops laid siege to [[Narva]]. |- | February 25 || ''Russo-Swedish War (1590–1595)'': A [[Sweden|Swedish]] governor on the disputed territory surrendered to the Russians. |- | [[1591]] || May 15 || [[Tsarevich Dimitri|Dimitriy Ivanovich]], [[Ivan IV of Russia|Ivan the Terrible's]] third and youngest son, died in exile from a stab wound to the throat. |- | [[1595]] || May 18 || ''Russo-Swedish War (1590–1595)'': The [[Treaty of Tyavzino]] was signed. [[Ingria]] went to Russia. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1598]] || January 7 || [[Feodor I of Russia|Feodor]] died with no children. |- | February 21 || A ''[[Zemsky Sobor|zemsky sobor]]'' elected [[Boris Godunov|Godunov]] the first non-[[Rurik Dynasty|Rurikid]] tsar of Russia. |} ==17th century== {| class="wikitable" width="100%" ! style="width:6%" | Year || style="width:10%" | Date || Event |- | [[1604]] || October || [[False Dmitriy I]], a man claiming to be the murdered [[Tsarevich Dimitri|Dmitriy Ivanovich]], invaded Russia. |- | rowspan="5" valign="top" | [[1605]] || April 13 || [[Boris Godunov|Boris]] died. His son [[Feodor II of Russia|Feodor II]] was pronounced tsar. |- | July 1 || A group of [[boyar]]s defected in support of [[False Dmitriy I|False Dmitriy]], seized control of the [[Moscow Kremlin|Kremlin]], and arrested [[Feodor II of Russia|Feodor]]. |- | June 20 || [[False Dmitriy I|False Dmitriy]] and his army arrived in [[Moscow]]. |- | July 20 || [[Feodor II of Russia|Feodor]] and his mother were strangled. |- | July 21 || [[False Dmitriy I|False Dmitriy]] was crowned tsar. |- | rowspan="3" valign="top" | [[1606]] || May 8 || [[False Dmitriy I|False Dmitriy]] married a [[Catholicism|Catholic]], inflaming suspicions that he meant to convert Russia to Catholicism. |- | May 17 || Conservative [[boyar]]s led by [[Vasili IV of Russia|Vasili Shuisky]] stormed the [[Moscow Kremlin|Kremlin]] and shot [[False Dmitriy I|False Dmitriy]] to death during his escape. |- | May 19 || [[Vasili IV of Russia|Shuisky]]'s allies declared him Tsar Vasili IV. |- | [[1607]] || || [[False Dmitriy II]], another claimant to the identity of [[Tsarevich Dimitri|Dmitriy Ivanovich]], obtained financial and military support from a group of [[Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth|Polish]] [[magnates]]. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1609]] || February 28 || [[Vasili IV of Russia|Vasili]] ceded border territory to [[Sweden]] in exchange for military aid against the government of [[False Dmitriy II]]. |- | September || ''[[Polish-Muscovite War (1605–1618)#Polish-Russian War (1609-1618)|Polish-Russian War (1609-1618)]]'': The [[Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth|Polish]] king [[Sigismund III Vasa|Sigismund III]] led an army into Russia. |- | rowspan="6" valign="top" | [[1610]] || July 4 || ''[[Battle of Klushino]]'': Seven thousand [[Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth|Polish]] cavalrymen defeated a vastly superior Russian force at [[Klushino]]. |- | July 19 || [[Vasili IV of Russia|Vasili]] was overthrown. A group of nobles, the [[Seven Boyars]], replaced him at the head of the government. |- | July 27 || ''Polish-Russian War (1609-1618)'': A truce was established. The [[Seven Boyars|boyars]] promised to recognize [[Sigismund III Vasa|Sigismund]]'s son and heir [[Władysław IV Vasa|Władysław]] as tsar, conditional on severe limits to his power and his conversion to [[Russian Orthodox Church|Orthodoxy]]. |- | August || ''Polish-Russian War (1609-1618)'': [[Sigismund III Vasa|Sigismund]] rejected the [[Seven Boyars|boyars']] conditions. |- | December || [[Patriarch Hermogenes|Hermogenes]], the patriarch of the [[Russian Orthodox Church]], urged the Russian people to rise against the [[Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth|Poles]]. |- | December 11 || [[False Dmitriy II]] was shot and beheaded by one of his entourage. |- | [[1612]] || November 1 || ''Polish-Russian War (1609-1618)'': Russian nationalists rising against the [[Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth|Poles]] recaptured the [[Moscow Kremlin|Kremlin]]. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1613]] || || ''[[Ingrian War]]'': [[Sweden]] invaded Russia. |- | February 21 || A ''[[Zemsky Sobor|zemsky sobor]]'' elected [[Michael I of Russia|Michael Romanov]], a grandson of [[Ivan IV of Russia|Ivan the Terrible's]] brother-in-law, the tsar of Russia. |- | [[1617]] || February 27 || ''Ingrian War'': The [[Treaty of Stolbovo]] ended the war. [[Kexholm County|Kexholm]], [[Swedish Ingria|Ingria]], [[Swedish Estonia|Estonia]] and [[Swedish Livonia|Livonia]] went to [[Swedish Empire|Sweden]]. |- | [[1618]] || December 11 || ''Polish-Russian War (1609-1618)'': The [[Truce of Deulino]] ended the war. Russia ceded the city of [[Smolensk]] and the [[Czernihów Voivodeship]] to [[Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth|Poland]]. |- | [[1619]] || February 13 || [[Patriarch Filaret (Feodor Romanov)|Feodor Romanov]], [[Michael I of Russia|Michael]]'s father, was released from [[Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth|Polish]] prison and allowed to return to Russia. |- | [[1632]] || October || ''[[Smolensk War]]'': With the expiration of the [[Truce of Deulino]], a Russian army was sent to lay siege to [[Smolensk]]. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1634]] || March 1 || ''Smolensk War'': The Russian army, surrounded, was forced to surrender. |- | June 14 || ''Smolensk War'': The [[Treaty of Polyanovka]] was signed, ending the war. [[Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth|Poland]] retained [[Smolensk]], but [[Władysław IV Vasa|Władysław]] renounced his claim to the Russian throne. |- | [[1645]] || July 13 || [[Michael I of Russia|Michael]] died. His son, [[Alexis I of Russia|Alexis I]], succeeded him. |- | rowspan="5" valign="top" | [[1648]] || January 25 || ''[[Khmelnytsky Uprising]]'': A [[Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth|Polish]] [[magnate]], [[Bohdan Khmelnytsky]], persuaded the [[Cossack]]s of the [[Zaporizhian Sich]] to join him against the king. |- | June 1 || ''[[Salt Riot]]'': Upset over the introduction of a salt tax, the townspeople launched a rebellion in [[Moscow]]. |- | June 11 || ''Salt Riot'': A group of [[Russian nobility|nobles]] demanded a ''[[Zemsky Sobor|zemsky sobor]]'' on behalf of the rebellion. |- | July 3 || ''Salt Riot'': Many of the rebellion's leaders were executed. |- | December 25 || ''Khmelnytsky Uprising'': [[Bohdan Khmelnytsky|Khmelnytsky]] entered the [[Ukraine|Ukrainian]] capital, [[Kiev]]. |- | [[1649]] || January || A ''[[Zemsky Sobor|zemsky sobor]]'' ratified a new legal code, the [[Sobornoye Ulozheniye]]. |- | [[1653]] || || ''[[Raskol]]'': [[Patriarch Nikon|Nikon]], the Patriarch of Moscow, reformed Russian liturgy to align with the rituals of the [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Greek Church]]. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1654]] || || ''Khmelnytsky Uprising'': Under the [[Treaty of Pereyaslav]], [[Left-bank Ukraine]], the territory of the [[Zaporozhian Host]], became a Russian protectorate. |- | July || ''[[Russo-Polish War (1654–1667)]]'': The Russian army invaded [[Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth|Poland]]. |- | rowspan="4" valign="top" | [[1655]] || || ''[[Deluge (history)]]'': [[Swedish Empire|Sweden]] invaded the [[Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth]]. |- | July 3 || ''Russo-Polish War (1654–1667)'': The Russian army captured [[Vilnius]]. |- | July 25 || ''Deluge (history)'': The ''[[Voivode#Poland|voivode]]'' of [[Poznań]] surrendered to the [[Swedish Empire|Swedish]] invaders. |- | November 2 || Russia negotiated a ceasefire with [[Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth|Poland]]. |- | [[1656]] || July || ''[[Russo–Swedish War (1656–1658)]]'': Russian reserves invaded [[Swedish Ingria]]. |- | rowspan="3" valign="top" | [[1658]] || February 26 || ''[[Dano-Swedish War (1657-1658)]]'': The [[Treaty of Roskilde]] ended [[Swedish Empire|Sweden's]] war with [[Denmark–Norway|Denmark]], allowing her to shift her troops to the eastern conflicts. |- | September 16 || ''Russo-Polish War (1654–1667)'': The [[Treaty of Hadiach]] established a military alliance between [[Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth|Poland]] and the [[Zaporozhian Host]], and promised the latter a separate state within the Commonwealth. |- | December 28 || ''Russo–Swedish War (1656–1658)'': The Treaty of Valiesar established a peace. The conquered [[Swedish Ingria|Ingrian]] territories were ceded to Russia for three years. |- | [[1660]] || April 23 || ''Deluge (history)'': The [[Treaty of Oliva]] ended the conflict between [[Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth|Poland]] and [[Swedish Empire|Sweden]]. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1661]] || || ''Russo-Polish War (1654–1667)'': [[Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth|Polish]] forces recaptured [[Vilnius]]. |- | || The Treaty of Valiesar expired. Russia returned [[Swedish Ingria|Ingria]] to the [[Swedish Empire]] by the [[Treaty of Cardis]]. |- | [[1662]] || July 25 || ''[[Copper Riot]]'': In the early morning, a group of Muscovites marched to [[Kolomenskoye]] and demanded punishment for the government ministers who had debased Russia's copper currency. On their arrival, they were countered by the military; a thousand were hanged or drowned. The rest were exiled. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1665]] || || ''[[Lubomirski's Rokosz]]'': A [[Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth|Polish]] [[Szlachta|nobleman]] launched a ''[[rokosz]]'' (rebellion) against the king. |- | || The pro-[[Ottoman Empire|Turkish]] [[Cossack]] noble [[Petro Doroshenko]] defeated his pro-Russian adversaries in the [[Right-bank Ukraine]]. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1667]] || || ''Raskol'': A church council [[excommunication|anathematized]] the [[Old Believers]], who rejected [[Patriarch Nikon|Nikon's]] reforms. |- | January 30 || ''Russo-Polish War (1654–1667)'': The [[Treaty of Andrusovo]] ended the war. Poland agreed to cede the [[Smoleńsk Voivodship|Smoleńsk]] and [[Czernihów Voivodship]]s and acknowledged Russian control over the [[Left-bank Ukraine]]. |- | [[1669]] || || [[Petro Doroshenko|Doroshenko]] signed a treaty which recognized his state as a [[vassal state]] of the [[Ottoman Empire]]. |- | [[1670]] || || The [[Cossack]] [[Stenka Razin]] began a rebellion against the Russian government. |- | [[1671]] || || [[Stenka Razin|Razin]] was captured, tortured, and quartered in [[Red Square]] on the [[Lobnoye Mesto]]. |- | [[1674]] || || The [[Cossacks]] of the [[Right-bank Ukraine]] elected the pro-Russian [[Ivan Samoylovych]], [[Hetman]] of the [[Left-bank Ukraine]], to replace [[Petro Doroshenko|Doroshenko]] and become the Hetman of a unified Ukraine. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1676]] || || ''[[Russo-Turkish War (1676–1681)]]'': The [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] army joined [[Petro Doroshenko|Doroshenko's]] forces in an attack on the [[Left-bank Ukraine|Left-bank]] city of [[Chyhyryn]]. |- | January 29 || [[Alexis I of Russia|Alexis]] died. His son [[Feodor III of Russia|Feodor III]] became tsar. |- | [[1680]] || || ''Russo-Crimean Wars'': The [[Crimean Khanate|Crimean]] invasions of Russia ended. |- | [[1681]] || January 3 || ''Russo-Turkish War (1676–1681)'': The war ended with the [[Treaty of Bakhchisarai]]. The Russo-[[Ottoman Empire|Turkish]] border was settled at the [[Dnieper River]]. |- | rowspan="4" valign="top" | [[1682]] || || [[Feodor III of Russia|Feodor]] abolished the ''[[mestnichestvo]]'', an ancient, unmeritocratic system of making political appointments. |- | April 14 || [[Avvakum]], the most prominent leader of the [[Old Believer]] movement, was burned at the stake. |- | April 27 || [[Feodor III of Russia|Feodor]] died with no children. [[Peter I of Russia|Peter I, The Great]], [[Alexis I of Russia|Alexis's]] son by his second wife [[Natalia Naryshkina]], was declared tsar. His mother became regent. |- | May 17 || ''[[Moscow Uprising of 1682]]'': ''[[Streltsy]]'' regiments belonging to the faction of [[Alexis I of Russia|Alexis's]] first wife, [[Maria Miloslavskaya]], took over the [[Moscow Kremlin|Kremlin]], executed [[Natalia Naryshkina|Naryshkina's]] brothers, and declared Miloslavskaya's invalid son [[Ivan V of Russia|Ivan V]] the "senior tsar," with [[Peter I of Russia|Peter]] remaining on the throne as the junior. Miloslavkaya's eldest daughter [[Sophia Alekseyevna]] became regent. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1687]] || May || ''[[Crimean campaigns]]'': The Russian army launched an invasion against an [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] vassal, the [[Crimean Khanate]]. |- | June 17 || ''Crimean campaigns'': Faced with a burned steppe incapable of feeding their horses, the Russians turned back. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1689]] || June || [[Fyodor Shaklovity]], the head of the [[Streltsy Department]], persuaded [[Sophia Alekseyevna|Alekseyevna]] to proclaim herself tsarina and attempted to ignite a new rebellion in her support. The ''[[streltsy]]'' instead defected in support of [[Peter I of Russia|Peter]]. |- | October 11 || [[Fyodor Shaklovity|Shaklovity]] was executed. |- | rowspan="4" valign="top" | [[1696]] || January 29 || [[Ivan V of Russia|Ivan]] died. |- | April 23 || ''[[Azov campaigns#The second Azov campaign|Second Azov campaign]]'': The Russian army began its deployment to an important [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] fortress, [[Azov]]. |- | May 27 || ''Second Azov campaign'': The Russian navy arrived at the sea and blockaded [[Azov]]. |- | July 19 || ''Second Azov campaign'': The [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] garrison surrendered. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1698]] || June 6 || ''[[Streltsy Uprising]]'': Approximately four thousand ''[[streltsy]]'' overthrew their commanders and headed to [[Moscow]], where they meant to demand the enthroning of the exiled [[Sophia Alekseyevna]]. |- | June 18 || ''Streltsy Uprising'': The rebels were defeated. |- == 18th century == {| class="wikitable" width="100%" ! style="width:6%" | Year || style="width:10%" | Date || Event |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1700]] || August 19 || ''[[Great Northern War]]'': Russia declared war on [[Swedish Empire|Sweden]]. |- | October 16 || [[Patriarch Adrian|Adrian]], the patriarch of the [[Russian Orthodox Church]], died. [[Peter I of Russia|Peter]] prevented the election of a successor. |} | [[1707]] || October 8 || ''[[Bulavin Rebellion]]'': A small band of [[Don Cossacks]] killed a [[Russian nobility|Russian noble]] searching their territory for tax fugitives. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1708]] || July 7 || ''Bulavin Rebellion'': After a series of devastating military reversals, Bulavin was shot by his former followers. |- | December 18 || An imperial decree divided Russia into eight [[guberniya]]s (governates). |- | [[1709]] || June 28 || ''[[Battle of Poltava]]'': A decisive Russian military victory over the [[Swedish Empire|Swedes]] at [[Poltava]] marked the turning point of the war. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1710]] || October 14 || The Russian [[guberniya]]s were divided into lots according to [[Russian nobility|noble]] population. |- | November 20 || ''[[Russo-Turkish War (1710–1711)]]'': [[Charles XII of Sweden]] persuaded the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] sultan to declare war on Russia. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1711]] || February 22 || ''[[Government reform of Peter I]]'': [[Peter I of Russia|Peter]] established the [[Governing Senate]] to pass laws in his absence. |- | July 21 || ''Russo-Turkish War (1710–1711)'': Peace was concluded with the Treaty of the Pruth. Russia returned [[Azov]] to the [[Ottoman Empire]] and demolished the town of [[Taganrog]]. |- | rowspan="3" valign="top" | [[1713]] || May 8 || The Russian capital was moved from [[Moscow]] to [[Saint Petersburg]]. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | July 17 || The [[Riga Governorate]] was established on the conquered territory of [[Swedish Livonia]]. |- | The territory of the [[Smolensk Governorate]] was divided between the Moscow and [[Riga Governorate]]s. |- | [[1714]] || January 15 || The northwestern territory of the [[Kazan Governorate]] was transferred to the newly established Nizhny Novgorod Governorate. |- | [[1715]] || October 11 || [[Peter I of Russia|Peter]] demanded that his son, the [[Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich of Russia|tsarevich Alexei Petrovich]], endorse his reforms or renounce his right to the throne. |- | [[1716]] || || [[Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich of Russia|Alexei]] fled to [[Vienna]] to avoid military service. |- | rowspan="3" valign="top" | [[1717]] || rowspan="2" valign="top" | November 22 || The Astrakhan Governorate was formed on the southern lands of [[Kazan Governorate]]. |- | The territory of the Nizhny Novgorod Governorate was reincorporated into the [[Kazan Governorate]]. |- | December 12 || ''Government reform of Peter I'': [[Peter I of Russia|Peter]] established ''[[Collegium (ministry)|collegia]]'', government ministries that superseded the ''[[prikaz]]y''. |- | rowspan="4" valign="top" | [[1718]] || January 31 || [[Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich of Russia|Alexei]] returned to [[Moscow]] under a promise he would not be harmed. |- | February 18 || After torture, [[Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich of Russia|Alexei]] publicly renounced the throne and implicated a number of reactionaries in a conspiracy to overthrow his father. |- | June 13 || [[Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich of Russia|Alexei]] was put on trial for treason. |- | June 26 || [[Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich of Russia|Alexei]] died after torture in the [[Peter and Paul Fortress]]. |- | rowspan="3" valign="top" | [[1719]] || rowspan="3" valign="top" | May 29 || Lots were abolished; the [[guberniya]]s were divided instead into provinces, each governed and taxed under a preexisting elected office (the [[Voivode#Russia|Voyevoda]]). Provinces were further divided into districts, replacing the old ''[[uyezd]]s''. The district commissars were to be elected by local gentry. |- | The Nizhny Novgorod Governorate was reestablished. |- | The [[Reval Governorate]] was established on the conquered territory of [[Swedish Estonia]]. |- | rowspan="3" valign="top" | [[1721]] || January 25 || [[Peter I of Russia|Peter]] established the [[Most Holy Synod|Holy Synod]], a body of ten clergymen chaired by a secular official, that was to head the [[Russian Orthodox Church]] in lieu of the Patriarch of Moscow. |- | August 30 || ''[[Great Northern War]]'': The [[Treaty of Nystad]] ended the war. [[Swedish Empire|Sweden]] ceded [[Swedish Estonia|Estonia]], [[Swedish Livonia|Livonia]] and [[Swedish Ingria|Ingria]] to Russia. |- | October 22 || [[Peter I of Russia|Peter]] was declared Emperor. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1722]] || || [[Peter I of Russia|Peter]] introduced the [[Table of Ranks]], which granted the privileges of [[Russian nobility|nobility]] based on state service. |- | July || ''[[Russo-Persian War (1722-1723)]]'': A Russian military expedition sailed in support of the independence of two [[Christianity|Christian]] kingdoms, [[Kartli]] and [[Persian Armenia|Armenia]]. |- | [[1723]] || September 12 || ''Russo-Persian War (1722-1723)'': The [[Persian Empire|Persian]] shah signed a peace treaty ceding the cities of [[Derbent]] and [[Baku]] and the provinces of [[Shirvan]], [[Guilan]], [[Mazandaran]] and [[Astrabad]] to the Russian Empire. |- | [[1725]] || January 28 || [[Peter I of Russia|Peter]] died of urinary problems. He failed to name a successor; one of Peter's closest advisers, [[Aleksandr Danilovich Menshikov|Aleksandr Menshikov]], convinced the [[Russian Imperial Guard|Imperial Guard]] to declare in favor of Peter's wife [[Catherine I of Russia|Catherine I]]. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1726]] || || The [[Smolensk Governorate]] was reestablished. |- | February 8 || [[Catherine I of Russia|Catherine]] established an advisory body, the [[Supreme Privy Council]]. |- | rowspan="4" valign="top" | [[1727]] || || [[Catherine I of Russia|Catherine]] established the Belgorod and Novgorod Governorates and adjusted the borders of several others. Districts were abolished; [[uyezd]]s were reestablished. |- | May 17 || [[Catherine I of Russia|Catherine]] died. |- | May 18 || According to [[Catherine I of Russia|Catherine's]] wishes the eleven-year-old [[Peter II of Russia|Peter II]], the son of [[Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich of Russia|Alexei Petrovich]] and grandson of [[Peter I of Russia|Peter the Great]], became tsar. The [[Supreme Privy Council]] was to hold power during his minority. |- | September 9 || The conservative members of the [[Supreme Privy Council]] expelled its most powerful member, the liberal [[Aleksandr Danilovich Menshikov|Menshikov]]. |- | rowspan="3" valign="top" | [[1730]] || January 30 || [[Peter II of Russia|Peter]] died of smallpox. |- | February 1 || The [[Supreme Privy Council]] offered the throne to [[Anna of Russia|Anna Ivanovna]], the daughter of [[Ivan V of Russia|Ivan V]], on the conditions that the Council retain the powers of war and peace and taxation, among others, and that she never marry or appoint an heir. |- | March 4 || [[Anna of Russia|Anna]] tore up the terms of her accession and dissolved the [[Supreme Privy Council]]. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1736]] || May 20 || ''[[Russo-Turkish War (1735–1739)]]'': The Russian army captured the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] fortifications at [[Isthmus of Perekop|Perekop]]. |- | June 19 || ''Russo-Turkish War (1735–1739)'': The Russians captured [[Azov]]. |- | [[1737]] || July || ''Russo-Turkish War (1735-1739)'': [[Habsburg Monarchy|Austria]] joined the war on the Russian side. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1739]] || August 21 || ''Russo-Turkish War (1735-1739)'': [[Habsburg Monarchy|Austria]] agreed by the [[Treaty of Belgrade]] to end its participation in the war. |- | September 18 || ''Russo-Turkish War (1735-1739)'': The [[Treaty of Nissa]] ended the war. Russia gave up its claims on [[Crimea]] and [[Moldavia]] and its navy was barred from the [[Black Sea]]. |- | rowspan="3" valign="top" | [[1740]] || October 17 || [[Anna of Russia|Anna]] died of kidney disease. Her will left the throne to her adopted infant son, [[Ivan VI of Russia|Ivan VI]]. |- | October 18 || [[Anna of Russia|Anna's]] lover, [[Ernst Johann von Biron]], was declared regent. |- | November 8 || [[Ernst Johann von Biron|Biron]] was arrested on the orders of his rival, the Count [[Burkhard Christoph von Munnich]]. [[Ivan VI of Russia|Ivan's]] biological mother, [[Anna Leopoldovna]], replaced Biron as regent. |- | rowspan="3" valign="top" | [[1741]] || August 8 || ''[[Russo-Swedish War (1741–1743)]]'': [[Sweden]] declared war on Russia. |- | November 25 || [[Elizabeth of Russia|Elizabeth]], the youngest daughter of [[Peter I of Russia|Peter the Great]], led the [[Preobrazhensky regiment|Preobrazhensky]] to the [[Winter Palace]] to overthrow the regency of [[Anna Leopoldovna]] and install herself as empress. |- | December 2 || [[Ivan VI of Russia|Ivan]] was imprisoned in the [[Daugavgriva]] fortress. |- | [[1742]] || September 4 || ''Russo-Swedish War (1741–1743)'': Encircled by the Russians at [[Helsinki]], the [[Sweden|Swedish]] army surrendered. |- | [[1743]] || August 7 || ''Russo-Swedish War (1741–1743)'': The [[Treaty of Åbo]] was signed, ending the war. Russia relinquished most of the conquered territory, keeping only the lands east of the [[Kymi River]]. In exchange [[Adolf Frederick of Sweden|Adolf Frederick of Holstein-Gottorp]], the uncle of the Russian heir to the throne, was to become [[Monarch of Sweden|King of Sweden]]. |- | [[1744]] || || The [[Old Finland|Vyborg Governorate]] was established on conquered [[Swedish Empire|Swedish]] territories. |- | [[1756]] || August 29 || ''[[Seven Years' War]]'': The [[Kingdom of Prussia]] invaded the [[Habsburg Monarchy|Austrian]] protectorate of [[Electorate of Saxony|Saxony]]. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1757]] || May 1 || ''[[Diplomatic Revolution]]'': Under the Second Treaty of Versailles, Russia joined the [[Early Modern France|Franco]]-[[Habsburg Monarchy|Austrian]] military alliance. |- | May 17 || ''Seven Years' War'': Russian troops entered the war. |- | [[1761]] || December 25 || ''[[The miracle of the House of Brandenburg]]'': [[Elizabeth of Russia|Elizabeth]] died. Her nephew, [[Peter III of Russia|Peter III]], became tsar. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1762]] || May 5 || ''Seven Years' War'': The [[Treaty of Saint Petersburg (1762)|Treaty of Saint Petersburg]] ended Russian participation in the war at no territorial gain. |- | July 17 || [[Peter III of Russia|Peter]] was overthrown by the [[Russian Imperial Guard|Imperial Guard]] and replaced with his wife, [[Catherine II of Russia|Catherine II, The Great]], on her orders. |- | [[1764]] || July 5 || A group of soldiers attempted to release the imprisoned [[Ivan VI of Russia|Ivan VI]]; he was murdered. |- | [[1767]] || October 13 || ''[[Repnin Sejm]]'': Four [[Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth|Polish]] senators who opposed the policies of the Russian ambassador [[Nicholas Repnin]] were arrested by Russian troops and imprisoned in [[Kaluga]]. |- | rowspan="3" valign="top" | [[1768]] || February 27 || ''Repnin Sejm'': Delegates of the ''Sejm'' adopted a treaty ensuring future Russian influence in [[Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth|Polish]] internal politics. |- | February 29 || [[Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth|Polish]] [[Szlachta|nobles]] established the [[Bar Confederation]] in order to end Russian influence in their country. |- | September 25 || ''[[Russo-Turkish War (1768–1774)]]'': The [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] sultan declared war on Russia. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1771]] || September 15 || ''[[Plague Riot]]'': A crowd of rioters entered [[Red Square]], broke into the [[Moscow Kremlin|Kremlin]] and destroyed the [[Chudov Monastery]]. |- | September 17 || ''Plague Riot'': The army suppressed the riot. |- | [[1772]] || August 5 || The first [[Partitions of Poland|partition of Poland]] was announced. [[Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth|Poland]] lost thirty percent of its territory, which was divided between [[Kingdom of Prussia|Prussia]], [[Habsburg Monarchy|Austria]], and Russia. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1773]] || || ''[[Pugachev's Rebellion]]'': The army of the [[Cossack]] [[Yemelyan Pugachev]] attacked and occupied [[Samara, Russia|Samara]]. |- | September 18 || A [[confederated sejm]] was forced to ratify the first [[Partitions of Poland|partition of Poland]]. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1774]] || July 21 || ''Russo-Turkish War (1768–1774)'': The [[Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca]] was signed. The portion of the [[Yedisan]] region east of the [[Southern Bug]] river, the [[Kabardino-Balkaria|Kabarda]] region in the [[Caucasus]], and several [[Crimea]]n ports, went to Russia. The [[Crimean Khanate]] received independence from the [[Ottoman Empire]], which also declared Russia the protector of [[Christianity|Christians]] on its territory. |- | September 14 || ''Pugachev's Rebellion'': Upset with the rebellion's bleak outlook, [[Yemelyan Pugachev|Pugachev's]] officers delivered him to the Russians. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1783]] || April 8 || The [[Crimean Khanate]] was incorporated into the Russian Empire. |- | July 24 || Threatened by the [[Persian Empire|Persian]] and [[Ottoman Empire]]s, the kingdom of [[Kartl-Kakheti]] signed the [[Treaty of Georgievsk]] under which it became a Russian protectorate. |- | rowspan="4" valign="top" | [[1788]] || || ''[[Russo-Turkish War (1787–1792)]]'': The [[Ottoman Empire]] declared war on Russia and imprisoned her ambassador. |- | June 27 || ''[[Russo-Swedish War (1788–1790)]]'': The [[Sweden|Swedish]] army playacted a skirmish between themselves and the Russians. |- | July 6 || ''[[Battle of Hogland]]'': The Russian navy dispersed a [[Sweden|Swedish]] invasion fleet near [[Hogland]] in the [[Gulf of Finland]]. |- | October 6 || ''[[Great Sejm]]'': A [[confederated sejm]] was called to restore the [[Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth]]. |- | [[1790]] || August 14 || ''Russo-Swedish War (1788–1790)'': The [[Treaty of Värälä]] ended the war, with no changes in territory. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1791]] || May 3 || ''Great Sejm'': [[Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth|Poland's]] [[Constitution of May 3, 1791|Constitution of May 3]] was ratified in secret. The new constitution abolished the ''[[liberum veto]]'', reducing the power of the nobles and limiting Russia's ability to influence Polish internal politics. |- | December 23 || [[Catherine II of Russia|Catherine]] established the [[Pale of Settlement]], an area in [[European Russia]] into which Russian [[Jew]]s were transported. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1792]] || January 9 || ''Russo-Turkish War (1787–1792)'': The [[Treaty of Jassy]] was signed, ending the war. The Russian border in [[Yedisan]] was extended to the [[Dniester]] river. |- | May 18 || ''[[Polish-Russian War of 1792]]'': The army of the [[Targowica Confederation]], which opposed the liberal [[Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth|Polish]] [[Constitution of May 3, 1791|Constitution of May 3]], invaded Poland. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1793]] || January 23 || ''Polish-Russian War of 1792'': The second [[Partitions of Poland|partition of Poland]] left the country with one-third of its 1772 population. |- | November 23 || ''[[Grodno Sejm]]'': The last ''[[sejm]]'' of the [[Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth]] ratified the second [[Partitions of Poland|partition]]. |- | rowspan="3" valign="top" | [[1794]] || March 24 || ''[[Kościuszko Uprising]]'': An announcement by [[Tadeusz Kościuszko]] sparked a nationalist uprising in [[Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth|Poland]]. |- | November 4 || ''[[Battle of Praga]]'': Russian troops captured the [[Praga]] borough of [[Warsaw]] and massacred its civilian population. |- | November 5 || ''Kościuszko Uprising'': The uprising ended with the Russian occupation of [[Warsaw]]. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1795]] || September 11 || ''[[Battle of Krtsanisi]]'': The [[Persian Empire|Persian]] army demolished the armed forces of [[Kartl-Kakheti]]. |- | October 24 || The third [[Partitions of Poland|partition of Poland]] divided up the remainder of its territory. |- | rowspan="3" valign="top" | [[1796]] || April || ''[[Persian Expedition of 1796]]'': [[Catherine II of Russia|Catherine]] launched a military expedition to punish [[Persian Empire|Persia]] for its incursion into the Russian protectorate of [[Kartl-Kakheti]]. |- | November 5 || [[Catherine II of Russia|Catherine]] suffered a stroke in the bathtub. |- | November 6 || [[Catherine II of Russia|Catherine]] died. The throne fell to her son, [[Paul I of Russia|Paul I]]. |} == 19th century == {| class="wikitable" width="100%" ! style="width:6%" | Year || style="width:10%" | Date || Event |- | rowspan="3" valign="top" | [[1801]] || January 8 || [[Paul I of Russia|Paul]] authorized the incorporation of [[Kartl-Kakheti]] into the Russian empire. |- | March 11 || [[Paul I of Russia|Paul]] was killed in his bed. |- | March 23 || [[Paul I of Russia|Paul's]] son, [[Alexander I of Russia|Alexander I]], ascended to the throne. |- | [[1802]] || || [[Alexander I of Russia|Alexander]] established the [[Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs|Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD)]]. |- | [[1804]] || || ''[[Russo-Persian War (1804-1813)]]'': Russian forces attacked the [[Persian Empire|Persian]] settlement of [[Echmiadzin]]. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1805]] || || The [[Ottoman Empire]] dismissed the pro-Russian [[hospodar]]s of its vassal states, [[Wallachia]] and [[Moldavia]]. |- | December 26 || ''[[War of the Third Coalition]]'': The [[Treaty of Pressburg]] ceded [[Austrian Empire|Austrian]] possessions in [[Dalmatia]] to [[First French Empire|France]]. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1806]] || October || To counter the [[First French Empire|French]] presence in [[Dalmatia]], Russia invaded [[Wallachia]] and [[Moldavia]]. |- | December 27 || ''[[Russo-Turkish War (1806–1812)]]'': The [[Ottoman Empire]] declared war on Russia. |- | rowspan="3" valign="top" | [[1807]] || June 14 || ''[[Battle of Friedland]]'': The Russian army suffered a defeat against the [[First French Empire|French]], suffering twenty thousand dead. |- | July 7 || The [[Treaties of Tilsit|Treaty of Tilsit]] was signed. [[Alexander I of Russia|Alexander]] agreed to evacuate [[Wallachia]] and [[Moldavia]] and ceded the [[Ionian Islands]] and [[Kotor|Cattaro]] to the [[First French Empire|French]]. The treaty ended Russia's conflict with France; [[Napoleon I of France|Napoleon]] promised to aid Russia in conflicts with the [[Ottoman Empire]]. |- | November 16 || [[Alexander I of Russia|Alexander]] demanded that [[Sweden]] close the [[Baltic Sea]] to [[United Kingdom|British]] warships. |- | [[1808]] || February 21 || ''[[Finnish War]]'': Russian troops crossed the [[Sweden|Swedish]] border and captured [[Hämeenlinna]]. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1809]] || March 29 || ''[[Diet of Porvoo]]'': The four [[Estates of the realm|Estates]] of [[Grand Duchy of Finland|Finland]] swore allegiance to the Russian crown. |- | September 17 || ''Finnish War'': The [[Treaty of Fredrikshamn]] was signed, ending the war and ceding [[Grand Duchy of Finland|Finland]] to the Russian Empire. |- | rowspan="3" valign="top" | [[1810]] || || The first [[military settlement]] was established near [[Klimavichy|Klimovichi]]. |- | January 1 || [[Alexander I of Russia|Alexander]] established the [[State Council of Imperial Russia|State Council]], which received the executive powers of the [[Governing Senate]]. |- | February 20 || The Russian government proclaimed the deposition of [[Solomon II of Imereti|Solomon II]] from the throne of [[Kingdom of Imereti|Imereti]]. |- | [[1811]] || March 27 || Regional military companies were merged into the [[Internal Troops|Internal Guard]]. |- | rowspan="4" valign="top" | [[1812]] || May 28 || ''Russo-Turkish War (1806–1812)'': The [[Treaty of Bucharest, 1812|Treaty of Bucharest]] ended the war and transferred [[Bessarabia]] to Russia. |- | June 24 || ''[[French invasion of Russia (1812)]]'': The [[First French Empire|French]] army crossed the [[Neman River]] into Russia. |- | September 14 || ''French invasion of Russia (1812)'': The [[First French Empire|French]] army entered a deserted [[Moscow]], the high-water mark of their invasion. |- | December 14 || ''French invasion of Russia (1812)'': The last [[First French Empire|French]] troops were forced off of Russian territory. |- | [[1813]] || October 24 || ''Russo-Persian War (1804-1813)'': According to the [[Treaty of Gulistan]], the [[Persian Empire]] ceded its [[South Caucasus|Transcaucasian]] territories to Russia. |- | [[1815]] || June 9 || ''[[Congress of Vienna]]'': The territory of the [[Duchy of Warsaw]] was divided between [[Kingdom of Prussia|Prussia]], Russia, and three newly established states: the [[Grand Duchy of Posen]], the [[Free City of Kraków]] and [[Congress Poland]]. The latter was a constitutional monarchy with [[Alexander I of Russia|Alexander]] as its king. |- | rowspan="3" valign="top" | [[1825]] || November 19 || [[Alexander I of Russia|Alexander]] died of typhus. The army swore allegiance to his eldest brother, the [[Grand Duke Constantine Pavlovich of Russia|Grand Duke Constantine Pavlovich]]. Constantine, however, following Alexander's choice of successor, swore allegiance to his younger brother, [[Nicholas I of Russia|Nicholas I]]. |- | December 12 || Under pressure from [[Grand Duke Constantine Pavlovich of Russia|Constantine]], [[Nicholas I of Russia|Nicholas]] published [[Alexander I of Russia|Alexander's]] succession manifesto. |- | December 14 || ''[[Decembrist revolt]]'': Three thousand soldiers gathered at the [[Decembrists Square|Senate Square]] in [[Saint Petersburg]], and declared their loyalty to [[Grand Duke Constantine Pavlovich of Russia|Constantine]] and to the idea of a Russian constitution. When talk failed, the tsarist army dispersed the demonstrators with artillery, killing at least sixty. |- | rowspan="3" valign="top" | [[1826]] || || An imperial decree established the Second Section of [[His Imperial Majesty's Own Chancellery|His Majesty's Own Chancery]], concerned with codifying and publishing the law, and the [[Third Section of His Imperial Majesty's Own Chancellery|Third Section]], which operated as the Empire's secret police. |- | July || [[Nicholas I of Russia|Nicholas]] established the office of Chief of Gendarmes, in charge of the [[Gendarmerie]] units of the [[Internal Troops|Internal Guard]]. |- | July 16 || ''[[Russo-Persian War (1826-1828)]]'': The [[Persian Empire|Persian]] army invaded the Russian-owned [[Talysh Khanate]]. |- | rowspan="3" valign="top" | [[1828]] || February 21 || ''Russo-Persian War (1826-1828)'' Facing the possibility of a Russian conquest of [[Tehran]], [[Persian Empire|Persia]] signed the [[Treaty of Turkmenchay]]. |- | May || The Russian army occupied [[Wallachia]]. |- | June || ''[[Russo-Turkish War (1828–1829)]]'': The Russian armed forces crossed into [[Dobruja]], an [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] territory. |- | [[1829]] || September 14 || ''Russo-Turkish War (1828–1829)'': The [[Treaty of Adrianople]] was signed, ceding the eastern shore of the [[Black Sea]] and the mouth of the [[Danube]] to the Russians. |- | [[1830]] || November 29 || ''[[November Uprising]]'': A group of [[Congress Poland|Polish]] nationalists attacked [[Belweder|Belweder Palace]], the seat of the Governor-General. |- | rowspan="4" valign="top" | [[1831]] || January 25 || ''November Uprising'': An act of the [[Sejm]] dethroned [[Nicholas I of Russia|Nicholas]] from the [[Congress Poland|Polish]] crown. |- | January 29 || ''November Uprising'': A new government took office in [[Congress Poland|Poland]]. |- | February 4 || ''November Uprising'': Russian troops crossed the [[Congress Poland|Polish]] border. |- | September || ''[[Battle of Warsaw (1831)]]'': The Russian army captured [[Warsaw]], ending the [[November Uprising]]. |- | [[1836]] || || The [[Gendarmerie]] of the [[Internal Troops|Internal Guard]] was spun off as the [[Special Corps of Gendarmes]]. |- | [[1852]] || December || The [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] sultan confirmed the supremacy of [[Second French Empire|France]] and the [[Roman Catholic Church|Catholic Church]] over [[Christianity|Christians]] in the [[Land of Israel|Holy Land]]. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1853]] || July 3 || Russia invaded the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] provinces of [[Wallachia]] and [[Moldavia]]. |- | October 4 || ''[[Crimean War]]'': The [[Ottoman Empire]] declared war on Russia. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1854]] || March 28 || ''Crimean War'': [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|Britain]] and [[Second French Empire|France]] declared war on Russia. |- | August || ''Crimean War'': In order to prevent the [[Austrian Empire]] entering the war, Russia evacuated [[Wallachia]] and [[Moldavia]]. |- | [[1855]] || February 18 || [[Nicholas I of Russia|Nicholas]] died. His son, [[Alexander II of Russia|Alexander II]], became tsar. |- | [[1856]] || March 30 || ''Crimean War'': The [[Treaty of Paris (1856)|Treaty of Paris]] was signed, officially ending the war. The [[Black Sea]] was demilitarized. Russia lost territory it had been granted at the mouth of the [[Danube]], abandoned claims to protect [[Turkic peoples|Turkish]] [[Christianity|Christians]], and lost its influence over the [[Danubian Principalities]]. |- | [[1857]] || || The last [[military settlement]]s were disbanded. |- | [[1858]] || May 28 || The [[Treaty of Aigun]] was signed, pushing the Russo-[[China|Chinese]] border east to the [[Amur]] river. |- | [[1860]] || October 18 || The [[Convention of Peking]] transferred the [[Ussuri krai]] from [[China]] to Russia. |- | [[1861]] || February 19 || ''[[Emancipation reform of 1861]]'': [[Alexander II of Russia|Alexander]] issued a manifesto emancipating the [[Serfdom|serfs]]. |- | [[1863]] || January 22 || ''[[January Uprising]]'': An anti-Russian uprising began in [[Congress Poland|Poland]]. |- | rowspan="5" valign="top" | [[1864]] || January 1 || [[Zemstvo|Zemstva]] were established for the local self-government of Russian citizens. |- | May 1 || The Russian army began an incursion into the [[Khanate of Kokand]]. |- | May 21 || ''Caucasian War'': [[Alexander II of Russia|Alexander]] declared the war over. |- | August 5 || ''January Uprising'': [[Romuald Traugutt]], the dictator of the rebellion, was hanged. |- | November 20 || ''[[Judicial reform of Alexander II]]'': A royal decree introduced new laws unifying and liberalizing the Russian judiciary. |- | [[1865]] || June 17 || The Russian army captured [[Tashkent]]. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1867]] || || The conquered territories of [[Turkestan|Central Asia]] became a separate [[Guberniya]], the [[Russian Turkestan]]. |- | March 30 || ''[[Alaska purchase]]'': Russia agreed to the sale of [[Alaska]] to the [[United States of America]]. |- | [[1868]] || || The [[Khanate of Kokand]] became a Russian [[vassal state]]. |- | [[1870]] || || Municipal [[duma]]s were established. |- | rowspan="4" valign="top" | [[1873]] || || The [[Narodnik]] rebellion began. |- | || The [[Emirate of Bukhara]] became a Russian protectorate. |- | May 18 || [[Khiva]] was captured by Russian troops. |- | August 12 || A peace treaty was signed that established the [[Khanate of Khiva]] as a quasi-independent Russian protectorate. |- | rowspan="5" valign="top" | [[1876]] || March || The [[Khanate of Kokand]] was incorporated into the Russian Empire. |- | April 20 || ''[[April Uprising]]'': [[Bulgaria]]n nationalists attacked the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] police headquarters in [[Oborishte]]. |- | May || [[Alexander II of Russia|Alexander]] signed the [[Ems Ukaz]], banning the use of the [[Ukrainian language]] in print. |- | July 8 || A secret treaty prepared for the division of the [[Balkans]] between Russia and [[Austria-Hungary]], depending on the outcome of local revolutionary movements. |- | December 6 || ''[[Kazan demonstration]]'': A political demonstration in front of the [[Kazan Cathedral]] in [[Saint Petersburg]] marked the appearance of the revolutionary group [[Land and Liberty (Russia)|Land and Liberty]]. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1877]] || February || The Trial of the 193 occurred, punishing the participants of the [[Narodnik]] rebellion. |- | April 24 || ''[[Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878)]]'': Russia declared war on the [[Ottoman Empire]]. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1878]] || March 3 || ''Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878)'': The [[Treaty of San Stephano]] was signed, concluding the war and transferring [[Northern Dobruja]] and some [[Caucasus|Caucasian]] territories into Russian hands. Several [[Slavic peoples|Slavic]] states, [[Montenegro]], [[Principality of Serbia|Serbia]], [[Danubian Principalities|Romania]], and [[Bulgaria]], received independence or autonomy. |- | July 13 || ''[[Congress of Berlin]]'': The [[Treaty of Berlin (1878)|Treaty of Berlin]], imposed on Russia by the [[Western Europe|West]], divided [[Bulgaria]] into [[Eastern Rumelia]] and the Principality of Bulgaria. |- | [[1879]] || August || [[Land and Liberty (Russia)|Land and Liberty]] split into the moderate [[Black Repartition]] and the radical terrorist group [[Narodnaya Volya|People's Will]]. |- || [[1880]] || August 6 || The [[Special Corps of Gendarmes]] and the [[Third Section of His Imperial Majesty's Own Chancellery|Third Section]] were disbanded; their functions and most capable officers were transferred to the new Department of State Police under the [[Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs|MVD]]. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1881]] || March 10 || [[Alexander II of Russia|Alexander]] was assassinated by [[Ignacy Hryniewiecki]] of the [[Narodnaya Volya|People's Will]]. His son, [[Alexander III of Russia|Alexander III]], becomes tsar. |- | September 21 || [[Persian Empire|Persia]] officially recognized Russia's annexation of [[Khwarazm]] in the [[Treaty of Akhal]]. |- | [[1882]] || May 3 || [[Alexander III of Russia|Alexander III]] introduced the [[May Laws]], which expelled Russian [[Jew]]s from rural areas and small towns and severely restricted their access to education. |- | [[1890]] || June 12 || An imperial decree subordinated the [[zemstvo|zemstva]] to the authority of the appointed regional governors. |- | [[1894]] || November 1 || [[Alexander III of Russia|Alexander III]] died. His son [[Nicholas II of Russia|Nicholas II]] succeeded him as tsar. |- | [[1898]] || March 1 || The [[Marxism|Marxist]] [[Russian Social Democratic Labour Party|Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP)]] held its [[1st Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party|first Party Congress]]. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1900]] || || Russia invaded and occupied the [[Sixty-Four Villages East of the Heilongjiang River]]. |- | February 6 || ''[[Russification of Finland]]'': [[Nicholas II of Russia|Nicholas]] issued a decree making [[Russian language|Russian]] the [[official language]] of [[Grand Duchy of Finland|Finland]]. |} == 20th century == {| class="wikitable" width="100%" ! style="width:6%" | Year || style="width:10%" | Date || Event |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1901]] || || The [[Socialist-Revolutionary Party]] was founded. |- | June 30 || ''Russification of Finland'': The Military Service Act incorporated the [[Grand Duchy of Finland|Finnish]] and Russian armies. |- | [[1902]] || || ''Russification of Finland'': [[Nikolai Ivanovich Bobrikov]], the [[Governor-General of Finland]], was given the power to dismiss opponents of Russification from the [[Grand Duchy of Finland|Finnish]] government. |- | rowspan="3" valign="top" | [[1903]] || March 20 || ''Russification of Finland'': The office of the [[Governor-General of Finland|Governor-General]] was given dictatorial powers. |- | April 6 || ''[[Kishinev pogrom]]'': A three-day [[pogrom]] began which would leave forty-seven [[Jew]]s dead. |- | November 17 || At the second congress of the [[Russian Social Democratic Labour Party|RSDLP]], the party split into two factions: the [[Bolshevik]]s, led by [[Vladimir Lenin]], and the less radical [[Menshevik]]s. |- | [[1904]] || February 8 || ''[[Russo-Japanese War]]'': [[Japan]] launched a surprise torpedo attack on the Russian navy at [[Lüshunkou|Port Arthur]]. |- | rowspan="7" valign="top" | [[1905]] || January 3 || ''[[Russian Revolution of 1905]]'': A strike began at the [[Kirov Plant|Putilov Works]] in [[St. Petersburg]]. |- | January 9 || ''[[Bloody Sunday (1905)]]'': Peaceful demonstrators arrived at the [[Winter Palace]] in [[Saint Petersburg]] to present a petition to the tsar, leading was a preist named Georgi Gapon. The [[Russian Imperial Guard|Imperial Guard]] fired on the crowd, killing around 200 and wounding 800. |- | May 28 || ''Russian Revolution of 1905'': The first [[soviet (council)|soviet]] was formed in the midst of a textile strike in [[Ivanovo|Ivanovo-Voznesensk]]. |- | June 14 || ''Russian Revolution of 1905'': A mutiny occurred aboard the battleship ''[[Russian battleship Potemkin|Potemkin]]''. |- | June 25 || ''Russian Revolution of 1905'': The ''[[Russian battleship Potemkin|Potemkin]]'' sailors defected to [[Kingdom of Romania|Romania]]. |- | September 5 || ''Russo-Japanese War'': The [[Treaty of Portsmouth]] was signed, ceding some Russian property and territory to [[Japan]] and ending the war. |- | October 17 || ''Russian Revolution of 1905'': [[Nicholas II of Russia|Nicholas]] signed the [[October Manifesto]], expanding civil liberties and establishing and empowering the first [[State Duma of the Russian Empire]]. |- | rowspan="6" valign="top" | [[1906]] || March || ''[[Russian legislative election, 1906]]'': The first free elections to the [[State Duma of the Russian Empire|Duma]] gave majorities to liberal and socialist parties. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | April 23 || The [[Russian Constitution of 1906|Fundamental Laws]] were issued, reaffirming the autocratic supremacy of the tsar. |- | The First [[State Duma of the Russian Empire|Duma]] was called. |- | July 21 || The First [[State Duma of the Russian Empire|Duma]] was dissolved. |- | July 23 || The [[Constitutional Democratic party|Constitutional Democratic party (Kadets)]] issued the Vyborg Manifesto, calling on the Russian people to evade taxes and the draft. All signatories to the Manifesto lost their right to hold office in the [[State Duma of the Russian Empire|Duma]]. |- | November 9 || A decree by [[Prime Minister of Russia|Prime Minister]] [[Pyotr Stolypin]] signaled the start of the [[Stolypin reform]], intended to replace the [[obshchina]] with a more progressive, [[capitalism|capitalist]] form of agriculture. |- | rowspan="5" valign="top" | [[1907]] || February 9 || The secret police units of the [[Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs|MVD]] Department of State Police were unified under the authority of the new [[Okhrana]]. |- | February 20 || The Second [[State Duma of the Russian Empire|Duma]] began. The [[Constitutional Democratic party|Kadets]] dropped seats, benefiting the [[Russian Social Democratic Labour Party|RSDLP]] and the [[Socialist-Revolutionary Party]]. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | June 3 || The Second [[State Duma of the Russian Empire|Duma]] was dissolved. |- | [[Nicholas II of Russia|Nicholas]] changed the electoral law and gave greater electoral value to the votes of nobility and landowners. |- | November 1 || The Third [[State Duma of the Russian Empire|Duma]] began. |- | rowspan="3" valign="top" | [[1912]] || April 4 || ''[[Lena massacre|Lena goldfields massacre]]'': The Russian army fired on a crowd of striking miners, killing 150. |- | June 9 || The Third [[State Duma of the Russian Empire|Duma]] ended. |- | November 15 || The Fourth [[State Duma of the Russian Empire|Duma]] was called. |- | rowspan="5" valign="top" | [[1914]] || June 28 || ''[[Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand]]'': [[Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria]] was assassinated by [[Gavrilo Princip]] of the [[Bosnia and Herzegovina|Bosnian]] separatist group [[Young Bosnia]]. |- | July 23 || ''[[World War I]]'': [[Austria-Hungary]] issued the [[July Ultimatum]] to [[Kingdom of Serbia|Serbia]], demanding, among other things, the right to participate in the investigation into the assassination of [[Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria|Franz Ferdinand]], which Serbia refused. |- | July 28 || ''World War I'': [[Austria-Hungary]] declared war on [[Kingdom of Serbia|Serbia]]. |- | July 30 || ''World War I'': Russia mobilized its army to defend [[Kingdom of Serbia|Serbia]]. |- | August 1 || ''World War I'': [[German Empire|Germany]] declared war on Russia in defense of [[Austria-Hungary]]. |- | rowspan="3" valign="top" | [[1915]] || May 2 || ''[[Gorlice-Tarnów Offensive]]'': The [[German Empire|German]] army launched an offensive across the length of the [[Eastern Front (World War I)|Eastern Front]]. |- | August 4 || ''Gorlice-Tarnów Offensive'': [[German Empire|Germany]] conquered [[Warsaw]]. |- | September 19 || ''Gorlice-Tarnów Offensive'': [[German Empire|German]] forces captured [[Vilnius]], the capital of [[Lithuania]]. |- | rowspan="3" valign="top" | [[1916]] || June 25 || ''[[Basmachi Revolt]]'': [[Nicholas II of Russia|Nicholas]] issued a decree ordering the conscription of [[Central Asia]]ns. |- | November 5 || By the [[Act of November 5th]], the [[German Empire|German]] government established the nominally independent [[Kingdom of Poland (1916–1918)|Kingdom of Poland]]. |- | December 16 || Royal adviser [[Grigori Rasputin]] was murdered by a group of nobles in the house of Prince [[Felix Yussupov]]. |- | rowspan="29" valign="top" | [[1917]] || February 22 || ''[[February Revolution]]'': The workers at the [[Kirov Plant|Putilov Plant]] in [[Saint Petersburg|Petrograd]] went on strike. |- | February 23 || ''February Revolution'': A series of demonstrations were held, demanding the end of the Russian autocracy and the end of Russian participation in [[World War I]]. |- | February 25 || ''February Revolution'': A battalion of soldiers was sent to [[Saint Petersburg|Petrograd]] to end the uprising. |- | February 26 || ''February Revolution'': [[Nicholas II of Russia|Nicholas]] ordered the dissolution of the Fourth [[State Duma of the Russian Empire|Duma]]. The Duma ignored his order and decreed the establishment of a [[Russian Provisional Government|Provisional Government]] with [[Georgy L'vov]] as [[Prime Minister of Russia|Prime Minister]]. |- | February 27 || ''February Revolution'': The soldiers sent to suppress the protestors defected and joined them. [[Menshevik]] leaders were freed from the [[Peter and Paul Fortress]] and founded the [[Petrograd Soviet]]. |- | March 2 || ''February Revolution'': [[Nicholas II of Russia|Nicholas]] abdicated the throne. |- | March 17 || A legislative council, the [[Tsentralna Rada]], was founded in [[Ukraine]]. |- | March 30 || The [[Russian Provisional Government|Provisional Government]] established the autonomous province of [[Estonia]] and scheduled elections to an Estonian legislative body, the [[Maapäev]]. |- | May 10 || The [[Rumcherod]], the Soviet government of southwestern [[Ukraine]] and [[Bessarabia]], was established. |- | June 23 || The [[Tsentralna Rada]] ratified [[Ukraine|Ukrainian]] autonomy. |- | July 3 || ''[[July Days]]'': A spontaneous pro-[[soviet (council)|soviet]] demonstration occurred on the streets of [[Saint Petersburg|Petrograd]]. |- | July 6 || ''July Days'': The rebellion was put down. The [[Russian Provisional Government|Provisional Government]] ordered the arrest of [[Bolshevik]] leaders. |- | July 14 || The [[Maapäev]] took office. |- | July 21 || [[Alexander Kerensky]] succeeded [[Georgy L'vov|L'vov]] as [[Prime Minister of Russia|Prime Minister]]. |- | August 27 || ''[[Kornilov Affair]]'': General [[Lavr Kornilov]] ordered an army corps to [[Saint Petersburg|Petrograd]] to destroy the [[soviet (council)|soviet]]s. |- | August 29 || ''Kornilov Affair'': The [[Russian Provisional Government|Provisional Government]] armed tens of thousands of [[Red Guards (Russia)|Red Guards]] to defend [[Saint Petersburg|Petrograd]]. |- | August 31 || ''Kornilov Affair'': [[Lavr Kornilov|Kornilov]] was arrested. |- | September 4 || Under public pressure, [[Bolshevik]] leaders were released from prison. |- | October 23 || [[Estonia]]n [[Bolshevik]]s under [[Jaan Anvelt]] captured the capital, [[Tallinn]]. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | October 25 || ''[[October Revolution]]'': Soldiers directed by the [[Military Revolutionary Committee]] of the [[Petrograd Soviet]] captured the [[Winter Palace]], ending the power of the [[Russian Provisional Government]]. |- | The Second [[Congress of Soviets|All-Russian Congress of Soviets]] convened. [[Menshevik]] and moderate [[Socialist-Revolutionary Party|SR]] representatives walked out to protest the [[October Revolution]]. The Congress established and elected the [[Sovnarkom]], and [[Vladimir Lenin|Lenin]] its first chairman, to run the country between sessions. |- | October 26 || The Second [[Congress of Soviets|All-Russian Congress of Soviets]] issued the [[Decree on Peace]], promising an end to Russian participation in [[World War I]], and the [[Decree on Land]], approving the expropriation of land from the nobility. |- | November 21 || The [[Moldova|Moldavian]] legislature, the [[Sfatul Ţării]], held its first meeting. |- | December 5 || A local nationalist group, the [[Alash Orda]], established an autonomous government in [[Kazakhstan]]. |- | December 6 || The [[Parliament of Finland|Finnish parliament]] issued a [[Finland's declaration of independence|declaration of independence]]. |- | December 7 || The [[Cheka]] was established. |- | December 12 || A [[Islam|Muslim]] republic, the [[Idel-Ural State]], was established in central Russia. |- | December 25 || [[Ukraine|Ukrainian]] [[Bolshevik]]s established the [[Ukrainian SSR|Soviet Ukrainian Republic]] in [[Kharkiv]]. |- | December 27 || ''[[Russian Civil War]]'': The counterrevolutionary [[Volunteer Army]] was established. |- | rowspan="6" valign="top" | [[1918]] || January 12 || The [[Tsentralna Rada]] declared the independence of the [[Ukrainian People's Republic]]. |- | January 14 || The [[Rumcherod]] declared itself the supreme power in [[Bessarabia]]. |- | January 15 || A decree of the [[Sovnarkom]] established the [[Red Army]]. |- | January 16 || The [[Greater Romania|Romanian]] army occupied [[Chişinău|Kishinev]] and evicted the [[Rumcherod]]. |- | January 24 || The [[Moldavian Democratic Republic]] declared its independence from Russia. |- | January 28 || The [[South Caucasus|Transcaucasian]] parliament held its first meeting. |- |} {| class="wikitable" width="100%" |- | align="center" | After January 31 (O.S.), the Bolsheviks adopted the [[Gregorian calendar]]. All dates hereafter are given in the [[Old Style and New Style dates|New Style]]. |- |} {| class="wikitable" width="100%" |- | rowspan="29" style="width:6%" | || style="width:10%" | February 18 || The Red Army conquered [[Kiev]]. |- | February 23 || Mass conscription to the [[Red Army]] began in [[Moscow]] and [[Saint Petersburg|Petrograd]]. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | February 24 || The Red Army retreated from [[Estonia]] in the face of the [[Germany|German]] armed forces. |- | The [[South Caucasus|Transcaucasian]] parliament announced the independent [[Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic|Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic (TDFR)]]. |- | March 3 || Soviet Russia signed the [[Treaty of Brest-Litovsk]], ending its participation in [[World War I]], relinquishing [[Finland]], [[Estonia]], [[Latvia]], [[Lithuania]], [[Kingdom of Poland (1916–1918)|Poland]], [[Belarusian National Republic|Belarus]], and [[Ukrainian People's Republic|Ukraine]], and ceding to the [[Ottoman Empire]] all territory captured in the [[Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878)|Russo-Turkish War]]. |- | March 6 || ''[[Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War]]'': Two hundred [[United Kingdom|British]] marines arrived at [[Murmansk]]. |- | March 25 || The [[Belarusian National Republic]] was established by its [[German Empire|German]] occupiers. |- | April || The [[Idel-Ural State]] was occupied and dissolved by the Red Army. |- | April 30 || The [[Turkestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic|Turkestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (ASSR)]] was established on the territory of the defunct [[Russian Turkestan]]. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | May 26 || ''Russian Civil War'': The [[Czechoslovak Legions|Czech Legion]] began its revolt against the [[Bolshevik]] government. |- | [[Democratic Republic of Georgia|Georgia]] seceded from the [[Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic|TDFR]]. |- | May 28 || [[Democratic Republic of Armenia|Armenia]] and [[Azerbaijan Democratic Republic|Azerbaijan]] declared their mutual independence. |- | June 8 || ''Russian Civil War'': An anti-[[Bolshevik]] government, the [[Committee of Members of the Constituent Assembly]], was established in [[Samara, Russia|Samara]] under the protection of the [[Czechoslovak Legions|Czech Legion]] |- | June 28 || A decree by the [[Supreme Soviet|Central Executive Committee]] made [[war communism]], under which all industry and food distribution was nationalized, the economic policy of the Soviet state. |- | June 29 || ''Russian Civil War'': The [[Provisional Government of Autonomous Siberia]] was established in [[Vladivostok]]. |- | July || The [[Idel-Ural State]] was restored by the [[Czechoslovak Legions|Czech Legion]]. |- | July 10 || The [[1918 Soviet Constitution]] was approved by the Fifth All-Russian [[Congress of Soviets]]. The legislative power was transferred from the [[Sovnarkom]] to the [[Supreme Soviet|Central Executive Committee]], which also received the power to pass constitutional amendments. |- | August 30 || After giving a speech at a [[Moscow]] factory, [[Vladimir Lenin|Lenin]] was shot twice by [[Socialist-Revolutionary Party|SR]] [[Fanny Kaplan]], but survived. |- | September 3 || ''[[Red Terror]]'': ''[[Izvestia]]'' called on the Russian people to "crush the hydra of counterrevolution with massive terror." |- | September 23 || ''Russian Civil War'': A meeting in [[Ufa]] established a unified anti-[[Bolshevik]] government, the Ufa Directorate. |- | November 11 || ''World War I'': An [[Armistice with Germany (Compiègne)|armistice treaty]] was signed, ending the war. |- | November 17 || Two [[Latvia]]n political parties founded a provisional legislature, the [[Tautas Padome]]. |- | November 18 || A military coup overthrew the Ufa Directorate and established its war minister, [[Aleksandr Kolchak]], as dictator. |- | November 19 || The [[Maapäev]] returned to power in [[Estonia]]. |- | November 22 || ''[[Estonian War of Independence]]'': The Russian Red Army invaded [[Estonia]]. |- | November 24 || [[Béla Kun]], a friend of [[Vladimir Lenin|Lenin]], founded the [[Hungarian Communist Party]]. |- | November 29 || ''Estonian War of Independence'': The Red Army captured the [[Estonia]]n town of [[Narva]]. Local [[Bolshevik]]s reestablished the [[Jaan Anvelt|Anvelt]] government as the [[Commune of the Working People of Estonia]]. |- | December || The [[Idel-Ural State]] was again occupied and dissolved by the Red Army. |- | December 8 || The [[Communist Party of Lithuania]] established a revolutionary government in [[Vilnius]]. |- | rowspan="18" valign="top" | [[1919]] || January 1 || Local [[Bolshevik]]s established the [[Byelorussian SSR|Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (SSR)]]. |- | January 3 || ''[[Latvian War of Independence]]'': The Red Army invaded [[Latvia]]. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | January 5 || The Red Army occupied [[Vilnius]], the [[Lithuania]]n capital, in support of the local [[Communism|Communist]] government. |- | The Red Army captured [[Minsk]] and pronounced it the capital of the [[Byelorussian SSR]]. |- | January 16 || The [[Orgburo]] was established to oversee the membership and organization of the [[Communist Party of the Soviet Union|Communist Party]]. |- | February 14 || ''[[Polish-Soviet War]]'': The [[Second Polish Republic|Polish]] army attacked Soviet forces occupying the town of [[Biaroza]]. |- | February 27 || [[Lithuania]] was absorbed into the [[Lithuanian-Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic]]. |- | March 4 || The First Congress of the [[Comintern]] began in [[Moscow]]. |- | March 21 || Seeking a military alliance with Russia against the [[France|French]], the [[Hungary|Hungarian]] Social Democrats merged with the [[Hungarian Communist Party|Communist Party]], released [[Béla Kun|Kun]] from prison and appointed him Commissar for Foreign Affairs. [[Béla Kun|Kun]] dismissed the president and proclaimed the [[Hungarian Soviet Republic]]. |- | March 25 || The Eighth [[Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union|Party Congress]] reinstituted the [[Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union|Politburo]] as the central governing body of the [[Communist Party of the Soviet Union|Communist Party]]. |- | April 16 || The [[Greater Romania|Romanian]] army invaded [[Hungary]]. |- | April 21 || ''Polish-Soviet War'': The [[Second Polish Republic|Polish]] army consolidated its control of [[Vilnius]]. |- | May 30 || An anti-[[Communism|Communist]] [[Hungary|Hungarian]] government headed by [[Gyula Károlyi]] was established in [[Szeged]]. |- | June 16 || [[Hungary|Hungarian]] occupiers established the [[Slovak Soviet Republic]]. |- | July 7 || The [[Czechoslovakia|Czechoslovak]] army reoccupied its territory and dissolved the [[Slovak Soviet Republic]]. |- | August 1 || Threatened by the approach of the [[Greater Romania|Romanian]] army, [[Béla Kun|Kun]] fled to [[Austria]]. |- | August 14 || The [[Greater Romania|Romanian]] army left the [[Hungary|Hungarian]] capital, [[Budapest]]. Admiral [[Miklós Horthy]] stepped into the power vacuum with the army of the [[Gyula Károlyi|Károlyi]] government. |- | August 25 || ''Polish-Soviet War'': After its total occupation by [[Second Polish Republic|Polish]] forces, the [[Lithuanian-Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic|Lithuanian-Byelorussian SSR]] was dissolved. |- | rowspan="19" valign="top" | [[1920]] || rowspan="2" valign="top" | February 2 || ''Estonian War of Independence'': Soviet Russia signed the [[Treaty of Tartu (Russian–Estonian)|Treaty of Tartu]], renouncing all claims on [[Estonia]]n territory. |- | An insurgency in the [[Khanate of Khiva]] forced the abdication of the Khan. |- | February 7 || ''Russian Civil War'': [[Aleksandr Kolchak|Kolchak]] was executed by a [[Bolshevik]] military tribunal. |- | March 26 || ''Russian Civil War'': The [[Volunteer Army]] evacuated to the [[Crimea]] to join the army of [[Pyotr Nikolayevich Wrangel]]. |- | April 25 || The Russian [[Eleventh Army (Soviet Union)|Eleventh Army]] invaded the [[Azerbaijan Democratic Republic]]. |- | April 26 || The [[Khorezm SSR|Khorezm People's Soviet Republic]] was established on the territory of the defunct [[Khanate of Khiva]]. |- | April 28 || With the [[Azerbaijan]]i capital [[Baku]] under [[Eleventh Army (Soviet Union)|Eleventh Army]] occupation, the parliament agreed to transfer power to the [[Communism|Communist]] government of the [[Azerbaijan SSR]]. |- | June 12 || The Soviet Union recognized [[Lithuania]]n independence. |- | July 8 || ''Polish-Soviet War'': The [[Galician Soviet Socialist Republic|Galician Soviet Socialist Republic (SSR)]] was established in [[Ternopil]]. |- | August 11 || ''Latvian War of Independence'': The [[Latvian-Soviet Riga Peace Treaty|Treaty of Riga]] was signed. Soviet Russia renounced all claims on [[Latvia]]n territory. |- | August 13 || ''[[Battle of Warsaw (1920)|Battle of Warsaw]]'': The battle began with a Russian attack across the [[Vistula]]. |- | August 26 || The [[Bolshevik]]s defeated the government of the Alash Orda and established the [[Kyrgyz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic|Kyrgyz ASSR]]<sup>[[#kyrgyz|†]]</sup> <small>(1)</small>. |- | August 31 || ''Battle of Warsaw'': The total defeat of the Russian Fourth, Fifteenth and Sixteenth Armies marked the end of the battle. |- | September 2 || The Red Army attacked [[Bukhara]], the capital of the [[Emirate of Bukhara]]. |- | September 21 || ''Polish-Soviet War'': The [[Second Polish Republic|Polish]] army occupied [[Galicia (Central Europe)|Galicia]] and ended the rule of the [[Galician Soviet Socialist Republic|Galician SSR]]. |- | October 8 || The [[Bukharan People's Soviet Republic]] was established. |- | November 14 || ''Russian Civil War'': [[Pyotr Nikolayevich Wrangel|Wrangel]] fled Russia. |- | November 29 || The [[Eleventh Army (Soviet Union)|Eleventh Army]] entered [[Democratic Republic of Armenia|Armenia]]. |- | December 1 || The [[Democratic Republic of Armenia|Armenian]] [[Prime Minister of Armenia|Prime Minister]] ceded control of the country to the invading [[Communism|Communists]]. |- | rowspan="9" valign="top" | [[1921]] || February 16 || ''[[Red Army invasion of Georgia]]'': The [[Eleventh Army (Soviet Union)|Eleventh Army]] crossed into [[Democratic Republic of Georgia|Georgia]]. |- | February 22 || [[Gosplan]], the economic planning committee of the Soviet Union, was created by a decree of the [[Sovnarkom]]. |- | February 25 || ''Red Army invasion of Georgia'': The [[Eleventh Army (Soviet Union)|Eleventh Army]] captured [[Tbilisi]] and announced the formation of the [[Georgian SSR]]. |- | February 28 || ''[[Kronstadt rebellion]]'': The crews of the battleships ''[[Battleship Petropavlovsk (1914)|Petropavlovsk]]'' and ''[[Russian battleship Sevastopol (1911)|Sevastopol]]'', harbored at [[Kronstadt]], published a list of demands on the government. |- | March 17 || ''Kronstadt rebellion'': After over a week of fighting, government troops pacified [[Kronstadt]]. |- | March 21 || A decree of the [[10th Congress of the Russian Communist Party (b)|Tenth Party Congress]] replaced [[war communism]] with the more liberal [[New Economic Policy]]. |- | March 18 || ''Polish-Soviet War'': [[Second Polish Republic|Poland]] and Soviet Russia signed the [[Peace of Riga]], ending the war. The disputed territories were divided between Poland, Russia and the newly reestablished [[Ukrainian SSR|Ukrainian]] and [[Byelorussian SSR|Byelorussian]] SSRs. |- | July || The Red Army captured [[Ulan Bator]], the [[Mongolia]]n capital. |- | July 13 || ''[[Russian famine of 1921]]'': The writer [[Maxim Gorky]] brought world attention to the looming famine. |- | rowspan="6" valign="top" | [[1922]] || February 23 || ''Russian famine of 1921'': A decree published in ''[[Izvestia]]'' authorized the seizure of church valuables for famine relief. |- | March 12 || The [[Georgian SSR|Georgian]], [[Armenian SSR|Armenian]] and [[Azerbaijan SSR|Azerbaijani]] SSRs were merged into the [[Transcaucasian SFSR|Transcaucasian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (SFSR)]]. |- | April 3 || The Eleventh [[Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union|Communist Party Congress]] established the office of the [[General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union|General Secretary of the Communist Party]] and appointed [[Joseph Stalin]] to fill it. |- | May 16 || [[Tikhon of Moscow|Tikhon]], the Patriarch of Moscow, was put under house arrest. |- | August 4 || ''Basmachi Revolt'': [[Enver Pasha]] was killed in [[Turkestan]]. |- | December 29 || The [[Treaty on the Creation of the USSR]] united its signatories, the [[Russian SFSR|Russian]] and [[Transcaucasian SFSR|Transcaucasian]] SFSRs and the [[Byelorussian SSR|Byelorussian]] and [[Ukrainian SSR|Ukrainian]] SSRs, under the power of the [[Soviet Union|Union of Soviet Socialist Republics]]. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1923]] || May 3 || A council of the pro-government [[Living Church]] declared [[Tikhon of Moscow|Tikhon]] an [[apostasy|apostate]] and abolished the Patriarchate. |- | October 15 || The [[The Declaration of 46|Declaration of 46]] was written. The Declaration echoed earlier concerns expressed by [[Leon Trotsky]], the Chairman of the [[Revolutionary Military Council]], that the [[Communist Party of the Soviet Union|Communist Party]] was insufficiently democratic. |- | rowspan="9" valign="top" | [[1924]] || January 21 || [[Vladimir Lenin|Lenin]] died. |- | January 31 || The [[1924 Soviet Constitution]] came into effect. |- | February 18 || The Thirteenth [[Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union|Party Congress]], led by [[Joseph Stalin|Stalin]], [[Comintern]] chairman [[Grigory Zinoviev]] and [[Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union|Politburo]] chairman [[Lev Kamenev]], denounced [[Leon Trotsky|Trotsky]] and his faction, the [[Left Opposition]]. |- | October 10 || The territory of the [[Khorezm SSR]] was incorporated into the [[Turkestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic|Turkestan ASSR]]. |- | October 12 || The [[Moldavian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic|Moldavian ASSR]] was established in the [[Ukrainian SSR]]. |- | October 14 || The [[Kara-Kyrgyz Autonomous Oblast]] was spun off of the [[Turkestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic|Turkestan ASSR]] and incorporated into the [[Russian SFSR]]. |- | October 27 || The [[Uzbek SSR]] was spun out of the [[Turkestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic|Turkestan ASSR]]. |- | November 25 || The [[Mongolian People's Republic]] was established. |- | November 27 || The [[Bukharan People's Soviet Republic]] was incorporated into the [[Uzbek SSR]]. |- | rowspan="8" valign="top" | [[1925]] || January 6 || [[Leon Trotsky|Trotsky]] was forced to resign his military offices. |- | February 19 || The lands of the [[Karakalpaks]] became the [[Karakalpak Autonomous Oblast]], an [[oblast]] of the [[Kyrgyz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic|Kyrgyz ASSR]] <small>(1)</small>. |- | April 7 || [[Tikhon of Moscow|Tikhon]] died. The Communist government would not allow elections to the patriarchate to be held; [[Metropolitan bishop|Metropolitan]] [[Peter of Krutitsy]] became the Patriarchal ''[[locum tenens]]'' according to his will. |- | April 19 || The Kyrgyz ASSR <small>(1)</small> was renamed the [[Kazakh Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic|Kazakh ASSR]]. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | May 13 || The [[Uzbek SSR]] joined the [[Soviet Union]]. |- | The remainder of the [[Turkestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic|Turkestan ASSR]] became the [[Turkmen SSR]]. |- | December 10 || [[Peter of Krutitsy]] was arrested. [[Patriarch Sergius I of Moscow|Sergius of Nizhny Novgorod]], whom he had named to succeed him, took the title of Deputy Patriarchal ''[[locum tenens]]''. |- | December 23 || The Fourteenth [[Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union|Party Congress]] endorsed the leadership of [[Joseph Stalin|Stalin]] and his rightist ally [[Nikolai Bukharin]], soundly defeating the New Opposition faction of [[Lev Kamenev|Kamenev]] and [[Grigory Zinoviev|Zinoviev]]. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1926]] || February 11 || The [[Kara-Kyrgyz Autonomous Oblast]] was reorganized into the [[Kyrgyz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic|Kyrgyz ASSR]] <small>(2)</small>. |- | October 23 || Trotsky was expelled from the [[Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union|Politburo]]. |- | rowspan="4" valign="top" | [[1927]] || February 25 || [[Article 58 (RSFSR Penal Code)|Article 58 of the RFSR Penal Code]] revised the penalties for counterrevolutionary activity. |- | July 29 || [[Patriarch Sergius I of Moscow|Sergius]] affirmed the loyalty of the [[Russian Orthodox Church]] to the Soviet government. |- | November 12 || [[Leon Trotsky|Trotsky]] and [[Grigory Zinoviev|Zinoviev]] were expelled from the [[Communist Party of the Soviet Union|Communist Party]]. |- | December 2 || The Fifteenth [[Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union|Party Congress]] expelled the remainder of the [[United Opposition]] from the [[Communist Party of the Soviet Union|Party]]. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1928]] || March 7 || ''[[Shakhty Trial]]'': Police arrested a group of engineers in the town of [[Shakhty]] and accused them of conspiring to sabotage the Soviet economy. |- | October 1 || ''[[First Five Year Plan]]'': [[Joseph Stalin|Stalin]] announced the beginning of state [[industrialisation]] of the Soviet economy. |- | rowspan="3" valign="top" | [[1929]] || rowspan="2" valign="top" | November 17 || [[Nikolai Bukharin|Bukharin]] was expelled from the Politburo. |- | ''[[Collectivisation in the USSR]]'': A [[Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union|Central Committee]] resolution began the collectivisation of [[Agriculture in the Soviet Union|Soviet agriculture]]. |- | December 5 || The [[Tajik ASSR]] of the [[Uzbek SSR]] became the [[Tajik SSR]]. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1930]] || April 15 || The [[Gulag]] was officially established. |- | July 20 || The [[Karakalpak Autonomous Oblast]] was transferred to the [[Russian SFSR]]. |- | rowspan="5" valign="top" | [[1932]] || March 20 || The [[Karakalpak Autonomous Oblast]] became the [[Karakalpak Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic|Karakalpak ASSR]]. |- | August 7 || ''Collectivisation in the USSR'': The [[Supreme Soviet|Central Executive Committee]] and the [[Sovnarkom]] issued the [[Law of Spikelets|Decree about the Protection of Socialist Property]], under which any theft of public property was punishable by death. |- | September 11 || ''[[Holodomor]]'': [[Joseph Stalin|Stalin]] sent a letter to a [[Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union|Politburo]] ally, [[Lazar Kaganovich]], demanding the subjection of the [[Ukrainian SSR]]. |- | December 27 || A decree by the [[Supreme Soviet|Central Executive Committee]] and the [[Sovnarkom]] established a [[passport system in the Soviet Union]]. |- | December 31 || ''First Five-Year Plan'': It was announced that the plan had been fulfilled. |- | [[1933]] || January 22 || ''Holodomor'': Police were instructed to prevent [[Ukrainian SSR|Ukrainian]] peasants from leaving their homes in search of food. |- | rowspan="3" valign="top" | [[1934]] || February 8 || Elections to the [[Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union|Central Committee]] at the Seventeenth [[Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union|Party Congress]] revealed [[Sergey Kirov]], the chief of the [[Saint Petersburg|Leningrad]] Party, to be the most popular member. |- | July 10 || The [[Main Directorate of State Security (USSR)|Main Directorate of State Security (GUGB)]] was established under the [[NKVD]] as a successor to the [[OGPU]]. |- | December 1 || [[Kirov]] was murdered by [[Leonid Nikolaev]], possibly at the behest of [[Joseph Stalin|Stalin]]. |- | [[1935]] || August 31 || [[Aleksei Grigorievich Stakhanov]] was reported to have mined over one hundred tons of coal in a single shift, sowing the seeds of the [[Stakhanovite]] movement. |- | rowspan="6" valign="top" | [[1936]] || August 19 || ''[[Moscow Trials]]'': The Trial of the Sixteen, in which [[Lev Kamenev|Kamenev]] and [[Grigory Zinoviev]] were the primary defendants, began. |- | August 25 || ''Moscow Trials'': The defendants in the Trial of the Sixteen were executed. |- | rowspan="4" valign="top" | December 5 || The [[1936 Soviet Constitution|Stalin Constitution]] came into effect. The Central Executive Committee was renamed the [[Supreme Soviet]]. |- | The [[Kyrgyz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic|Kyrgyz ASSR]] <small>(2)</small> became a Union-level republic, the [[Kyrgyz SSR]]. |- | The [[Kazakh Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic|Kazakh ASSR]] became the [[Kazakh SSR]]. |- | The territory of the [[Karakalpak Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic|Karakalpak ASSR]] was incorporated into the [[Uzbek SSR]]. |- | rowspan="8" valign="top" | [[1937]] || January 23 || ''Moscow Trials'': The Second Trial began. |- | January 30 || ''Moscow Trials'': The Second Trial ended. Of seventeen defendants, all but four were sentenced to death. |- | May 22 || ''[[Case of Trotskyist Anti-Soviet Military Organization]]'': [[Mikhail Tukhachevsky]], a [[Marshal of the Soviet Union]] and hero of the [[Russian Civil War]], was arrested. |- | June 12 || ''Case of Trotskyist Anti-Soviet Military Organization'': [[Mikhail Tukhachevsky|Tukhachevsky]] was executed, with eight other military leaders. |- | July 30 || ''[[Great Purge]]'': [[NKVD Order № 00447]] was issued. The order established a new judicial method, the [[NKVD troika]], and set nationwide quotas for the execution and enslavement of "anti-Soviet elements." |- | August 11 || ''[[Polish operation of the NKVD]]'': The [[NKVD]] chief signed [[NKVD Order № 00485|Order № 00485]], classifying all potential [[Second Polish Republic|Polish]] nationalists as enemies of the state. |- | August 15 || ''Great Purge'': [[NKVD Order № 00486]] made relatives of accused traitors subject to imprisonment in labor camps. |- | October 10 || [[Peter of Krutitsy]] was executed in solitary confinement. |- | rowspan="5" valign="top" | [[1938]] || || A new decree required the teaching of [[Russian language|Russian]] in all non-Russian schools. |- | March 2 || ''[[Trial of the Twenty One]]'': The third [[Moscow Trials|Moscow Trial]], at which [[Nikolai Bukharin|Bukharin]] was the primary defendant, began. |- | March 15 || ''Trial of the Twenty One'': The defendants were executed. |- | July 29 || ''[[Battle of Lake Khasan]]'': The armed forces of [[Japan]]ese [[Manchukuo]] attacked the Soviet military at Lake Khasan. |- | August 31 || ''Battle of Lake Khasan'': The battle ended in a [[Japan]]ese defeat. |- | rowspan="6" valign="top" | [[1939]] || August 23 || The [[Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact]] was signed, promising mutual non-aggression between [[Nazi Germany|Germany]] and the Soviet Union and agreeing to a division of much of Europe between those two countries. |- | September 17 || ''[[Soviet invasion of Poland (1939)]]'': The Red Army invaded [[Second Polish Republic|Poland]]. |- | October 22 || Elections were held to the Supreme Soviets of the [[Polish areas annexed by the Soviet Union]]. |- | November 26 || ''[[Shelling of Mainila]]'': The Red Army shelled the Russian village of Mainila and blamed the [[Finland|Finns]] for invented casualties. |- | November 30 || ''[[Winter War]]'': The Soviet army attacked [[Finland]]. |- | December 1 || ''Winter War'': The Soviet Union established the [[Finnish Democratic Republic]] in the border town of [[Zelenogorsk, Saint Petersburg|Terijoki]]. |- | rowspan="11" valign="top" | [[1940]] || March 5 || ''[[Katyn massacre]]'': The [[Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union|Politburo]] signed an order to execute 27,500 imprisoned [[Polish areas annexed by the Soviet Union|Polish]] nationalists. |- | March 12 || ''Winter War'': The [[Moscow Peace Treaty]] was signed, ending the war at great cost to [[Finland]] and anticipating the [[evacuation of Finnish Karelia]]. |- | March 31 || The [[Karelian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic|Karelian ASSR]] merged with the [[Finnish Democratic Republic]] into the [[Karelo-Finnish SSR]]. |- | June 15 || The Red Army occupied [[Lithuania]]. |- | June 17 || The Red Army occupied [[Estonia]] and [[Latvia]]. |- | June 28 || ''[[Soviet occupation of Bessarabia]]'': [[Bessarabia]] and northern [[Bukovina]] were occupied by the Soviet Union. |- | July 21 || [[Lithuania]] became the [[Lithuanian SSR]]; Latvia became the [[Latvian SSR]]. |- | August 2 || The [[Moldavian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic|Moldavian ASSR]] became the [[Moldavian SSR]], with much of its territory on the former [[Bessarabia]] and [[Bukovina]]. The old territory of the [[Moldavian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic|Moldavian ASSR]] remained in the [[Ukrainian SSR]]. |- | August 3 || The [[Lithuanian SSR]] was accepted into the Soviet Union. |- | August 5 || The [[Latvian SSR]] was annexed by the Soviet Union. |- | August 6 || [[Estonia]] became the [[Estonian SSR]] and was incorporated into the Soviet Union. |- | rowspan="14" valign="top" | [[1941]] || April 13 || ''[[Soviet-Japanese Border Wars]]'': A [[Soviet-Japanese Neutrality Pact]] was signed. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | June 22 || ''[[Operation Barbarossa]]'': Three million [[Axis powers of World War II|Axis]] soldiers invaded the Soviet Union. |- | ''[[Lithuanian 1941 independence]]'': The [[Lithuanian Activist Front|Lithuanian Activist Front (LAF)]] began an uprising against the Soviet government. |- | June 24 || ''Lithuanian 1941 independence'': The [[Lithuanian Activist Front|LAF]] government took power in [[Lithuania]]. |- | June 25 || ''[[Continuation War]]'': The Soviet Union launched a major air offensive against [[Finland|Finnish]] targets. |- | June 28 || ''Operation Barbarossa'': The [[Nazi Germany|Germans]] captured [[Minsk]]. |- | July 27 || ''Operation Barbarossa'': The [[Nazi Germany|German]] and [[Greater Romania|Romanian]] armies entered [[Chişinău|Kishinev]]. |- | August 21 || ''[[Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran]]'': Three Soviet armies invaded [[Iran]] from the north. |- | September 8 || ''[[Siege of Leningrad]]'': The [[Nazi Germany|German]] army cut the last land tie to [[Saint Petersburg|Leningrad]]. |- | September 17 || ''Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran'': The Soviet and [[United Kingdom|British]] armed forces met in [[Tehran]]. |- | September 19 || ''Operation Barbarossa'': [[Kiev]] fell to the [[Nazi Germany|Germans]]. |- | October 2 || ''[[Battle of Moscow]]'': Three [[Nazi Germany|German]] armies began an advance on [[Moscow]]. |- | November 20 || ''Siege of Leningrad'': The first food was carried into [[Saint Petersburg|Leningrad]] across the [[Road of Life]] on the frozen [[Lake Ladoga]]. |- | December 5 || ''Battle of Moscow'': The Soviet army launched a counterattack from [[Tver|Kalinin]]. |- | rowspan="4" valign="top" | [[1942]] || January 7 || ''Battle of Moscow'': The Soviet counteroffensive ended between sixty and one-hundred fifty miles from [[Moscow]]. |- | August 21 || ''[[Battle of Stalingrad]]'': The [[Nazi Germany|German]] [[Luftwaffe]] began a bombing raid against [[Volgograd|Stalingrad]]. |- | November 19 || ''[[Operation Uranus]]'': The Soviet army began a [[pincer movement]] against the [[Nazi Germany|German]] forces besieging [[Volgograd|Stalingrad]]. |- | November 22 || ''Operation Uranus'': The [[Nazi Germany|German]] [[Sixth Army (Germany)|Sixth Army]] was surrounded. |- | rowspan="6" valign="top" | [[1943]] || January 12 || ''[[Operation Spark (1943)]]'': The Soviet army launched a military offensive to break the [[Siege of Leningrad]]. |- | January 18 || ''Operation Spark (1943)'': The meeting of the [[Leningrad Military District|Leningrad]] and [[Volkhov Front]] units opened a land corridor to [[Leningrad]]. |- | February 2 || ''Battle of Stalingrad'': The [[Nazi Germany|German]] [[Sixth Army (Germany)|Sixth Army]] surrendered. |- | May 15 || The [[Comintern]] was dissolved. |- | September 8 || [[Joseph Stalin|Stalin]] allowed a [[Russian Orthodox Church|church]] council, which unanimously elected [[Patriarch Sergius I of Moscow|Sergius]] to the Patriarchate of [[Moscow]]. |- | November 6 || The Russians recaptured [[Kiev]]. |- | rowspan="14" valign="top" | [[1944]] || January 6 || The Red Army crossed into [[Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany|Poland]]. |- | January 27 || ''Siege of Leningrad'': The last [[Nazi Germany|German]] forces were expelled from the city. |- | May 15 || [[Patriarch Sergius I of Moscow|Sergius]] died. |- | July 21 || The [[Communism|Communist]] [[Polish Committee of National Liberation|Lublin Government]] of [[Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany|Poland]] was established. |- | August 1 || ''[[Warsaw Uprising]]'': The [[Polish Secret State|Polish]] [[Armia Krajowa|Home Army]] began an attack on [[Germany|German]] forces in [[Warsaw]]. |- | August 22 || ''Warsaw Uprising'': [[Joseph Stalin|Stalin]] denied the [[Allies of World War II|Allies]] use of his landing strips to supply aid to the insurgents. |- | August 23 || [[Michael I of Romania]] led a coup against the military dictatorship of [[Ion Antonescu]]. |- | August 31 || ''[[Soviet occupation of Romania]]'': The Red Army captured [[Bucharest]]. |- | September 12 || [[Greater Romania|Romania]] signed an armistice with the [[Allies]], placing itself under the command of an [[Allied Commission]] led by [[Marshal of the Soviet Union]] [[Rodion Malinovsky]]. |- | September 19 || ''Continuation War'': The [[Moscow Armistice]] was signed, ending the war at roughly the prewar borders. |- | September 21 || Soviet and [[Czechoslovakia|Czechoslovak]] partisan armed forces entered [[Nazi Germany|German]]-occupied Czechoslovakia. |- | October 2 || ''Warsaw Uprising'': The leader of the Uprising signed a surrender agreement. |- | November 14 || The [[Committee for the Liberation of the Peoples of Russia]] was established in [[Prague]]. |- | December 31 || The [[Provisional Government of the Republic of Poland|Provisional Government of the Republic of Poland (RTRP)]], which incorporated token non-[[Communism|Communists]] into the preexisting [[Polish Committee of National Liberation|Lublin Government]], was established. |- | rowspan="20" valign="top" | [[1945]] || January 17 || The Soviet Union captured [[Warsaw]]. |- | January 18 || The Soviet Union captured [[Budapest]]. |- | February 2 || [[Patriarch Alexius I|Alexius I]] was elected Patriarch of [[Moscow]]. |- | February 11 || The Soviet Union gained the right to [[Sakhalin]] and the [[Kuril Islands]] at the [[Yalta Conference]] |- | March 6 || [[Greater Romania|Romanian]] [[Prime Minister of Romania|Prime Minister]] [[Nicolae Rădescu]] was forced to resign his office to [[Petru Groza]] of the [[Ploughmen's Front]]. |- | April 4 || The government of the [[Czechoslovakia: 1945-1948|Third Czechoslovakian Republic]] was established in [[Košice]]. |- | April 20 || ''[[Battle of Berlin]]'': The Soviet army began shelling [[Berlin]]. |- | April 21 || The [[Provisional Government of the Republic of Poland|RTRP]] ceded control of Poland's internal security apparatus to the Soviet government for forty years. |- | May 2 || ''Battle of Berlin'': The defenders of [[Berlin]] surrendered to the Soviet Union. |- | May 9 || The Soviet army captured [[Prague]]. |- | June 18 || ''[[Trial of the Sixteen]]'': Leaders of the [[Polish Secret State]] were tried in the [[Soviet Union]] for [[Non-German cooperation with Nazis during World War II|collaboration]]. |- | June 21 || ''Trial of the Sixteen'': The defendants were sentenced. |- | June 28 || The coalition [[Provisional Government of National Unity|Provisional Government of National Unity (TRJN)]] was established in [[Poland]]. |- | July 5 || The [[United States]] recognized the [[Provisional Government of National Unity|TRJN]]. |- | August 2 || The [[Potsdam Agreement]] moved [[People's Republic of Poland|Poland's]] borders to the west and established the shape of [[Allied Occupation Zones in Germany|occupied Germany]]. |- | August 16 || ''[[Operation August Storm]]'': Soviet armed forces landed on [[Sakhalin]]. |- | August 18 || ''Operation August Storm'': Soviet amphibious forces landed in [[Korea under Japanese rule|Korea]]. |- | August 20 || ''Operation August Storm'': The Soviet Union captured [[Changchun]], the capital of [[Manchukuo]]. |- | August 25 || ''Operation August Storm'': The Soviet Union captured Sakhalin's capital. |- | November || The Soviet Union established the [[Azerbaijan People's Government]] in [[Azerbaijan (Iran)|Iranian Azerbaijan]]. |- | rowspan="9" valign="top" | [[1946]] || January 22 || The Soviet-backed [[Republic of Kurdistan - (Mahabad)|Kurdish Republic of Mahabad]] declared its independence from [[Iran]]. |- | March 2 || ''[[Iran crisis]]'': [[United Kingdom|British]] troops withdrew from [[Iran]]. The Soviet Union violated its prior agreement and remained. |- | March 10 || The [[Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church]] was united with the [[Russian Orthodox Church]]. |- | March 20 || [[László Rajk]] of the [[Hungarian Communist Party]] became Minister of the Interior. |- | May 9 || ''Iran crisis'': The Soviet Union withdrew from [[Iran]]. |- | May 26 || ''[[Czechoslovak parliamentary election, 1946]]'': The [[Communist Party of Czechoslovakia|Communist Party of Czechoslovakia (KSČ)]] won a plurality of votes, enabling their takeover of the information and interior ministries. |- | November 19 || ''[[Romanian general election, 1946]]'': Rigged elections gave a vast majority of seats in the [[Greater Romania|Romanian]] legislature to the [[Romanian Communist Party]] and its allies. |- | December 11 || [[Iran]] regained control over the territory of the [[Azerbaijan People's Government]]. |- | December 15 || [[Iran]] conquered [[Mahabad]]. |- | rowspan="5" valign="top" | [[1947]] || January 19 || ''[[Polish legislative election, 1947]]'': Rigged elections gave the [[Communism|Communist]] bloc 80 percent of the vote. |- | August 31 || The [[Hungarian Communist Party]] won a plurality of seats in elections to the [[Hungary|Hungarian]] legislature. |- | October 5 || The [[Cominform]] was established in order to coordinate [[Communist party|Communist parties]] under Soviet control. |- | November 27 || A speech to the [[Central Committee]] of the [[Communist Party of Czechoslovakia|KSČ]] by Chairman [[Klement Gottwald]] denounced "reactionary forces" and triggered the purge of non-[[Communism|Communists]] from the [[Czechoslovakia: 1945-1948|Czechoslovakian]] security forces. |- | December 30 || King [[Michael I of Romania]] was forced to abdicate. |- | rowspan="8" valign="top" | [[1948]] || February 20 || Non-[[Communism|Communist]] ministers resigned from the [[Czechoslovakia: 1945-1948|Czechoslovakian]] parliament in order to force an election. |- | February 21 || The [[Communist Party of Czechoslovakia|KSČ]] established the [[People's Militias (Czechoslovakia)|Workers' Militia]], banned non-[[Communism|Communists]] from television broadcasts, and occupied the non-Communist ministries. |- | February 25 || [[Czechoslovakia]]n president [[Edvard Beneš]] accepted the resignations of the non-[[Communism|Communist]] ministers and replaced them according to the demands of the [[Communist Party of Czechoslovakia|KSČ]]. |- | April 13 || A new [[Communist Romania|Romanian]] constitution declared that country a People's Republic. |- | June 24 || ''[[Berlin Blockade]]'': The Soviet Union blocked rail and road access to [[West Berlin]]. |- | June 25 || ''Berlin Blockade'': The commander of the American [[Allied Occupation Zones in Germany|occupation zone]] ordered an airlift of supplies into [[West Berlin]]. |- | June 28 || [[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia|Yugoslavia]] was expelled from the [[Cominform]]. |- | September 9 || The [[North Korea|Democratic People's Republic of Korea]] was established. |- | rowspan="3" valign="top" | [[1949]] || May 11 || ''Berlin Blockade'': The Soviets lifted the blockade. |- | August 18 || A new [[Communism|Communist]] constitution came into force in [[People's Republic of Hungary|Hungary]]. |- | August 29 || ''[[Joe 1]]'': The [[Soviet atomic bomb project]] culminated in a successful test detonation. |- | rowspan="3" valign="top" | [[1950]] || January 30 || ''[[Korean War]]'': Regarding a mass invasion of the [[South Korea|South]], [[Joseph Stalin|Stalin]] wrote to his ambassador to [[North Korea]]: "Tell him &#91;[[Kim Il-sung|Kim]]&#93; that I am ready to help him in this matter." |- | June 25 || ''Korean War'': The [[North Korea]]n army launched a 135,000 man surprise assault across the [[38th parallel north|38th parallel]]. |- | November 1 || ''Korean War'': Soviet-piloted [[MiG-15]]s first crossed the [[Yalu River]] and attacked American planes. |- | [[1952]] || November 20 || ''[[Prague Trials]]'': A series of show trials purged the [[Czechoslovakia|Czech]] Communist Party of [[Jew]]s and insufficiently orthodox Stalinists. |- | rowspan="12" valign="top" | [[1953]] || January 13 || An article in ''[[Pravda]]'' accused some of the nation's most prominent doctors - particularly [[Jew]]s - of participating in a vast [[Doctors' plot|conspiracy]] to poison top Soviet leaders. |- | March 1 || After an all-night dinner with party members [[Lavrenty Beria]], [[Nikolai Bulganin]], [[Nikita Khrushchev]] and [[Georgy Malenkov]], [[Joseph Stalin|Stalin]] suffered a paralyzing stroke. |- | March 5 || [[Joseph Stalin|Stalin]] died. |- | March 6 || [[Georgy Malenkov|Malenkov]] succeeded [[Joseph Stalin|Stalin]] as [[Premier of the Soviet Union|Premier]] and [[General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union|First Secretary of the Communist Party]]. |- | March 14 || [[Nikita Khrushchev|Khrushchev]] became [[General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union|First Secretary]]. |- | April 3 || The [[Politburo of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union|Presidium of the Central Committee of the Communist Party]] officially acquitted those arrested in connection with the so-called "doctors' plot". |- | April 8 || ''[[First Indochina War]]'': [[Viet Minh]] and [[Pathet Lao]] forces invaded [[Laos]] and attacked [[French Fourth Republic|French]] bases there. |- | June 16 || ''[[Uprising of 1953 in East Germany]]'': In response to a 10 percent increase in work quotas, between 60 and 80 construction workers went on strike in [[East Berlin]]. Their numbers quickly swelled and a general strike and protests were called for the next day. |- | June 17 || ''Uprising of 1953 in East Germany'': 100,000 protestors gathered at dawn, demanding the reinstatement of old work quotas and, later, the resignation of the [[East Germany|East German]] government. At noon German police trapped many of the demonstrators in an open square; Soviet tanks fired on the crowd, killing hundreds and ending the protest. |- | June 26 || [[Lavrenty Beria|Beria]] was arrested at a special meeting of the [[Presidium of the Supreme Soviet|Presidium]]. |- | July 27 || ''Korean War'': An armistice was signed, ending the conflict. |- | September 7 || [[Nikita Khrushchev|Khrushchev]] was confirmed as head of the [[Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union|Central Committee]]. |- | rowspan="5" valign="top" | [[1954]] || March 13 || ''[[Battle of Dien Bien Phu]]'': [[Viet Minh]] forces loosed a massive artillery barrage against the surrounded [[French Fourth Republic|French]] airbase at [[Dien Bien Phu]]. |- | May 7 || ''Battle of Dien Bien Phu'': The battle ended in a [[French Fourth Republic|French]] defeat. |- | May 16 || ''[[Kengir Uprising]]'': Prisoners at a [[Gulag]] adjacent to the [[Kazakh SSR|Kazakh]] village of [[Kengir]] occupied the camp's service yard. |- | June 25 || ''Kengir Uprising'': The prison camp at Kengir was invaded and subdued by Soviet troops and tanks. |- | July 21 || ''[[Geneva Conference (1954)]]'': The signing of the Geneva Accords promised a complete [[French Fourth Republic|French]] withdrawal, partitioned [[Vietnam]] into a [[Communism|Communist]] [[North Vietnam|North]] and a [[monarchy|monarchist]] [[South Vietnam|South]], and scheduled unifying elections for July 1956. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1955]] || June 2 || [[Nikita Khrushchev|Khrushchev]] and [[Josip Broz Tito|Tito]] issued the [[Belgrade declaration]], which declared that "different forms of Socialist development are solely the concern of the individual countries." |- | July || [[Ho Chi Minh]] visited Moscow and agreed to accept Soviet aid. |- | rowspan="12" valign="top" | [[1956]] || February 25 || At a closed session of the [[20th Congress of the CPSU|20th Party Congress]], [[Nikita Khrushchev|Khrushchev]] read the "Secret Speech," ''[[On the Personality Cult and its Consequences]]'', denouncing the actions of his predecessor [[Joseph Stalin|Stalin]]. The speech weakened the hand of the Stalinists in the Soviet government. |- | April 17 || The [[Cominform]] was officially dissolved. |- | June 28 || ''[[Poznań 1956 protests]]'': [[People's Republic of Poland|Poles]] upset with the slow pace of destalinization turned to protests, and then to violent riots. |- | June 29 || ''Poznań 1956 protests'': [[Konstantin Rokossovsky]], the [[People's Republic of Poland|Polish]] minister of defense, ordered the military in to end the riots. At least 74 civilians were killed. |- | July 16 || The [[Karelo-Finnish SSR]] became the Karelian ASSR of the Russian SFSR. |- | October 19 || The liberal [[Władysław Gomułka]] was elected leader of the [[Polish United Workers' Party|Polish Communist party]]. |- | October 23 || ''[[1956 Hungarian Revolution]]'': A small pro-[[Władysław Gomułka|Gomułka]] demonstration in [[Budapest]] expanded into a 100,000 head protest. The protestors marched on Parliament; when they were fired on by the [[Államvédelmi Hatóság|Hungarian Security Police]], they turned violent and began to arm themselves. An emergency meeting of the Central Committee appointed the reformist [[Imre Nagy]] Prime Minister. |- | October 31 || ''1956 Hungarian Revolution'': [[People's Republic of Hungary|Hungary]] under [[Imre Nagy|Nagy]] withdrew from the [[Warsaw Pact]]. |- | November 4 || ''1956 Hungarian Revolution'': A Soviet invasion, involving infantry, artillery, airstrikes, and some 6,000 tanks entered [[Budapest]]. 2,500 [[People's Republic of Hungary|Hungarians]] were killed in the ensuing battle. |- | November 8 || ''1956 Hungarian Revolution'': Pro-Soviet [[János Kádár]] announced the formation of a new "Revolutionary Worker-Peasant Government," with himself as Prime Minister and leader of the [[Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party|Communist Party]]. |- | December 2 || ''[[Cuban Revolution]]'': [[Fidel Castro]] and his followers in the [[26th of July Movement]] landed in [[Cuba]]. |- | December 10 || ''[[Angolan War of Independence]]'': Two [[Angola]]n independence movements united to form the [[Marxism|Marxist]] [[Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola]]. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1957]] || June 18 || Led by the Stalinist [[Anti-Party Group]], the [[Politburo of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union|Presidium]] voted to depose [[Nikita Khrushchev|Khrushchev]] as [[General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union|First Secretary]]. The Presidium reversed its vote under pressure from Khrushchev and the defense minister and deferred the decision to a later meeting of the full [[Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union|Central Committee]]. |- | June 29 || A [[Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union|Central Committee]] vote affirmed [[Nikita Khrushchev|Khrushchev]] as [[General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union|First Secretary]] and deposed [[Anti-Party Group]] members [[Vyacheslav Molotov|Molotov]], [[Lazar Kaganovich|Kaganovich]], and [[Georgy Malenkov|Malenkov]] from the [[Secretariat of the CPSU Central Committee]]. |- | [[1958]] || March 27 || [[Nikita Khrushchev|Khrushchev]] replaced [[Nikolai Bulganin|Bulganin]] as [[Premier of the Soviet Union]]. |- | [[1959]] || January 1 || ''Cuban Revolution'': [[Cuba]]n president [[Fulgencio Batista]] fled Cuba for the [[Dominican Republic]]. |- | rowspan="3" valign="top" | [[1960]] || April 16 || ''[[Sino-Soviet Split]]'': A [[People's Republic of China|Chinese]] [[Communist Party of China|Communist Party]] newspaper accused the Soviet leadership of "revisionism." |- | July 16 || ''Sino-Soviet Split'': Moscow recalled thousands of Soviet advisers from [[China]] and ended economic and military aid. |- | December 20 || ''[[Vietnam War]]'': The [[Viet Cong|National Front for the Liberation of Vietnam]] was formed, with the intent to overthrow the government of [[South Vietnam]]. |- | rowspan="5" valign="top" | [[1961]] || April 17 || ''[[Bay of Pigs Invasion]]'': After a U.S. bombing run against the [[Cuba]]n air force, a group of 1,500 armed exiles landed at the [[Bay of Pigs]] on the southern coast. As the invasion faltered, President [[John F. Kennedy]] called off the airstrikes. |- | April 20 || ''Bay of Pigs Invasion'': [[Fidel Castro|Castro]] announced that all the invaders had been defeated. |- | August 13 || Construction began on the [[Berlin Wall]]. |- | December 2 || In a nationally broadcast speech, [[Fidel Castro|Castro]] declared he was a [[Marxist-Leninist]] and that [[Cuba]] was going to adopt [[Communism]]. |- | December 10 || ''[[Sino-Albanian split]]'': The Soviet Union severed diplomatic ties with [[Albania]]. |- | rowspan="6" valign="top" | [[1962]] || June 2 || ''[[Novocherkassk massacre]]'': Soviet workers gathered in the town square of [[Novocherkassk]] to protest an increase in food prices and work quotas. The government fired on the rioters, killing nearly a hundred. |- | June 25 || ''[[Mozambican War of Independence]]'': The [[Mozambican Liberation Front|Mozambican Liberation Front (FRELIMO)]] was founded. |- | October 16 || ''[[Cuban Missile Crisis]]'': President [[John F. Kennedy|Kennedy]] was shown [[Lockheed U-2|U-2]] surveillance images of [[R-12 Dvina|SS-4]] launch sites in [[Cuba]]. |- | October 22 || ''Cuban Missile Crisis'': [[John F. Kennedy|Kennedy]] announced that any nuclear missile attack from [[Cuba]] would be regarded as an attack by the Soviet Union, and that the island would be placed under "[[Blockade|quarantine]]" to prevent further weapons shipments. |- | October 26 || ''Cuban Missile Crisis'': The Soviet Union offered to withdraw the missiles in return for a U.S. guarantee not to invade [[Cuba]] or support any invasion. |- | October 28 || ''Cuban Missile Crisis'': [[Nikita Khrushchev|Khrushchev]] announced that he had ordered the removal of the Soviet missiles in [[Cuba]]. |- | [[1964]] || October 14 || [[Nikita Khrushchev|Khrushchev]]'s rivals in the party deposed him at a [[Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union|Central Committee]] meeting. [[Leonid Brezhnev]] and [[Alexei Kosygin]] assumed power as [[General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union|First Secretary]] and [[Premier of the Soviet Union|Premier]], respectively. |- | [[1965]] || January 1 || The [[Marxist]] [[People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan|People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA)]] held its first congress. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1967]] || February 7 || ''Sino-Soviet split'': The [[People's Republic of China|Chinese]] government announced that it could no longer guarantee the safety of Soviet diplomats outside the embassy building. |- | June 10 || The Soviet Union severed diplomatic relations with [[Israel]]. ''see'' [[Soviet Union and the Arab-Israeli conflict]] |- | rowspan="4" valign="top" | [[1968]] || January 5 || ''[[Prague Spring]]'': The liberal [[Alexander Dubček]] was appointed to succeed [[Antonín Novotný]] as First Secretary of the [[Communist Party of Czechoslovakia]]. |- | April 5 || ''Prague Spring'': The Czech [[Communist Party of Czechoslovakia|Communist Party]] published their [[Action Programme (1968)|Action Programme]]. This document guaranteed a number of new freedoms including free [[freedom of speech|speech]], [[freedom of movement|travel]], debate and [[freedom of association|association]]. |- | August 20 || ''Prague Spring'': Between 200,000 and 600,000 [[Warsaw Pact]] troops crossed the [[Czechoslovakia]]n border. |- | August 21 || ''Prague Spring'': Leading [[Communist Party of Czechoslovakia|KSČ]] liberals - including [[Alexander Dubček|Dubček]] - were arrested, flown to [[Moscow]] and forced to repeal the reforms of the Prague Spring. They agreed to the presence of Soviet troops in [[Czechoslovakia]]. |- | rowspan="3" valign="top" | [[1969]] || March 2 || ''[[Sino-Soviet border conflict]]'': A Soviet patrol came into armed conflict with [[China|Chinese]] forces on [[Zhenbao Island]]. |- | June || Qahtan al-Shabi, president of the [[People's Democratic Republic of Yemen|People's Republic of South Yemen]], was overthrown and replaced by Salim Rubayi Ali of the [[Marxism|Marxist]] National Liberation Front. |- | October 21 || [[Somalia|Somali]] military and police occupied the capital of [[Mogadishu]]. The Supreme Revolutionary Council was established as the new government, with the [[Marxist]] revolutionary [[Siad Barre]] at its head. |- | [[1973]] || January 27 || ''Vietnam War'': The [[Paris Peace Accords]] pledged the signatory parties to "''respect the independence, sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of Vietnam as recognized by the 1954 Geneva Agreements on Vietnam,''" and promised a complete withdrawal of [[United States]] forces from [[Vietnam]] and [[Laos]]. |- | rowspan="3" valign="top" | [[1974]] || July 11 || The Soviet Union signed a treaty of friendship and cooperation with the [[Somalia|Somali]] government. |- | September 12 || [[Ethiopia]]n emperor [[Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia|Haile Selassie]] was overthrown by a council of military officers, the [[Derg]]. |- | December 20 || The [[Derg]] declared that socialism was the new ideology of the [[Ethiopia]]n state. |- | rowspan="7" valign="top" | [[1975]] || January 31 || ''Angolan War of Independence'': A transitional unity government, consisting of the [[National Liberation Front of Angola]], the Soviet-backed [[Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola|MPLA]], and the [[Maoism|Maoist]] [[UNITA]], took office under the terms of the Alvor Agreement. |- | March 11 || ''Vietnam War'': A large-scale [[North Vietnam]]ese offensive began with the conquest of [[Buon Ma Thuot]]. |- | March 27 || The [[Pathet Lao]] began a military offensive against the [[Laos|Laotian]] government. |- | April 30 || ''[[Fall of Saigon]]'': The [[South Vietnam]]ese capital of [[Saigon]] was captured by the [[Vietnam People's Army]]. |- | June 25 || ''Mozambican War of Independence'': The [[Mozambican Liberation Front|FRELIMO]] government received independence from [[Portugal]]. Party leader [[Samora Machel]], a [[Marxism|Marxist]], became the nation's first president. |- | November 11 || ''[[Angolan Civil War]]'': [[Portugal]] accepted a declaration of independence from the [[Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola|MPLA]], which controlled the [[Angola]]n capital of [[Luanda]]. |- | December 2 || The king of [[Laos]] abdicated the throne, leaving leadership of the country to the [[Communism|Communist]] [[Pathet Lao]]. |- | rowspan="3" valign="top" | [[1977]] || July 23 || ''[[Ogaden War]]'': The [[Military of Somalia|Somali National Army]] invaded the [[Ogaden]] region in eastern [[Ethiopia]]. |- | September 7 || ''Ogaden War'': The Soviet Union ended its arms shipments to the [[Somalia|Somali]] government. |- | November 13 || ''Ogaden War'': [[Siad Barre|Barre]] cancelled the [[Somalia|Somali]]-Soviet treaty of friendship. |- | rowspan="5" valign="top" | [[1978]] || April 28 || ''[[Saur Revolution]]'': Military units loyal to the [[People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan|PDPA]] assaulted the [[Daoud's Republic of Afghanistan|Afghan]] Presidential palace, killing President [[Mohammed Daoud Khan]]. |- | May 1 || ''Saur Revolution'': The [[People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan|PDPA]] installed its leader, [[Nur Muhammad Taraki]], as President of [[Democratic Republic of Afghanistan|Afghanistan]]. |- | July || A rebellion against the new [[Democratic Republic of Afghanistan|Afghan]] government began with an uprising in [[Nuristan]]. |- | December 5 || A treaty was signed which permitted deployment of the Soviet military at the [[Democratic Republic of Afghanistan|Afghan]] government's request. |- | December 25 || ''[[Cambodian-Vietnamese War]]'': The [[Vietnam]]ese army invaded [[Cambodia]]. |- | rowspan="6" valign="top" | [[1979]] || January 7 || ''Cambodian-Vietnamese War'': The [[Vietnam]]ese army captured [[Phnom Penh]], ending the reign of the [[Khmer Rouge]]. |- | January 10 || ''Cambodian-Vietnamese War'': The [[People's Republic of Kampuchea]] was established. |- | July 19 || The armed forces of the [[Marxism|Marxist]] [[Sandinista National Liberation Front|Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN)]] entered [[Managua]]. |- | September 14 || [[Nur Muhammad Taraki|Taraki]] was murdered by supporters of Prime Minister [[Hafizullah Amin]]. |- | December 24 || ''[[Soviet war in Afghanistan]]'': Fearing the collapse of the [[Hafizullah Amin|Amin]] regime, the Soviet army invaded [[Democratic Republic of Afghanistan|Afghanistan]]. |- | December 27 || ''[[Operation Storm-333]]'': Soviet troops occupied major governmental, military and media buildings in [[Kabul]], including the [[Tajbeg Palace|Tajbeg Presidential Palace]], and executed Prime Minister [[Hafizullah Amin|Amin]]. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1980]] || September 17 || The trade union [[Solidarity]] was founded in [[People's Republic of Poland|Poland]]. |- | October 10 || The [[Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front|Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN)]] was founded from an assortment of [[Left-wing politics|leftist]] and [[Communism|Communist]] [[El Salvador|Salvadoran]] revolutionary organizations. |- | [[1981]] || December 13 || In response to the growing influence of [[Solidarity]], [[Wojciech Jaruzelski]], the First Secretary of the [[Polish United Workers' Party|Communist Party]], declared [[martial law in Poland]]. |- | rowspan="3" valign="top" | [[1982]] || January 25 || [[Mikhail Suslov|Suslov]] died after a severe [[stroke]]. |- | November 10 || [[Leonid Brezhnev|Brezhnev]] died of a heart attack. |- | November 12 || [[Yuri Andropov]] was elected [[General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union|General Secretary of the CPSU]]. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1983]] || October 19 || The [[Grenada|Grenadian]] military overthrew the government of [[Maurice Bishop]] and installed the pro-Soviet [[Stalinism|Stalinist]] [[Bernard Coard]] to lead the nation. |- | October 25 || ''[[Invasion of Grenada]]'': The [[United States]] and her [[Caribbean]] allies toppled the [[Bernard Coard|Coard]] government. |- | [[1984]] || February 9 || [[Yuri Andropov|Andropov]] died after long kidney disease and was succeeded as [[General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union|General Secretary]] by [[Konstantin Chernenko]]. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1985]] || March 10 || [[Konstantin Chernenko|Chernenko]] died of [[Emphysema]]. |- | March 11 || The [[Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union|Politburo]] unanimously supported [[Mikhail Gorbachev]] as [[General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union|General Secretary of the Communist Party]]. |- | rowspan="4" valign="top" | [[1988]] || April 14 || ''Soviet war in Afghanistan'': The Soviet government signed the [[Geneva Accords (1988)|Geneva Accords]], which included a timetable for withdrawing their armed forces. |- | April 27 || A strike at the V.I. Lenin Steel Mill in [[Nowa Huta]] touched off months of striking across [[Poland]]. |- | June 3 || ''[[Singing Revolution]]'': The liberalization movement [[Sąjūdis]] was founded in [[Lithuania]]. |- | October 9 || ''Singing Revolution'': The [[Popular Front of Latvia]] was founded. |- | rowspan="12" valign="top" | [[1989]] || February 15 || ''Soviet war in Afghanistan'': The last Soviet troops left the country. |- | April 4 || The [[Polish Round Table Agreement]] legalized independent trade unions and reinstated the [[Senate of Poland|Senate]]. |- | June 4 || Free elections were held to the [[People's Republic of Poland|Polish]] [[National Assembly of Poland|parliament]], resulting in a landslide [[Solidarity]] victory. |- | August 23 || ''[[Baltic Way]]'': Two million people joined hands across [[Estonia]], [[Latvia]] and [[Lithuania]] to demonstrate for independence. |- | October 23 || The [[People's Republic of Hungary|Hungarian]] parliament declared their country a [[republic]]. |- | November 9 || The [[East Germany|East German]] government loosened restrictions on travel into the [[West Germany|West]], effecting the end of the [[Berlin Wall]]. |- | November 11 || ''[[El Salvador Civil War]]'': The [[Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front|FMLN]] launched an offensive which would capture part of [[San Salvador]]. |- | November 17 || ''[[Velvet Revolution]]'': An anti-[[Communism|Communist]] protest in [[Czechoslovakia]] was ended violently by the police. |- | November 28 || ''Velvet Revolution'': The [[Communist Party of Czechoslovakia]] announced the end of its monopoly on political power. |- | December 7 || ''Singing Revolution'': The [[Lithuania]]n parliament ended the political monopoly of the [[Communist Party of Lithuania]]. |- | December 16 || ''[[Romanian Revolution of 1989]]'': A protest broke out in [[Timişoara]] in response to an attempt by the government to evict a dissident [[Magyars|Hungarian]] [[Reformed churches|Reformed]] pastor, [[László Tőkés]]. |- | December 25 || ''Romanian Revolution of 1989'': [[Communist Romania|Romanian]] dictator [[Nicolae Ceauşescu]] was captured in the countryside and executed. |- | rowspan="7" valign="top" | [[1990]] || January 15 || The [[Bulgarian Communist Party]] repealed its constitutional supremacy. |- | February 23 || ''Singing Revolution'': Elections in [[Lithuania]] gave [[Sąjūdis]] an absolute majority in the legislature. |- | March 11 || ''Singing Revolution'': The [[Lithuania]]n government declared its independence from the Soviet Union. |- | March 18 || ''Singing Revolution'': Elections to the [[Latvia]]n Supreme Soviet gave the majority of seats to a pro-independence coalition, led by the [[Popular Front of Latvia]]. |- | April 8 || The [[Hungarian Socialist Party]] received only 8% of the seats in elections to [[National Assembly of Hungary|parliament]]. |- | June 9 || ''Velvet Revolution'': [[Czech legislative election, 1990|Elections in Czechoslovakia]] reduced the [[Communist Party of Czechoslovakia|Communist Party]] to a minority. |- | August 21 || ''[[Conflict in Transnistria and Gagauzia]]'': The [[Gagauz people|Gagauz]] declared a new soviet republic on [[Moldovian SSR|Moldavian]] soil. |- | rowspan="16" valign="top" | [[1991]] || January 11 || ''[[January Events]]'': Soviet troops violently seized important buildings in cities throughout [[Lithuania]]. |- | May 23 || The [[Moldavian SSR]] became the [[Moldova|Republic of Moldova]]. |- | June 12 || ''[[Russian presidential election, 1991]]'': [[Boris Yeltsin]] was elected to the presidency of the [[Russian SFSR]]. |- | August 19 || ''[[Soviet coup attempt of 1991]]'': A group of high-ranking officials calling themselves the State Emergency Committee announced that [[Gennady Yanayev]] was to replace [[Mikhail Gorbachev|Gorbachev]] as [[President of the Soviet Union]]. |- | August 20 || ''Singing Revolution'': The [[Estonia]]n government declared its independence. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | August 21 || ''Singing Revolution'': The government of [[Latvia]] declared its independence. |- | ''Soviet coup attempt of 1991'': The military refused State Emergency Committee orders to take the capital. The leaders of the coup were arrested. |- | August 24 || The [[Verkhovna Rada|Ukrainian parliament]] adopted the [[Declaration of Independence of Ukraine]]. |- | August 27 || [[Moldova]] declared independence. |- | August 30 || The [[Kyrgyz SSR]] became the [[Kyrgyzstan|Republic of Kyrgyzstan]]. |- | August 31 || The [[Kyrgyzstan|Republic of Kyrgyzstan]] declared independence. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | September 6 || ''Singing Revolution'': The Soviet Union recognized the independence of the [[Baltic states]]. |- | Militants belonging to the separatist [[All-National Congress of the Chechen People|All-National Congress of the Chechen People (NCChP)]] stormed a session of the Supreme Soviet of the [[Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic|Chechen-Ingush ASSR]]. NCChP leader [[Dzhokhar Dudaev]] was appointed to the presidency. |- | October 27 || A national referendum confirmed the [[Dzhokhar Dudaev|Dudaev]] presidency. Dudaev unilaterally declared the independence of the [[Chechen Republic of Ichkeria]]. |- | December 8 || The leaders of Russia, [[Belarus]] and [[Ukraine]] signed an agreement dissolving the Soviet Union and establishing the [[Commonwealth of Independent States]]. |- | December 26 || The Soviet Union was officially dissolved. |- | rowspan="3" valign="top" | [[1993]] || September 21 || ''[[Russian constitutional crisis of 1993]]'': [[Boris Yeltsin|Yeltsin]] announced the dissolution of the Russian legislature. The legislature, in turn, responded by impeaching Yeltsin and declaring [[Aleksandr Rutskoy]] the new [[President of the Russian Federation]]. |- | October 4 || ''Russian constitutional crisis of 1993'': The army occupied the [[White House, Moscow|parliament building]] and arrested a number of its leaders. |- | December 12 || ''Russian constitutional crisis of 1993'': A new [[Constitution of Russia|Russian constitution]] was approved by referendum, vastly increasing the power of the [[President of the Russian Federation|presidency]]. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1994]] || August 2 || ''[[First Chechen War]]'': The leader of the Russian-backed Provisional Council of the Chechen Republic announced his intention to overthrow the [[Dzhokhar Dudaev|Dudaev]] government. |- | December 11 || ''First Chechen War'': Russian troops invaded [[Chechnya]]. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[1996]] || July 3 || ''[[Russian presidential election, 1996]]'': [[Boris Yeltsin|Yeltsin]] narrowly defeated his [[Communism|Communist]] challenger, [[Gennady Zyuganov]]. |- | August 30 || ''First Chechen War'': The [[Khasav-Yurt Accord]] was signed, signaling the end of the war. |- | rowspan="8" valign="top" | [[1999]] || August 7 || ''[[Dagestan War]]'': A [[Chechnya]]-based militia invaded the Russian republic of [[Dagestan]] in support of local separatists. |- | August 16 || The [[State Duma]] confirmed the appointment of [[Vladimir Putin]] as [[Prime Minister of Russia]]. |- | August 23 || ''Dagestan War'': The militias began their retreat back into [[Chechnya]]. |- | August 26 || ''[[Second Chechen War]]'': The militia that had invaded [[Dagestan]] was bombed inside [[Chechnya]]. |- | September 4 || ''[[Russian apartment bombings]]'': A car bomb outside of an apartment building in [[Buynaksk]] killed sixty-four people. |- | October 2 || ''Second Chechen War'': Russian ground troops invaded [[Chechnya]]. |- | December 8 || The treaty of creation of the [[Union of Russia and Belarus]] was signed. |- | December 31 || [[Vladimir Putin|Putin]] succeeded [[Boris Yeltsin]] as [[President of the Russian Federation]]. |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[2000]] || March 26 || ''[[Russian presidential election, 2000]]'': Putin was elected president with 53 percent of the vote. |- | August 12 || ''[[Russian submarine Kursk explosion]]'': An explosion disabled the [[Russian submarine K-141 Kursk]]. |- |} ==21st century== {| class="wikitable" width="100%" ! style="width:6%" |Year || style="width:10%" |Date || Event |- | rowspan="2" valign="top" | [[2002]] || [[October 2002|October 23]] || ''[[Moscow theater hostage crisis]]'': [[Chechnya|Chechen]] rebels seized the House of Culture theater in [[Moscow]], taking approximately 700 theatergoers hostage, and demanded an immediate Russian withdrawal from Chechnya. |- | [[October 2002|October 26]] || ''Moscow theater hostage crisis'': The police pumped [[anesthetic]] into the building, then stormed it from every entrance. The subsequent gunfight left 42 terrorists and 120 hostages dead. |- | rowspan="3" valign="top" | [[2004]] || [[March 14, 2004|March 14]] || ''[[Russian presidential election, 2004]]'': [[Vladimir Putin|Putin]] won re-election to a second term, earning 71 percent of the vote. |- | [[September 2004|September 1]] || ''[[Beslan school hostage crisis]]'': A group of [[Chechnya|Chechen]] terrorists took 1300 adults and children hostage at School Number One in [[Beslan]]. |- | [[September 2004|September 3]] || ''Beslan school hostage crisis'': At one in the afternoon, following the sound of explosions, Russian police and soldiers stormed the school. The ensuing battle left 344 civilians and 31 of 32 hostage-takers dead. |- | [[2005]] || [[October 2005|October 13]] || ''[[October 2005 Nalchik attack]]'': A large group of [[Islam]]ic militants assaulted and captured buildings throughout the city of [[Nalchik]]. By afternoon Russian soldiers surrounded and entered the city, forcing their enemies to retreat. Some 136 people were killed. |- | [[2008]] || [[March 2008|March 2]] || ''[[Russian presidential election, 2008]]'': [[Dmitry Medvedev]] won, earning 70.5 percent of the vote. {{DEFAULTSORT:Russian history}} [[Category:Russian history timelines]] [[Category:Soviet history timelines]] [[fr:Chronologie de la Russie]] [[no:Tidslinje over Russlands historie]] [[ru:Хронология истории России]]