Russia

From Kaiserreich

Revision as of 21:11, 30 August 2009

Российская Федерация
Rossiyskaya Federatsiya
Russian Federation

Flag and Coat of Arms of Russia
Anthem Gosudarstvenny gimn Rossiyskoy Federatsii (State Anthem of the Russian Federation)
Official Language	Russian
Capital	Moscow
President of the Republic	Alexander Kerensky
Prime Minister	Pavel Milyukov
Establishment   - Proclaimaition of the Republic	October 12, 1921
Government	Federal parliamentary republic
Currency	Ruble
Area	More than 15.000.000 km²
Population	Around 100 milions

Russia is a country spannig from Europe to the Pacific. In Europe, it borders Finland, United Baltic Duchy, White Ruthenia, Ukraine and Don-Kuban Union. In Central Asia, it borders Alash Orda and Mongolia. In the Far-East, it borders Fengtien Republic and Transamur.

History

The Weltkrieg

Russia entered the Weltkrieg in aid of its ally Serbia and fought a war across three fronts while isolated from its allies. Russia did not want war but felt that the only alternative was German domination of Europe. Although the army was far from defeated in 1916, the already-existing public distrust of the regime was deepened by the rising costs of war, casualties, and tales of corruption and even treason in high places, leading to the outbreak of the Russian Revolution of 1917.

The revolutions and the civil war

A series of uprisings were organized by workers and peasants throughout the country, as well as by soldiers in the Russian army, who were mainly of peasant origin. Many of the uprisings were organized and led by democratically-elected councils called Soviets. The February Revolution overthrew the Russian monarchy, which was replaced by a shaky coalition of political parties that declared itself the Provisional Government. The Provisional Government proved unable to resolve many problems which had led to the February Revolution and in October a second revolution led by Vladimir Lenin marked the beginning of the Russian Civil War between the Bolsheviks and the White Movement. The Bolsheviks signed the treaty of Brest-Litovsk, that concluded hostilities with the Central Powers; Russia lost its Ukrainian, Polish and Baltic territories, and Finland by signing the treaty.

At the Congress of Omsk in April 1919, the White Generals agreed to form a united political front behind Alexander Kerensky and the remaining forces of the Provisional Government. The united White forces, joined by the kingdom of Finland, made considerable gains, but the Red Army was still too strong and well placed, dominating the Russian industrial heartland and transportation networks. But soon the German empire, fearing the success of a dangerous ideology, decided to intervene on behalf of the Whites in exchange for the recognition of the treaty of Brest-Litovsk.

By September 1921, both Moscow and St. Petersburg fell to the White forces and a new Russian Republic was established in the Moscow on October 12, with Kerensky as its first President.

Democratic Russia

The newborn Russian Federation had to face many threats right after its birth, but managed to survive. Thanks to German mediation, the East Karelian national revolt was quelled with the signing of the Treaty of Tartu, which awared the region of Petsamo to the Kingdom of Finland, but prevented a full-scale war and kept East Karelia under Russian rule. Thanks to Kerensky's diplomatic efforts, Russia managed to establish good relations with most of the new countries that emerged from the Civil War, such as with the recognition of Japanese-backed Transamur in 1922.

In 1924, the shadows of another civil war threatened the country when the Minister of Defence Alexandr Kolchak tried to overthrow the government and seize power. However, the coup failed and the coupsters were killed and arrested, even if a few (Kolchak among them) managed to escape. Since then, the government enforced its grip on the country and struggled to improve its economy, devastated by the Civil War. For the past fifteen years the leading parties, the Social Revolutionaries and Kadets, have governed in an uneasy coalition under Kerensky, maintaining their power through electoral manipulation and a lack of serious political opposition. However, the worsening of the global economy have eroded the trust of the people and, in case of trouble, unknown forces could attempt to remove Kerensky from power and seize control of Russia.

Politics

The Russian government

President of the Republic: Alexander Kerensky(Socialist Revolutionary, born 4 May 1884)

Prime Minister: Pavel Nikolayevich Milyukov (Kadet, born 15 January 1859)

Minister of Foreign Affairs: Viktor Mikhailovich Chernov (also called Boris Olenin, Socialist Revolutionary, born 19 November 1873)

Minister of Finance: Georgij Mikhailovich, count Brasov (born 6 August 1910)

Minister of Interior: Field Marshal Petr Nikolayevich, baron Wrangel (born 15 August 1878)

Director of the Okhrana: Yan Karlovich Berzin (born 25 November 1885)

Chief General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation: General Anton Ivanovich Denikin (born 16 December 1872)

Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy: Admiral Nikolai Gerasimovich Kuznetsov (born 24 July 1904)

Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Air Force: Admiral Nikolai Mikhailovich Kharlamov (born 6 December 1905)

Political Parties

Politics in Russia are highly unstable at the present, and there are signs that Kerensky's doubtful unity coalition is beginning to fall apart. This has resulted in a largely dichotomous left-right divide in the country.

The Socialist-Revolutionaries was one of the most powerful factions during the Civil War and continues to exert influence in the Duma. Due to differences over economic matters, the party is often divided into left-wing and right-wing factions, headed by Victor Chernov and Alexander Kerensky respectively.

The Mensheviks are the most radical group in the Duma, and consist of members who did not flee to Georgia and elsewhere. They currently maintain ties with the Left Socialist Revolutionaries. The group also works alongside the fewBolshevisks remaining in the country, notably Nikolai Bukharin.

The Constitutional Democrats or Cadets as they are more commonly known, is a liberal party favoring free-market ideas. They are led by Pavel Milyukov. They are the weakest party.

There also exists a coalition of conservative aristocrats and wealthy land owners who favor a return to the monarchy. They are also supported by the Orthodox Church and reactionary land owners. They do not possess much power in the Duma, but they control much of the Senate which lets them name a president in the event of a vacancy.

Military

The Russian military is currently weak and obsolete. It lacks coherent doctrine and there are significant disagreements in the General Staff on how the military should be developed. The current political situation of Russia is reflected on the military, with "Red" and "White" ideals raising their heads once again. The equipment of the armed forces is obsolete, practically Weltkrieg-era or even older.

Foreign relations

Friendly relations with Serbia, Bulgaria, Bohemia, Hungary and Romania.

Unfriendly relations with Mongolia, Japan and Transamur.

Culture