Introduction
Russia was a former member or perhaps leader of the fallen Soviet Union. But even before this strong and fierce group of nations was formed, Russia was already seen as a nation with a strong and promising future even before the start of the 17th Century. It is quite evident now how Russia had dominated the ministry of war up until the recent world wars where it participated as a major military power in Eurasia.
Russia Before and After 1750
According to Bulliet et al., (2011), Russia was still under the control of the Mongols during the 1450-1750 periods. The Mongols were in turn, known as one of the greatest empires that have dominated large parts of Europe and Asia. This fierce but professional group of fighters was however, unable to conquer Japan because their battle ships, containing the majority of their troops sank because of a devastating typhoon. The fact that Russia was conquered by the Mongols in the said period is clear evidence that they were isolated from the advancements and events that happened in Western Europe and several parts of Asia.
What made the Russian Empire really strong was when they broke free from the Mongols’ Grip. As soon as they got their hold of freedom, they began an almost unstoppable period of reforms and territorial expansion. They conducted aggressive steps towards westernization to help their once isolated country keep up with the fast changing and more advanced cultures in the west (Bulliet et al., 2011).
Conclusion
There are a lot of significant personalities who contributed with Russia’s success as a great empire and nation. Some of these great men include Peter the Great and Ivan the Great. Both issued a lot of reforms and changes that resulted into what Russia became after the period where they were still under the control of the Mongols. This is the reason why Russia emerged as a great nation before and after 1750 and up to now, they can still be considered as a great nation, even if the Soviet Union is already baffled.
References
Bulliet, R., Crossley, P., Headrick, D., Hirsch, S., Johnson, L., Northrup, D. The Earth and its
Peoples 5th Edition. United States, Wadsworth Publishing, 2011. Print.
