1. The Origins of Civilization Up until about 12,000 years ago, all humans were hunter-gatherers: that is, they lived by hunting wild game, fishing, and gathering fruits and berries. They lived in small bands, following a mobile lifestyle as they followed animal herds and moved to where more plants could be found. They owned only […]
Modern World
The Soviet Union
The Russian Revolutions of 1917 By 1917, the people of Russia were heartily sick of World War I, with its terrible casualties at the front, economic hardships at home and no military successes to speak of. The mismanagement of the war effort had utterly undermined confidence in the tsar and his government. Mutinies were spreading […]
Imperial Russia
Origins The Russian nation began to take shape in the 8th and 9th centuries CE, when Norse traders established settlements along the great rivers of Russia. In the 10th and 11th centuries these gave rise to a state, the Grand Principality of Kiev, which converted to Christianity at the start of the 11th century. This […]
Early Modern Europe
Overview From the early 15th century, Medieval Europe began to morph into early modern Europe. In the later Middle Ages trade had expanded, towns had grown in number and size, and a new, more sophisticated society had emerged. In large parts of western Europe feudalism, with its fragmented power-structures, had begun to give way to […]
Western Civilization
The modern West is the most extraordinary civilization that has existed in world history (so far). It has risen to become a globe-spanning industrial society espousing democracy and the rule of law.