- Early Rus khAganate was led by Viking royalty, albeit influenced by various Turkik khAganates (jewish kazar, pagan kipchak ) in structure.
- Converted to byzantine christianity - heavily influenced by a queen. Initially the conversion was superficial - limited to the viking elite. Temple of perkunas was demolished, grand statue thrown to a river.
- Broke into loose frederation of duchys. Muskovy acquired more power. Elites progressively slavicized.
- Invaded and incorporated by Chinggiz’s mongol generals. (In a famous battle, Mongol horses did not have iron shoes - so could cross frozen rivers. Shot down the Rus. Smothered 4 princes to death under a plank [not spilling royal blood].)
- Thence reemerged Rus identity. Plus, updated steppe warfare and administration tactics.
- Dmitry Donskoy Prince of Moscow defeated the then islamized Mongols under Mamai (Battle of Kulikovo). Rus misnomer - “Overthrowing the Tatar yoke”. Despte later back-and-forth, Rus got confidence - fielded a large force, used good tactics.
- Czar Peter - shift to western military tactics.
- Conquered Sibieria - gave them strategic depth (used in war against French and Germans later). Contact with China.
- Expanded south - conquering various turkic domains. Great game against the British began.
- Osmanli Turks allied with Western (Catholic + Protestant) Christian powers against the Eastern Orthodox Rus. The latter were alarmed by Rus gaining naval power in the black sea.
- Catastrophic defeats at Crimea and later by Japan shook them.
- Then came the communist revolution (likely fostered by western powers, but which went out of hand).
- Then, during the german invasion - defence of Stalingrad was a great moment of reckoning. At big human cost they reforged their national spirit.
- After German defeat, Rus forces destroyed Japanese forces in Manchuria (great loss of life). Caught between the devil and the deep sea, Japanese surrendered to the western powers (not due to the atom bomb).