Left in the Cold: Invading Mother Russia Quiz

Answer: Batu Khan

Batu was the grandson of Genghis Khan. Under his leadership, the Golden Horde managed to obtain all of Russia. Their rule lasted over two centuries, and, like many of their other domains, maintained rule through the use of a tributary system, rather than managing affairs on a day-to-day basis. There were positives, however, as the beginnings of a modern postal system and a tightening of loyalties among the various provinces began during this period.

http://epicworldhistory.blogspot.com/2012/10/mongol-rule-of-russia.html

Answer: Neva River

The Battle of Neva pitted Novgorod's Prince Alexander Yaroslavich against Swedish forces led by Earl Birger (later given the honorific Jarl). Having heard of the Mongolian threat from the east, Birger assumed Novgorod would be in a weakened state without the means to call for support from their allies. While correct in this assumption, Prince Alexander summoned his forces and summarily routed the invaders at the mouth of the river Neva, earning himself the honorific "Nevsky".

http://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-the-Neva

Answer: Sweden

Despite the founding of an alliance between the two nations, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth succeeded in capturing Moscow within a year of declaring war. However, their leader, Sigismund III Vasa , was more interested in capturing Smolensk due to its strategic location near the mouth of the Dnieper River and nearness to his already established kingdom. They did manage to capture Smolensk in 1611 after nearly a year of fighting, however their victory was short-lived, as in 1612, Russian forces destroyed the invaders, and repelled them from their lands. It is interesting to note, that Sigismund III Vasa had also been King of Sweden for several years, from 1594-1599. He made a promise of religious freedom in order to secure the nation and reneged on it shortly after being crowned. It is quite likely Sweden came so readily to Russia's aid as a result of this prior conflict, and indeed, Sweden and Poland resumed their own conflict in 1617.

http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/wars_polish_muscovite_1609-19.html
http://www.britannica.com/biography/Sigismund-III-Vasa

Answer: Peter the Great

Peter the Great is best known for his attempts to modernize Russia. He established the first Russian newspaper, recruited foreign aid to assist in modernizing commercial practices, and reformed his government to better regulate all aspects of political administration. Furthermore, he founded his namesake city, St. Petersburg, which he made capital of the country. He had 14 children in all, though many died as children. In spite of this large family, Peter did not name an heir and was succeeded by his second wife, Catherine.

http://www.biography.com/people/peter-the-great-9542228#shortcomings-and-death

Answer: scorched earth

The scorched earth tactic seeks to destroy any potentially useful areas in a region to undermine the opponents supply chain. In most cases, it is used by invaders to prevent an uprising from within already conquered territory, as in Sherman's march to the sea. Utilizing it as a defensive tactic is difficult in most situations, but given the size of Russia and its infamous winters, the tactic can be employed quite readily. By forcing the Swedish army to endure a winter within their borders, Peter managed to weaken and demoralize the Swedish army to the point that they were soundly defeated in the next major battle, the Battle of Poltava, and forced to accede their long-standing control of much of eastern Europe.

http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/frederick-william-the-great-elector/frederick-i-of-brandenburg/the-great-northern-war/

Answer: Patriotic War of 1812

This campaign, part of the larger Napoleonic War that wracked Europe throughout the beginning of the 19th century, caused a huge upswing in patriotism among the Russian people. This patriotism would be key in the coming years as the rest of the world pushed forward into the Industrial Revolution, because the people began to see a need for modernization if their great nation were to compete on the global stage.

http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/French_invasion_of_Russia
http://warsof1812.com/french-invasion-of-russia/

Answer: 19-gun Raevsky Redoubt

The 19-gun Raevsky Redoubt was the final obstacle to the battle. Eventually, an attack from two directions managed to repel the Russian defenders and secure a victory for Napoleon. The victory came at an enormous cost, though, as the French Army lost an estimated 30,000 troops, along with valuable ammunition and medical supplies. The Russian army lost approximately 45,000 soldiers during the engagement, but they turned back to a scorched earth tactic and successfully destroyed any potential supplies to the French army before retreating towards Moscow.

http://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Borodino
http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/napoleonicwars/p/Napoleonic-Wars-Battle-Of-Borodino.htm

Answer: a fire

The massive fire destroyed an estimated 80% of the mostly wooden Russian city. With no shelter, no one to fight or parley with, and an imminent counter-offensive by the Russian army, Napoleon's army began its long march out of Russia. The Russian army followed, continuing to harass the remnants of the French army and cut off any paths that could lead them back into the heart of Russia. Napoleon left the army early to deal with political dissension in France. By the time the army itself returned, less than 30,000 of over half a million troops remained.

http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/French_invasion_of_Russia
http://www.napoleonguide.com/campaign_russia.htm

Answer: Operation Barbarossa

Barbarossa translates to 'red beard' and was in reference to the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I. The operation was originally code-named Operation Fritz. The offensive began in June 1941 and initially went quite well for the Germans as they used superior air force and military tactics to soundly defeat the main Russian army using a 3-pronged attack similar to their treatment of the invasion of France. However, Russian forces once again began retreating, razing supplies as they went. Furthermore, reserve forces nearly equaled that of the main army, and set up for future engagements further into the Russian motherland.

http://www.britannica.com/event/Operation-Barbarossa

Answer: 20%

The Siege of Leningrad wiped out 80% of its 3,200,000 population. However, their stalwart refusal to give in weakened the German offensive on other major Russian cities such as Moscow and Stalingrad (Volgograd). Hitler's planned blitzkrieg of Russia was unsuccessful due to its inability to take Leningrad, and forced the German army to settle in for a much longer campaign. Utilizing the same tactics they had in previous wars, Russia managed to repel the German invaders through acts of attrition, trading blows only when necessary, while restricting German supplies and reducing their morale. Russia may have lost many battles and lives as a result of the German invasion, but as the historical novelist Valentin Pikul said, "Russia- it may lose, but you cannot win."

http://wwiidiaries.com/2012/11/24/388/
http://ironmarch.org/index.php?/topic/1012-quotes-about-russia/