New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1920-05-07
PRObLEMSFAC|NC
STRICKEN WORLD
Shall Chaos or Reconstruction
in Europe Follow the Great
World War?
RUSSIA ALWAYS UNDER YOKE
Easy to Understand Why the Unhappy
People Have Turned to Boishe-
vism In Their Cropping for
Freedom.
Article XVI.
BY FRANK

6y tHANk COMERFORO.
The history Of Russia begins with
legend. Nestor of Kiev, an old monk
ish %chronicler, tells the story. Kiev Il
the mother of Russian cities. In tn,
ninth century Slavs and Firms lived il
a tribal state In the forest region neal
Lake linen. between Lake Ladoga ant
the upper waters of the Dnieper river
Bands of military adventures from
the land of Rus, which is supposed tC
have been a part of Sweden, exacted
tribute from the tribes. In the year
$50 the tribes threw off the yoke of
the NOrsemen and drove them out of
the country. 1t was Russia's first revo-
luton, SO the old chronicler relates,
and 1t was successful. Freed from the
tyranny of the tribute takers the tribes
began to quarrel among themselves.
Their land was large and fertile, but
civil war destroyed order. Then as
now, order was the first essential to
peace and happiness. 1t is told that
after three years of tribal war they
confessed their inability to manage
'"Sh anu lIlty Sent d HIS
sion to Rus to invite their old masters
to come and rule over them.
According to the legend, three BROTH
ers. princes Of Rus. Rurik, Sineus and
TruvOr, accepted the call and founded
a dynasty, from which many of the
Russian princes of the present day
claim descent.
While much discussion has been pro-
voked as to the identity of the war
riors from the land of Rus, the found
ers OF the Russian empire, 1t is gen.
orally believed that they were the
hardy Norsemen, who in the ninth GEN.
fury roamed through various countries
of Europe. These rowing bands in
vaded and conquered territory and
lived as the dominant military caste
until they were gradually absorbed by
the native population.
Novoorod First Capital.
Prince Rurik built his capital on the
banks Of the River volkhov, which
with Lake linen formed part of the
great waterway connecting the Baltic
and Black seas. By this route, the |
tall. blonde NOrsemen. who composed |
the famous Varangian b~odyguard of
the Byzantine emperors, Travelled from
Scandinavia to Constantinople. Rus
sia's first capital was Novgorod.
These new rulers from the land of
Rus brought with them the spirit of
adventure Of the Norsemen. They
were not contented to rule the tribes
who had invited them. They set out
to conquer the surrounding country In
all directions. and before two hundred
years had passed they had invaded
Byzantine territory. established them
selves at Kiev, threatened CONSTANT
nople with q fleet, secured as q consort
for Vladimir I. one of their princes, a
sister Of the Byzantine emperor,
adopted Christianity for themselves
and their subjects, learned to hold in
check the nosnadic hordes Of the
and fArmed matrimonial al
liances with the reigning families Of
Poland, Hungary, Norway and France.
They became a great power in eastern
They had great appetite for con-
quest, but they lacked the power to
organize the territory they conquered. ,
The political future Of the new state A.,
vas destroyed. when the princes of the :
surik dynasty divided the state into a :
lumber Of independent principalities. ,
FOR a time these were weakly and :
oosely held together by the patri- >
Irchal authority Of the senior men, I
YER Of the family, the grand prince,
ruled In Klev. Family quarrels e
frequent. These princes were :
trong men. They wanted power. They
trove to enlarge their territories at
expense of their rivals. The tradi-
onal authority Of the grand prince =,
Yaroslav the Great was the 2,
lst Of the grand princes. With his :,
cath In 1854. family feuds multiplied :,
nd disintegration set I'm. During the o
ext 10 years. from 1854 to 1924, q,
ussia was split into over sixty prin- =,
palities. Disputes over the question
succession led to eighty-three civil q,
ars. -.
Ruined by Internal Struggle. 70
During these nterminable struggles 81
rival princes. Kiev, which had been >,
long the residence of the grand
ince. was repeatedly taken by storm, 90
ID ruthlessly pillaged. Finally the ar
hole valley Of the Dnieper fell a prey a
the marching tribes of the steppe. IN
,ereupon Russian colonization and on
litical influence retreated north 40
ird. and from that time the contin-
us stream of Russian history is
be sought in the land where the
kings first settled, and in the adjoin- fr,
basin Of the upper volga. Here or
W principalities were founded, some af,
them having a grand prince. who vi,
longer professed allegiance to Kiev. we
us appeared the grand princes of civ
Of Tver. of Ryazan and Of Do
'scow-all irreconcilable rivals with so,
lie or no feelings of blood relation BE
p. h more ambitious and power So
among them asplred not to sue thr