The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1920-05-06
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 Bolshe-
vism In Their Cropping for
Freedom.
Article XVI.
BY FRANK coMERFoRD.


The history of Russia begins with a
legend. Nestor Of Kiev, an old monk
Ish chronlcler tells the story. Kiev Is
the mother Of Russian cities. In the
ninth century Slavs and Films lived in
a tribal state in the forest region near
Lake linen, between Lake Ladoga and
the upper waters Of the Dnieper river.
Bands " military Adventures from
the land Of Rus, which Is supposed TO
have been a part Of Sweden, eXaCted
tribute from the tribes. I'm the year
$50 the tribes threw off the yoke Of
the NOrscmcn and drove them ont Of
the country. Ii was RusSia's first reyo-
luton, so the old chronicler relates,
and it was successful. Freed from the
tyranny Of the tribute takers the tribes
began to quarrel among themselves.
Their land was large ana fertile, but
civil war destroyed order Then as
now. order was the first essential to
peace and happiness. II is told that
after three years of tribal war they
confessed their inability to manage
their own affairs and they sent a mis-
sion to Rus TO invite their old masters
70 come and rule over them.
According to the legend, three broth
erS, princes Of Rus, Rurik, Sineus and
Truvor, accepted the call and founded
dynasty, from which many Of the
Russian princes Of the present day
claim descent
While much discussion has been pro-
voked ms to the identity of the war
rors from the land Of Rus, the found
ers OF the Russian empire, It IS gen
orally believed that they were the
hardy NOrsemen, who in the ninth cen
fury roamed through various countries
Of Europe. These rowing bands in
vaded and conquered territory and
lived MS the dominant military caste
until they were gradually absorbed by
the native population,
Novgorod 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 bodyguard of
the Byzantine emperors, travelled from
Scandinavia to ConstantlnopIe. 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
an directions, and before two hundred
years had passed they had invaded
Byzantine territory, established them
selves at Kley, threatened CONSTANT
nople with a feet secured as consOrt
for Vladimir |, one Of their princes,
sister Of the Byzantine emperor,
adopted Christianity for themselves
and their subjects, learned to hold In
check the nomadlc hordes of the
NlfIl's anu lbllllfh Iliull llllbllihi
linnCes with the relgnlng families of
Poland, Hungary, Norway and France.
They became a great power In eastern
Europe
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
WINS destroyed when the princes Of the
Rurik dynasty divided the state into IA
number OF independent prlnclpalities.
For time these were weakly and
loosely held together by the patri-
archal authority OF the senior mem
Der Of the family, the grand prince,
who ruled In Kiev Family quarrels
became frequent. These princes were
strong men They wanted power, They
stroye to enlarge their territories at
the expense Of their rivals The tradi-
tonal authority Of the grand prince
declined. Yar0sav the Great was the
last of the grand princes With his
death IN 1854, family feuds multiplied
and disiniegration set In During the
next 10 years, from 1854 to 1924,
Russia was split into over sixty prin-
clpalitcs. Disputes over the question
Of succession Ted TO oghty-three civil
wars
Ruined by Internal Struggle.
During these lnterminablo struggles
Of rival princes, Klcy, which had been
go long the residence of the grand
prince, was repeatedly taken by storm,
and ruihIessly pillaged. Finally the
whole valley Of the Dnieper fen prey
10 the marching tribes of the steppe,
Thereupou Russian colonization and
political influence rctreatcd north.
wnrd and from that time the contn-
nous stream OF Russian history Is
"a be sought in the land where the
| vikings first settlcd. and IN the adion,
ms basin Of the upper Noga Here
| nov municipalities were founded. some
| Of snum having a grand prince, who
! 90 .ougcr professed allegiance 20 Kicy
Tkls appeared the grand princes Of
sukdal, Of Jyer Of Ryalan and Of
JoseoW--all irrecoucilable rivals with
| little or no feelings Of blood relation
| ship The more ambitions and power
fu among them asplred not TO sue