This episode takes you to Russia’s 19th-century peak—from beating Napoleon to the mid-1800s, a time when its might wasn’t in industry, but in ruling Europe’s political game.  

It’s the story of how Russia became the "European Gendarme," quelling revolutions (like Hungary’s) and making powers like Prussia back down with just a Tsar’s "attention."  

But here’s the surprise: beneath its fearsome influence, Russia was shrinking into conservatism, choked by bloated bureaucracy and falling behind Western Europe’s industrial surge. 

After defeating Napoleon, Russia jumped from a European marginal state to a core political player. Yet it turned more conservative instead of further Westernization. Tsar Alexander I founded the Holy Alliance to suppress liberal ideas. Young Russian officers, influenced by Western culture in France, launched the Decembrist Uprising. This uprising pushed Russia into deeper conservatism, drifting further from Europe. What impact will this conservative Russia bring? Stay tuned for the next episode.

Ever thought Russia beat Napoleon just with winter? Think again. In 1812, Tsar Alexander I’s strategy—retreating deep, scorched earth, refusing peace—was key. Napoleon’s 420k men shrank to 30k; winter only worsened his already collapsing army. Russia’s vast geography and people’s loyalty also helped. Next: more of the empire’s turbulent past.​

Did you know one of Russia’s two “Great” rulers was German? Catherine the Great, a German princess, continued and deepened Peter’s Westernization. She reformed education (even for women) and law, fought the Pugachev Rebellion (against Westernization/serf oppression), and expanded Russia to the Black Sea. Later, the French Revolution made her conservative, but she kept Russia from abandoning Western ways. Next: Russia’s fight against Napoleon.​

Ever wondered why Peter the Great is Russia’s most influential tsar? He pushed sweeping Westernization—moving capital to St. Petersburg, reforming army, economy and education. His drive came from childhood European exposure and a brutal defeat by Sweden. The reforms made Russia a Baltic power with industrial growth, but split society into Westernizers and tradition lovers. Next episode: the monarch who continued his Western wave.

Ever wondered how Russia took over Siberia (70% of its land today)? It started with Ivan the Terrible’s era and Cossack leader Yermak. Timing (Mongol Empire’s fall, no rival powers) and tech (arquebuses from English trade) helped. Russia used a low-cost model: Cossacks took risks, the state gained. Siberia brought fur wealth and shifted Russia’s identity east. Next: Peter the Great’s westward push

Why is Ivan the Terrible both feared and seen as “great” by Russians? After Moscow ended Mongol rule, he built Imperial Russia’s foundations: institutionalizing autocracy, controlling nobles via the Service Nobility Decree, and subduing the Church with the Council of a Hundred Chapters. Though cruel (even killing his heir), he created a centralized state that enabled later expansion. Next: his role in Siberian conquest.​

In this episode of A Brief History of Russia, David Clark tackles a compelling question: What does it mean when we say Russia carries "Mongol genes"? It’s not just about bloodlines—though many Russians (including figures like Lenin, Dostoevsky, and Mendeleev) have Mongol ancestry, and Tatars (descendants of the Mongol world) are Russia’s second-largest ethnic group. Instead, the focus is on the deeper, lasting impact of over 200 years of Mongol rule on Russia’s political DNA, mindset, and governing logic.

In this episode of A Brief History of Russia, David Clark reveals a surprising truth: Russia’s real origin isn’t the once-glorious Kievan Rus, but the humble Grand Duchy of Moscow. Follow Moscow’s epic rise — from a bottom-ranked principality under Mongol rule to the powerful Tsardom that laid the groundwork for a Eurasian empire, spanning six pivotal centuries.

Why did this unremarkable state outshine rivals like Novgorod? The story starts with Ivan I, a ruler often overlooked yet critical to Moscow’s fate....

In this episode of A Brief History of Russia, David Clark unravels the dramatic collapse of Kievan Rus — once a flourishing and cultured medieval state — that was suddenly wiped off the map by the Mongol invasion. But as we’ll discover, this destruction was more than just tragedy; it reshaped Russia’s destiny. From the chaos of civil wars to the rise of absolute power, the Mongol conquest planted the seed for a new, centralized Russia. How could devastation give birth to an empire?