Moreover, by leaving in ruin and disarray the cities of the Kievan Rus alliance, the Mongols paved the way for the distinct nation states that would come of these regions. It is thus that even in spite of its 300-year occupation, the Mongolian Empire would actually be an early catalyst for the formation of the Belarus, the Ukraine, Poland, Hungary and the Russian Empire.
Likewise, by holding under its sway the Russian expanse during the Renaissance Era in Europe, Mongolian rule may be an explanation for the absence of any such period in pre-Soviet history. The distinction of this warrior empire from the feudalist trappings of Western Europe detained Russian modernity relative to its continental neighbors in a way that may be said to have largely forged the lesser economic fortunes and slower pace of cultural development experienced by Slavic Europeans. Still, it was because of Mongolian rule that Moscow would ultimately attain the stature to seek Russian independence.
According to IC, "by the latter part of the century, Moscow felt strong enough to challenge the Tatars directly, and in 1380 a Muscovite prince named Dmitri Donskoy had the audacity to attack them. His decisive victory at Kulikovo Field immediately made him a popular hero, though the Tatar retaliation two years...
It wasn't until 1480, after another century had passed, that Moscow was strong enough to throw off Tatar rule for good." (IC, 1) and yet, the Mongolian rule had been the primary force in the development of this major city and, in generally, the emergence of those urban centers, regional divisions, local ruling classes and religious orders that would ultimately produce Russia and its neighbors in the region.
Works Cited:
Dutch, S. (1998). The Mongols. University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. Online at http://www.uwgb.edu/dutchs/WestTech/xmongol.htm
Federal List of Russian Tour Operators. (2010). Page 1 (History of Russia: IX - XVIIth centuries). Parallel Sixty.
Interknowledge Corp. (IC). (2005). The Mongols and the Emergence of Moscow. Geographia. Online at http://www.geographia.com/RUSSIA/rushis03.htm
Nicolle, D. & Shpakovskii, V.O. (2001). Kalka River, 1223: Ghengis Khan's Mongols Invade Russia. Osprey Publishing.
Racey, J. (2000). The Mongol Invasion of Europe: 1222-1242. The Web Chronology Project. Online at http://www.thenagain.info/WebChron/westeurope/MongolEurope.html
White, M. (2009). Selected Death Tolls for Wars, Massacres and Atrocities Before the 20th Century.
