Summary of Timothy Snyder: The Making of Modern Ukraine. Class 5: Vikings, Slavers, Lawgivers: The Kyiv State

00:00:00 - 00:50:00

In this video, Timothy Snyder discusses the history of the Kyivan Rus state and its relationship to Christianity. He explains how the state was able to succeed despite being situated in a region with other competing states, and discusses the importance of other Slavic states in Kyivan Rus' success. Snyder also covers the importance of France and Germany in the Kyivan Rus state's development, and how the state's legal system was a key strength of the state.

• 00:00:00 This 1-paragraph summary of Timothy Snyder's lecture, "The Making of Modern Ukraine," explains the general causal forces that led to the development of states in Eastern Europe around 1000 AD, including Christianity and its ability to unite people under a single set of beliefs.
• 00:05:00 This lecture by Timothy Snyder discusses the origins of the Kyivan Rus state and its relationship to Christianity. He discusses the importance of copied politics and how Kyivan Rus was able to succeed despite being situated in a region with other states that were also competing for power. Snyder also discusses the importance of other Slavic states in Kyivan Rus' success, and how these states helped to spread Christianity to new areas.
• 00:10:00 This video covers the history of Ukraine and its relationship to Christianity. The Math of Slavery is discussed, and it is shown that when pagan rulers converted to Christianity, the math became worse for them because Christians were not supposed to enslave each other. The importance of France and Germany in this process is also mentioned.
• 00:15:00 The Franks and Byzantines had different ideas about how a ruler should be related to religious and secular power, and their political systems differed in how vassals were treated. The Germans and English were also trying to convert the Scandinavians, but the Scandinavians were out of reach. Kyiv, the capital of the Kyivan Rus, was a new model state because its ruler, the Kyivan prince, accepted that he was a Christian ruler who could be crowned by a pope, but he was not subordinate to the pope.
• 00:20:00 The Vikings were a group of Vikings that originated in Scandinavia, and came in contact with the Byzantines and Franks in the 8th century. They were known for their amazing seamanship, but were also known for their trade of slaves, which was one of their main sources of income. They attempted to pass the rapids of the Dnipro River using slaves, but eventually failed, and left markers indicating their deaths along the way.
• 00:25:00 This video discusses the origins of Ukraine, including the role of the Franks and the Moravians. It also mentions the importance of the Czechs, who were the first to arrive in what is now Poland. This transformation led to the creation of a Western Christian country.
• 00:30:00 This video discusses the origins of the Kyivan Rus', a medieval state in present-day Ukraine. The video explains that the state was created by the Bulgars, a Turkic people who converted to Islam and migrated to what is now south-central Russia. The Bulgars used the legacy of Cyril and Methodius, the creators of the Glagolitic script, to create a model of statehood. The Rus' were a group of Scandinavian slavers who arrived in the area around the same time. The Khazars, a Turkic people who were already present in the area, were also competing for power.
• 00:35:00 The video discusses the origins of the Rus', who were Viking invaders and slave traders who settled in Kyiv in the late 800s and took over what the Khazars left them. By 911, a ruler of the Rus', called Oleg, was signing a treaty with Byzantium.
• 00:40:00 In the 10th century, Viking conversion to Christianity, state creation, and state failure are all taking place. Volodymyr the Great converts in 911, and the Primary Chronicle describes the process as being a choice between two different versions of Christianity.
• 00:45:00 This 1-paragraph summary of Timothy Snyder's lecture on Ukraine discusses the history of Kyivan Rus', the conversion of its ruler, and the system's weakness in terms of succession.
• 00:50:00 This video discusses the important aspects of the Ukrainian state, particularly its well-developed legal system. Though the state was able to establish a strong foundation, its weak point was its succession process, which was often contested and led to instability.