KT2 Flashcards
Who were the volga vikings?
The groups of traders and raiders who made their living via volga trade routes.
Where do volga vikings originate from?
Sweden.
What 2 places did the volga vikings reach?
Constantinople and Baghdad.
Why did the vikings settle in Russia?
- trade opportunities
- natural resources
- strategic
- political opportunities
- expansion & exploration
What were the 2 major Rus cities?
What did they allow vikings to do?
Kiev and Novgorod.
Control rivers and trading routes from south.
Who were the key figures & what did they do?
- rurik (founded novgorod)
- oleg (moved capital from novgorod to kiev)
- vladimir (converted to christianity & kievan rus followed)
When did the vikings attack Constantinople?
What did this enable them to do?
860
Negotiate a trade agreement with Byzantine empire.
When did Oleg attack Constantinople & what resulted?
When did his son Igor attack & what resulted?
907 - by sea, negotiated a trade treaty.
940 - defeated by ‘greek fire’, many of them burned to death in their ships.
When did Igor negotiate a peace treaty & what did it consist of?
945 - Rus could only enter Constantinople in groups fewer than 50 and without any weapons.
What was the Varangian Guard?
The Byzantine Empire’s elite bodyguard, including a large number of vikings.
The vikings were attracted to Islamic cities such as… where they engaged in…
Baghdad
trading goods: fur, slaves, spices, silks, silver.
