Question

use source 8, 4.5 - b to answer questions 1 - 7. source 8, 4.5 - b: excerpted from geoffrey a. hosking, russia and the russians: a history, 2011, in which he describes russian expansion. the courts of renaissance europe were hungry for the more exotic types of fur—marten, sable, ermine—which had long ago been exterminated farther west. bringing back a few samples of the right kind of pelt could set up a merchant for life. the russian states fur revenue tripled between 1589 and 1605, and had grown eightfold by the 1680s, at which stage it constituted a tenth of total revenues. the prized animals were soon severely depleted by hunting, which helps to explain the rapidity with which the eastward movement took place. in one sense, the colonization of siberia was a kind of \fur fever,\ analogous similar to the california gold rush of the mid - nineteenth century. the native tribes were in no position to prevent this exploitation of their territories, since they had no firearms and no tradition of acting in common. tribes were often divided one from another by ancient and bitter feuds. some of them in any case welcomed the newcomers, who appeared to pay them generously for furs whose value they counted at very little. others, however, fought hard within their limited means, especially the samoieds, in the arctic regions of western siberia, and the buriats, tungus, and lakuts farther east. 1. what economic opportunities motivated the russians to extend their empire eastward? 2. according to the source, what allowed russia to successfully conquer siberia? 3. how did siberias location (see the large yellow area in source 3 likely contribute to the tact that only a small, tribal population had developed there? see the reverse. learning objective 4.5: compare the territorial expansion and foreign policies of early modern and russia. 4.5 - c: russian and chinese engagement with the west. by the late 18th century, russian imperial promoted the importation of western goods, technology, and culture, while qing china continued to have ly limited contact with the west.

Explanation:

1. The text mentions that the European courts' demand for exotic furs (marten, sable, ermine) created economic opportunities. The Russian state's fur - revenue growth (tripled between 1589 - 1605 and eight - fold by 1680s) shows that fur trade was a major economic motivation for eastward expansion.
2. The native tribes in Siberia had no firearms and no tradition of acting in common, and were often divided by feuds. Some tribes also welcomed the Russians for fur payments, which made it easier for Russia to conquer Siberia.
3. Siberia's location is likely to be a factor. It may be a harsh, remote area with a difficult climate, which made large - scale settlement and development challenging, thus only a small, tribal population developed there.

Answer:

1. The fur - trade opportunities, as European demand for exotic furs could make merchants wealthy and fur revenue was a significant part of the Russian state's income.
2. The lack of firearms and unity among native tribes, and the division among tribes due to feuds, along with some tribes' willingness to cooperate for fur payments.
3. Its remote and likely harsh climate and environment made large - scale settlement and development difficult.