A major theme of Russian history since Peter the Great has been to catch up with and overtake the West. The late 19th century tsars strove to industrialize, but losses in World War I led to revolution. Stalin's 5 Year Plans of forced modernization continued the policy, emphasizing heavy industry and technology. Putin militarized the plan and sought to restore Russia to empire and great power status. Territorial expansion has been on-going throughout the 21st century. This session will track recent history.