Part 4/10:
In contrast, Eastern Europe, including Russia, did not experience similar uprisings or improvements in the economic status of peasants, as lords intensified their control and extraction of wealth from the lower classes. By the mid-19th century, Russia still operated under an outdated feudal structure, hampering its industrial development and keeping the economy in a state of poverty. This stagnation set the stage for revolutionary movements that would eventually lead to the birth of the Soviet Union.