ABSTRACT
The Roman Empire almost united Europe. Rome was an imperialistpower and it viewed the rest of Europe, indeed any territory, aspotential booty. Once subdued, Roman law and institutions were introduced to civilise the natives. An important element was to foster the concept that a pan-European family of peoples existed. Eventually the project failed because the locals rebelled against the heavy tax burden and colluded with the empire’s opponents. The Romans hardly penetrated into eastern Europe. However a successor empire did emerge: the Russian Empire. The Russian state began in Kiev, in present day Ukraine, then suffered the Mongol yoke (1240-1480), during which time Moscow became the power centre. By the end of the sixteenth century, Russia had expanded as far as it could in the east, to the Pacific Ocean. In the nineteenth century, Moscow’s power expanded to include the Caucasus and Central Asia.
