History Main / RussiaTakesOverTheWorld

* This is the premise of the "Pivot theory" in geopolitics developed by the British geographer Halford Mackinder in the early 20th century. Essentially, since Eurasia is the largest landmass in the world, (successful) world conquest would inevitably proceed from the center area and expand outwards into the periphery. Through the German geographer Karl Haushofer, it was relayed to UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler, who used it to justify [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII his war against the Soviet Union]]. However, the theory has since been discredited as, among ''many'' other flaws, it critically understates the economic costs of railway systems compared to utilizing natural waterways. There's a reason why the US, and not Russia, is the current world hegemon.

* ''Literature/NineteenEightyFour'': One of the world's [[SpaceFillingEmpire three superpowers]] is Eurasia, the Russian-derived successor state that controls the former Soviet Union and continental Europe (but not the British Isles). They are allied with Oceania against Eastasia until Oceania betrays them by teaming up with Eastasia against Eurasia. Apparently practices "Neo-Bolshevism" and according to the propaganda of Oceania is currently leading a campaign to conquer all of Africa. This is a subversion, since neither Eurasia nor any of the other two superstates really desire world domination, only to control their own peoples.

* This is the premise of the "Pivot theory" in geopolitics developed by the British geographer Halford Mackinder in the early 20th century. Essentially, since Eurasia is the largest landmass in the world, (successful) world conquest would inevitably proceed from the center area and expand outwards into the periphery. Through the German geographer Karl Haushofer, it was relayed to UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler, who used it to justify [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII his war against the Soviet Union]]. However, the theory has since been discredited as, among ''many'' other flaws, it critically understates the economic costs of railway systems compared to utilizing natural waterways.

* This is the premise of the "Pivot theory" in geopolitics developed by the British geographer Halford Mackinder in the early 20th century. Essentially, since Eurasia is the largest landmass in the world, (successful) world conquest would inevitably proceed from the center area and expand outwards into the periphery. Through the German geographer Karl Haushofer, it was relayed to UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler, who used it to justify [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII his war against the Soviet Union]]. However, the theory has since been discredited as, among ''many'' other flaws, it understates the economic costs of railway systems compared to utilizing natural waterways.

* The first ''VideoGame/AgeOfEmpiresIII'' campaign has the Russian Empire [[SecretHistory secretly allying]] with the illuminati-like Circle of Ossus and planning a large invasion of North America while Britain and France are fighting each other in the UsefulNotes/SevenYearsWar. They also support the Circle's search for immortality in South America during the early 19th century wars of independence, as part of an implied plot to TakeOverTheWorld. [[spoiler:The invasion is stopped when [[GoingNative John Black]] triggers an avalanche that buries the Russian army. Unfortunately, at the cost of his own life. Luckily, [[SomeoneToRememberHimBy his beloved Nonahkee is already pregnant with his son Nathaniel]].]]

* The infamous ''KD Rebels'' from white supremacist David Lane (yes something similar to ''Literature/TheTurnerDiaries'' but less famous) has its last chapter named "From Russia, with love" as white nationalists took over Russia and then start conquering The West, naturally prompting the UndefeatableLittleVillage of the American neo-nazis to happily support them. Considering the turn of Russia into the right, this scenario is saddly not as unrealistic.

[[caption-width-right:350: "Workers of the World Unite"]]

[[caption-width-right:350: [[ UsedfulNote/SovietUnion "Workers of the World Unite"]] ]]

[[caption-width-right:350: [[ UsedfulNote/SovietUnion "Workers of the World Unite"]]]]

[[caption-width-right:350: [[ SovietUnion "Workers of the World Unite"]]]]

* This is the premise of the "Pivot theory" in geopolitics developed by the British geographer Halford Mackinder in the early 20th century. Essentially, since Eurasia is the largest landmass in the world, world conquest would proceed from the center area and expand outwards into the periphery. Through the German geographer Karl Haushofer, it was relayed to UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler, who used it to justify [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII his war against the Soviet Union]]. However, the theory has since been discredited as, among ''many'' other flaws, it understates the economic costs of railway systems compared to utilizing natural waterways.

* The first ''VideoGame/AgeOfEmpiresIII'' campaign has the Russian Empire [[SecretHistory secretly allying]] with the illuminati-like Circle of Ossus and planning a large invasion of North America while Britain and France are fighting each other in the UsefulNotes/SevenYearsWar. They also support the Circle's search for immortality in South America during the early 19th century wars of independence, as part of an implied plot to TakeOverTheWorld. [[spoiler:The invasion is stopped when [[GoingNative John Black]] triggers an avalanche that buries the Russian army. Unfortunately, at the cost of his own life. Luckily, [[SomeoneToRememberHimBy his beloved Nonahkee is already pregnant with his son Nathaniel]].

* The first ''VideoGame/AgeOfEmpiresIII'' campaign has the Russian Empire [[SecretHistory secretly allying]] with the illuminati-like Circle of Ossus and planning a large invasion of North America while Britain and France are fighting each other in the UsefulNotes/SevenYearsWar. They also support the Circle's search for immortality in South America during the early 19th century wars of independence, as part of an implied plot to TakeOverTheWorld.

* ''Series/{{Sliders}}'': The pilot episode involves an alternate timeline where the Soviet Union took over most of the world, including the United States.

* Pro-American propaganda ''Film/RedDawn1984'' depicts a Soviet takeover of the United States, and a bunch of teens forming LaResistance. After NATO disbanded, Europe failed to resist the Soviet takeover. The Soviets even backstabbed their own ally People's Republic of China and took away their guns. Third World countries such as Mexico, Cuba and Nicaragua were busy tearing themselves apart from political and economic instability which enabled the Soviet Union to seize their lands and force them to fight for their cause as well.

* Pro-American propaganda ''Film/RedDawn1984'' depicts a Soviet takeover of the United States, and a bunch of teens forming LaResistance. The disbanding of NATO was a crucial catalyst for the takeover and Europe failed to resist the Soviet takeover. The Soviets even backstabbed their own ally People's Republic of China and took away their guns. Third World countries such as Mexico, Cuba and Nicaragua were busy tearing themselves apart from political and economic instability which enabled the Soviet Union to seize their lands and force them to fight for their cause as well.

* ''Film/RedDawn1984'' was about a Soviet takeover of the United States, and a bunch of teens forming LaResistance.

* The AlternateHistory story ''Literature/FearLoathingAndGumboOnTheCampaignTrailSeventyTwo'' accomplishes this by reversing TheGreatPoliticsMessUp. Influenced by a clique of Western-trained socialist economists, the USSR starting in TheSeventies embraces an "MBA communism" similar to the reforms carried out in our own history by China, with much the same result (i.e. economic liberalization and growth while retaining an authoritarian government), helped by the exploitation of its vast natural resources to buy favor in Western Europe. The US, meanwhile, endures economic and political strife during that decade before being taken over by far-right corporate plutocrats in TheEighties, and quickly finds itself succumbing to the same pressures that brought down the Soviets in our own history: economic mismanagement at home (in this case by {{Corrupt Corporate Executive}}s instead of [[ObstructiveBureaucrat bureaucratic central planners]]) leads to a collapse in living standards for working-class Americans, and the fact that the US in this timeline ''won'' UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar leads to a bad case of [[{{Pride}} victory disease]] as it engages in budget-busting military adventurism on multiple continents that only gives Western Europe more reason to leave NATO and engage in their own ''detente'' with Moscow. As [[FallenStatesOfAmerica the US plunges into chaos]] by the end of the '80s, the Soviet Union emerges as the world's sole superpower.

If you have an EXTREMELY forgiving definition of "empire" however and saw all Communist states in the UsefulNotes/ColdWar as an extension of Moscow's will, then the Russians came closest to this in the Cold War with numerous allied and satellite states. That is until the Sino Soviet split which also led to greater independence for Yugoslavia and Albania. However, the Soviet Union at the height of its influence was led by Stalin, a Georgian (albeit a Russian loving Georgian).

* ''The Gladiator'', one of the novels in Creator/HarryTurtledove's Crosstime Traffic series, is set in Italy after the Soviet Union [[AkternateHistory won the Cold War]] and the whole planet became communist.

* ''The Gladiator'', one of the novels in Creator/HarryTurtledove's Crosstime Traffic series, is set in an alternate Italy after the Soviet Union won the Cold War and the whole planet became communist.

* The first ''VideoGame/AgeOfEmpiresIII'' campaign has the Russian Empire [[SecretHistory secretly allying]] with the illuminati-like Circle of Ossus and planning a large invasion of North America while Britain and France are fighting each other in UsefulNotes/TheSevenYearsWar. They also support the Circle's search for immortality in South America during the early 19th century wars of independence, as part of an implied plot to TakeOverTheWorld.

* ''The Gladiator'', one of the novels in HarryTurtledove's Crosstime Traffic series, is set in an alternate Italy after the Soviet Union won the Cold War and the whole planet became communist.