The Collapse Of The Soviet

Union
Jon Dougherty

The Creation Of The Politburo

The Politburo was the executive committee and highest body
for the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet
Union. Vladimir Lenin set up the Politburo in 1917, was the
central policy making and governing of the communist party and
the state. Every 4 or 5 years there would be new candidates
elected by the delegates of the communist party congress. This
was in full effect until the collapse of the Soviet union in 1991.

The Russian Civil War

The civil war was between the Bolsheviks (red) and the anti
Bolsheviks (white) raged Russia until 1920. The white supported
all anti communist groups which some leaders wanted a military
dictatorship but never spoke up.

Stalin's 5 Year Plan

To increase the output of steel, coal, oil, and electricity. Stalin 5 year plan did not turn
out so good. during his first 5 year plan he tried to reorganize the economy with farms
and factories. the results of his plan was a disaster, but yet Stalin maintained export
levels, shipping food out of the country even as residents died by the hundreds of
thousands. anyone who protested his plan were immediately killed or sent to a
collective farm where food was produced for the state.

World War 2
This was referred to as the second world war and was between the worlds most
powerful groups including Japan, Russia, Germany, and the United States. This war
lasted 6 years. It ended once japan and Nazi germany were beaten.

Joe 1
The United States assigned it the code-name Joe-1, in reference to Joseph Stalin. It was
exploded on 29 August 1949 at 7 in the morning. It weighed over 21 Kilotons.

Hydrogen Bomb
First developed and used in 1952 and has since been employed by most of the world's
nuclear weapons. This is a bomb that has multiple fission stages that creates a bigger
explosion then a single staged fission bomb.

Warsaw Pact
May 14th, 1955 the soviet union and 8 communist states in central and eastern europe
formed a defense treaty. It was a military treaty which stated that each of the countries
would help each other if ever attacked by a foreign country.

Sputnik
On october 4th 1957 russia sent the earth's first artificial satellite into space. The soviet
union launched this satellite which was a big role in the space race.

Laika and Sputnik 3

Laika was a dog who as the very first living creature to enter orbit on November 3,
1957. Sadly Laika died in space which then opened the door for debates about animal
rights. Space race was going on which was occopmpuant during the cold war. Sputnik
was launched march 3 1958 which orbited earth at an 65 degrees to the equator.
Sputnik was launched to study the upper layers of the atmosphere and cosmic space.
Sputnik was launched to make it possible to study the geophysical and physical
problems taken by the instruments that were on Sputnik 3. Instruments are installed in
the sputnik to study the pressure and composition of the atmosphere in its upper layers;
the concentration of positive ions; the magnitudes of the electric charge of the sputnik
and the tension of the Earth's electrostatic field

Creation Of Berlin Wall

The wall existed from 1961 through 1989, constructed by the German Democratic
Republic. This wall cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East
Berlin.

Invasion Of Czechoslovakia
On august 20th, 1968, the soviet union led warsaw pact troops to an invasion
of Czechoslovakia to stop reformist trends.

Salt 1
Richard nixon and Leonid Brezhnev signed the first strategic arms limitations between
the U.S.S.R and the U.S. This added limitations to each of the sides use of Nuclear
weapons.

Salt 2
President Jimmy Carter and Brezhnev met in vienna to sign salt 2. This limited each
side to have no more than 2400 weapons systems and it added more specific
regulations on different missile launchers.

Salt 2
President Jimmy Carter and Brezhnev met in vienna to sign salt 2. This limited each
side to have no more than 2400 weapons systems and it added more specific
regulations on different missile launchers.

Soviet-Afghan War
in december of 1977 the soviet union sent troops into afghanistan and gained political and military
control of countries very quickly. This caused a decade long attempt by moscow to overcome the
Afghan civil war and remain a friendly socialist on its border.

Gorbachev Becomes Leader

Gorbachev said in his farewell speech that the establishment of the CIS, played a major
role resulting in his decision to resign or step down. He said was "concerned about the
fact that the people in this country are ceasing to become citizens of a great power and
the consequences may be very difficult for all of us to deal with.

Perestroika
was a program instituted in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Gorbachev to restore Soviet
economic and political policies. Gorbachev wanted enterprises to become self financed
by taking away economic control. while perestroika did not benefit the workers in the
short term he then pushed for far-reaching political reforms.

Glasnost
Introduced by Mikhail Gorbachev in the second half of the 1980s, this was a policy that
was often referred to as a guide on how to end corruption in the higher communist parts
of the government.

Chernobyl Disaster
A nuclear accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear power plant in the ukraine. it was under
the direct jurisdiction of the soviet union.

Voting Reforms By Gorbachev

During his time being head of General Secretary of the Communist Party, he had made
many reforms. The reforms included Perestroika, demokratizatsiya and glasnost which
contributed to the demise of the soviet union.

Free elections in poland, Hungary and

Czechoslovakia
in 1989 poland was the first country to have free elections. Shortly after Hungary and
Czechoslovakia followed in polands footsteps. Many people in each country used civil
resistance to show their hate for a one party rule.

Fall Of The Berlin Wall

began the evening of 9 November 1989 and continued over the following days
and weeks, with people nicknamed Mauerspechte which were wall
woodpeckers. These people worked away at the wall and opened up unofficial
pass throughs from one side to the other.

Lithuania/Latvia Protests
August 23, 1989- This was a protest that took place throughout the western cities of
Russia to try and receive Baltic independence. Over 2 million people came together at 7
oclock and held hands for 15 minutes connecting through the three Baltic cities.

Boris Yeltsin Becomes president

In the 1980s, Yeltsin became acquainted with Mikhail Gorbachev, they both were in
the run in the Communist Party. In 1985, after Gorbachev became leader of the Soviet
Union, he named Yeltsin to the top party post in Moscow and to the Politburo that ruled
the nation. Within two years though, Yeltsin made himself unwelcome by pushing for
more rapid reforms and criticizing Gorbachevs leadership. He lost his leadership
positions.

Gorbachev Steps Down

Gorbachev said in his farewell speech that the establishment of the CIS, played a major
role resulting in his decision to resign or step down. He said was "concerned about the
fact that the people in this country are ceasing to become citizens of a great power and
the consequences may be very difficult for all of us to deal with."

Why Did The Soviet Union Collapse?

The union had many causes for its collapse.
One being gorbachev. He was trying to make it
more free but still being able to have a
communist government. This didnt work so
when it failed he did. Shortly after russia was
free of communists.

Citations
storylearningsite.co.uk/russian_civil_war1.htm
http://history1900s.about.com/od/1950s/p/laikathedog.htm
http://www.historyorb.com/russia/civil_war.php
http://history1900s.about.com/od/1950s/p/laikathedog.htm
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/russian_civil_war1.htm
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/451371/perestroika