The Collapse of the U.S.S.

R
By: Philip Konrad

Creation of the Politburo

1917-1919
Was an executive committee and the biggest body for central committee
and other main party's. It was made in 1917 by Vladimir Lenin and was used
to coordinate the October revolution in Russia. For 70 years it was the
central policymaking governing for the communist party and the state. It
did however end due to the collapse of the soviet union in 1991.

Russian Civil War

1918-1921
The civil war tore Russia apart for 3 years. It happened because of many
groups rebelled against Lenin's Bolsheviks. The groups consisted of
monarchists, militarist and foreign nation.

Stalin's Five Year Plans

1928
It was an attempt to bring the soviet union to the industrial age. He seized
assets, farms and factory's. After many attempts with the five year plan, it
Stopped and started for a while until they started the seven year plans.

World War 2
1939-1945
What started the WW2 was when Germany invaded Poland randomly. After
this occurred, more tons of country's came in and this is what made world
war 2. This occurred 25 years after world war 1 happen it lasted for a pretty
long time.

Joe 1
1943
Was a soviet atomic bomb that was similar to the USs atomic bomb FAT
MAN. Its real name Was RDS-1 but the United states renamed it to Joe-1. It
exploded on august 29th, 1949 at 7 in the morning.

Hydrogen Bomb
1954
Was a atomic bomb that functions by fusions or joins together of lighter
elements or larger elements. It was first exploded in 1952 at Enewetak by
the united states.

Warsaw Pact
1955
A collective defense treaty that involved 8 communistic states of central
and eastern Europe. It lasted during the cold war. The Warsaw pact was part
in a soviet military reaction to the interrogation of west Germany.

Sputnik
1957
Was the first artificial satellite. Soviet union launched it on low earth orbit
on the 4th of October in 1957. This is what started the space race. This
provided scientist with a bunch of new information that helped out in the
long run.

Laika and Sputnik 3

1957

Laika was a soviet space dog which became one of the first animals in space
and the first animal to orbit earth. She was just a stray dog in Moscow and
her name originally was Kudryavka. She was an occupant of sputnik 2 which
launched in November 3, 1957. Sputnik 3 was another soviet satellite that
was launched in 1958 which it succeeded in making it to orbit.

Creation of the Berlin Wall

1961-1990
A barrier that last from 1961 to 1989. it was built by the German Democratic
Republic. It cut off west berlin from surrounding East Germany and east
berlin. The barrier had guard towers that help keep the population safe.
The berlin wall came to an end in 1989.

Invasion of Czechoslovakia
1968

Soviet led the Warsaw pact troops in an invasion of Czechoslovakia stop

reformist trends in Prague. This was successful but it sadly had unintended
consequences for the unity of the communists bloc.

SALT I
1969-72
Salt, which stand for Strategic Arms limitation Talks, is two rounds of talks
and international treaties with the US and the Soviet union. There are SALT
1 and SALT 2. These treaties led to two different treaties name START 1 and
START 2.

SALT II
1972-79

Was a series of talks that involved the United states and the soviet
negotiators from 1972 to 1979 which was used for stopping the making of
strategic nuclear weapons. SALT 2 was the first nuclear arms treaty which
thought real reductions in smart forces to 2,250 of all types of delivery
vehicles on each side.

Soviet-Afghan War
1979-1989
Wanted complete military and political control over Kabul and large
portions of Afghanistan. By doing so, they sent thousands of troops into
Afghanistan to perform this action. This sparked a long attempt by Moscow
to subdue afghan civil war and keep a friendly and socialist government on
its border.

Gorbachev becomes leader

1985
Gorbachev was a different type of leader. He found out that the U.S Soviet
arms race was futile. He then put the idea out of having a nuclear-free world
which led to Soviet-American conversations about nuclear disbarment and
signing of the treaty on the liquidation of medium to shorter range missiles.

Glasnost
1986
A policy that openness and transparency in governments areas and
activities in the soviet union. Was found by Mikhail Gorbachev in the second
half of the 1980s. This word was used often by Gorbachev in speeches about
certain things that were needed to talk about. The word was referenced a
lot back then.

Perestroika
1986
A program that was used by the soviet union that instituted by Mikhail
Gorbachev which was in the mid 1980s. It was used to fix soviet economics
and the political policy.

Chernobyl Disaster
1986
A nuclear accident that happened on the 26th of April in 1986. I occur in
Ukraine. It was an explosion that leaked radiation which spread throughout
the western USSR and Europe. Everybody was evacuated and to this day it
is a ghost town.

Voting Reforms by Gorbachev

1987
Voting reforms are when changing in electoral systems are how the public
depress in election results. Gorbachev won the election and his victory was
bittersweet.

Free Elections in Poland, Czechoslovakia and

Hungary
1989
Gives info on elections and results in these areas. Poland has a multi-party
political system. Czechoslovakia has the largest communist party. Hungary
has 2 levels. The first is General elections to vote for the members of the
national assembly. The second is Local elections to elect certain people.

Lithuania and Latvia Protests

1989
They formed human chains along the Baltic seacoast for anti pollution
protest and newly awakened environmental awareness in the soviet union.
They carried candles and formed a chained stretching about 22 miles over
beaches over the resort of Jurmala.

Fall of the Berlin Wall

1989

It ended as quickly as it rose. There were signs that the communist bloc was
weaker then before but they thought east Germany need a moderate
change then a big revolution but, the east German citizen did not agree. The
guards let people through then eventually, the berlin wall was chipped away
and pieces of the wall are now collectibles.

Boris Yeltsin becomes President

1990
He was a Russian politician and the first president of the Russian federation.
He was in power from 1991-1999. He followed Perestroika and supported
Gobachev. Boris died in 2007 on April 23rd.

Gorbachev steps down

1991
On august 24th, he advised the central committee to dissolve, resigned as
general secretary and dissolved all party units with the government. After
he resigned, he remained active in Russian politics. He also established the
Social democratic party of Russia.

Why did the Soviet union crash?

Its collapse was hailed by the west as a victory for freedom, a triumph of
democracy over totalitarianism, and evidence of the superiority of
capitalism over socialism. Said Coldwar.org. From this, you can tell as it
progressed through out the years, it became more weaker. After this
occurred, US rejoiced and ended the cold war. You can look at this a bad
thing or a good thing. I believe it was a good thing. It makes the US and
Soviet union hate each other less and it ended the cold war.

Work Cited

Shevtsova, Lilia. "Gorbachev: A Leader Who Changed the World | Russia

Beyond The Headlines." Gorbachev: A Leader Who Changed the World |
Russia Beyond The Headlines. Rbht.com, 9 Feb. 2011. Web. 17 Nov. 2014.

"World War 2 Timeline 1939-1945 - Worldwar-2.net." World War 2 Timeline

1939-1945 - Worldwar-2.net. Worldwar-2.net, 2006. Web. 14 Nov. 2014.

Dmitriev, Oleg. "Of Russian Origin: Politburo." Politburo Russiapedia Of

Russian Origin. Russiapedia.rt.com, n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2014.