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The History of The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) Soviet Anthem The Russian Revolution • Biggest reason for the Revolution: The incompetence of Tsar Nicholas II • Lived a lavish lifestyle as his people suffered • Unable to modernize Russia into an industrial country (Economy was continually in bad shape) • Opposed democratic movements supported by the people • Established a powerless Duma and still dissolved it less than a year later • Defeated by Japan in the Russo-Japanese War • Massive embarrassment for a European power • Led Russia into WWI, which ended in a massive defeat • 9.15 Million Russian Casualties Central Question: How did Russia become a Communist nation? The Russian Revolution The Two Revolutions February Revolution of 1917 • Led by what can be labeled as Democratic-Socialists who were upset with the Russian system of government and the Tsar’s failures. • Their leader was Aleksandr Kerensky, a well-known Russian Lawyer and Politician • Overthrew the Tsar and instituted a “Provisional Government” • That government would oversee the ruling of Russia until national elections could be held • The Provisional Government would, however, continue the war and repeatedly delay national elections Central Question: How did Russia become a Communist Nation? The Russian Revolution The Two Revolutions October Revolution of 1917 • Average Russians quickly grew tired of the war and the continued collapse of the economy • The people soon turned to the Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, who wanted faster and more radical changes to society based on the teachings of Karl Marx • Lenin promised everyone “Peace, Land, and Bread” • Bolsheviks eventually overthrew the provisional government in October of 1917 sparking the Russian Civil War • In 1922, the Communist “Reds” finally defeated the “Whites”, an alliance of monarchists, socialists, and capitalists • Solidified Bolshevik control over the former Russian Empire Central Question: How did Russia become a Communist Nation? The History of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) Part II The Era of the “Man of Steel” (1924-1953) • Began adulthood as a bank robber and political activist • Briefly exiled to Siberia, but later joins Bolshevik party • Lenin thought Stalin was too harsh and wanted him removed from the party • Communist Party ignores Lenin’s statement in his will and votes for Stalin as the next leader over Trotsky • Trotsky (Lenin’s right-hand man) exiled, slandered repeatedly, then eventually murdered • Turns the government of the USSR into a true dictatorship • Bans the Orthodox religion and creates a Stalinist cult of personality. His image replaces Jesus’. Central Question: What changes took place within the USSR and the World under Stalin? The Era of the “Man of Steel” (1924-1953) • Stalinist Purges ordered to ensure absolute loyalty to Stalin • Millions sent to “Gulags” where they were tortured and often killed in ways very similar to the Nazi death camps • Many turned in for “disloyalty” by own neighbors • Killed nearly all of the military leadership prior to WWII because he thought they were a threat. • He even killed hundreds of loyal top party members, under false charges, in order to instill fear throughout the population • Industrialized Russia and created massive state-owned farms • Created forced labor camps and organizations to boost industrialization, at the cost of agriculture • Stole farms from 80% of the people, destroying their livelihood and leading to rebellion • State crushed the rebellion and ran the agricultural industry into the ground, causing widespread death and starvation Central Question: What changes took place within the USSR and the World under Stalin? The Era of the “Man of Steel” (1924-1953) • Party leaders and supporters received lavish rewards and high living while everyone else suffered • Even amid all of the suffering, many refused to believe Stalin knew of the killing and suffering. (The power of the Cult of Personality) • Stalin victoriously led the USSR through World War II • Restructured the military leadership and industry in time to help prevent Moscow from falling to the Nazis • Brutal military leadership cost the USSR 25,000,000+ lives • After the defeat of Hitler, Stalin forced Eastern European governments to adopt Communist governments of their own, basically as his puppets • Effectively divided the Western world into the Communist East and Capitalist West –Cold War begins Central Question: What changes took place within the USSR and the World under Stalin? Post War Division of Europe Iron Curtain Central Question: What changes took place within the USSR and the World under Stalin? The Era of the “Man of Steel” (1924-1953) • During the final years of Stalin’s reign, he solidified Communist power in Eastern Europe and spread the ideology to China and Korea. • China turns Communist in 1949, North Korea in the early 1950s • USSR now fighting “Proxy Wars” with the West and would continue for decades • Led to deaths of thousands of US servicemen • Stalin eventually dies of a stroke on March 5th, 1953 • Deaths under Stalin (not including war casualties): • At least 20-60 million killed under Stalin’s orders or policies • Difficult to get an exact number due to poor record keeping and the destruction of statistics • Planned to kill off Russia’s over 2 million Jews but died first • Hitler was “only” directly responsible for 15-17 million deaths Central Question: What changes took place within the USSR and the World under Stalin? The History of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) Part III The Era of Reform 1953-1964 • Nikita Kruschev came into office shortly after the death of Stalin • Denounced Stalin’s domestic policies in his “Secret Speech” • Spoke about Stalin’s purges and forced cult of personality that led to widespread fear and the USSR’s early defeats in WWII • Instituted more liberal reforms such as: • Better relations with the West, Privatization of farming, Cutting the number of government ministries, & Decentralization of industry • However, he also almost led the world to utter annihilation during the Cuban Missile Crisis (October 14-28, 1962) • His eventual removal of weapons from Cuba and caving in to the West’s demands led to his downfall in 1964 Central Question: How did the Soviet Union adjust its policies following the death of Stalin? The Beginning of Decline 1964-1982 • Leonid Brezhnev led the bloodless coup to overthrow Kruschev in 1964, while Kruschev was on vacation • Rolled back many of Kruschev’s reforms • Sought “peace” with the West, but in name only • Continued to build up his military and support Communist revolutions around the world including Vietnam • In 1972, Brezhnev signed Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) to reduce US and USSR nuclear arsenals • Within days, he sent billions of dollars of military equipment to Arab countries to fight Israel (Led to the Yom Kippur War and nearly started WWIII) Central Question: What events and policies initiated the Soviet Union’s downfall? The Beginning of Decline 1964-1982 • Brutally put down the “Prague Spring,” a pro-democratic rebellion in Czechoslovakia • Over 600 Civilian Casualties • Began the disastrous Soviet-Afghan War (1979-1989) • Soviets attempted to forcefully install a Pro-Communist government in Afghanistan • Repelled by the US backed Mujaheddin (Many of them later became the Taliban) • Soviet Casualties: 13,310 Killed, 35,478 Wounded • Soviet citizens were furious with their government over Russian losses and their stagnant economy (SOUND FAMILIAR??… 1917???) • The failing economy and this stunning loss signaled the beginning of the fall of the USSR Central Question: What events and policies initiated the Soviet Union’s downfall? The History of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) Part IV The Opening of Relations and Final Collapse 1985-1992 • Mikhail Gorbachev assumes power after three successive Soviet Premiers died within three years • Gorbachev tried to restart the economy through the slow repeal of the Socialist economy • Policy known as Perestroika or “Restructuring” • Soviet government allowed private companies to develop and turn a profit • Gorbachev also relaxed speech regulations and worked to better relations with the West • Policy known as Glasnost or “Openness” • People could finally speak their minds instead of being jailed for saying anything other than the far-left approved script Central Question: What occurred in the final days of the USSR? The Opening of Relations and Final Collapse 1985-1992 • Nationalist movements break out in nearly every Soviet Republic and in their satellite states • Many start pushing for independence and new, non-Communist, governments • There were violent backlashes by the governments, but the people were ultimately successful • Most significant event: Berlin Wall falls in 1989, finally uniting Germany after 44 years apart • Boris Yeltsin demanded more reforms from Gorbachev, leading to party infighting • Eventually Boris Yeltsin becomes a favorite of the people and leads Russia through the final dissolution of the USSR Central Question: What occurred in the final days of the USSR? The Post Cold War Map