The Collapse of the

Soviet Union
By: Jewel Terraces

Russian Civil War 1917

The Russian Civil War was to tear Russia apart for three years
between 1918 and 1921. The civil war occurred because after
November 1917, many groups had formed that opposed Lenins
Bolsheviks. These groups included monarchists, militarists, and,
for a short time, foreign nations. Collectively, they were known
as the Whites while the Bolsheviks were known as the Reds.

Stalins 5 Year Plan 1928

For the development of the Soviet Unions Economy. Increase the
output of steel, coal, oil and electricity. the government limited the
production of consumer good. As a result, people faced severe
shortages of housing, food, clothing, and other necessary goods.
Stalins tough methods produced impressive economic results.

Joe 1 1928
The first Soviet nuclear test, code named "First Lightning". It
was made to implode not explode.The design was very similar
to the first US "Fat Man" plutonium bomb, using a
TNT/hexogen implosion lens design.

Hydrogen Bomb 1953

A top secret research and development program begun
during World War II, in the wake of the Soviet Union's
discovery of the American, British, and Canadian
nuclear project. This scientific research was directed by
Soviet nuclear physicist Igor Kurchatov. Nicknamed Joe
4 by the Americans.

Warsaw Pact 1955

Formally, known as the Treaty of Friendship. It was a
collective defense treaty among eight communist states
of Central and Eastern Europe in existence during the
Cold War.

Sputnik 1957
Sputnik 1 was the first artificial Earth satellite. The Soviet
Union launched it into an elliptical low Earth orbit

Laika and Sputnik 2 1957

Was the second spacecraft launched into
Earth orbit, on November 3, 1957, and
the first to carry a living animal, a dog
named Laika.

Creation of the Berlin Wall 1961

The official purpose of this Berlin Wall was to keep
Western fascists from entering East Germany and
undermining the socialist state, but it primarily served
the objective of stemming mass defections from East to
West.

Invasion of Czechoslovakia 1968

The Soviet Union and its main allies in the Warsaw Pact
and 500,000 of their troops, attacked Czechoslovakia.
Approximately 500 Czechs and Slovaks were wounded
and 108 killed in the invasion.The invasion successfully
stopped the liberalisation reforms and strengthened the
authority of the conservative wing within the Communist
Party of Czechoslovakia

Salt I 1969
Amidst the Cold War, a series of treaties was issued
under the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty to curtail the
buildup of nuclear weapons. SALT I, as it is commonly
known, was the first of the Strategic Arms Limitation
talks between the U.S.S.R. and the U.S.

Salt II 1972
The SALT-II agreement was the result of many nagging issues left
over from the successful SALT-I treaty of 1972. Though the 1972
treaty limited a wide variety of nuclear weapons, many issues
remained unresolved. Talks between the United States and the
Soviet Union began almost immediately after SALT-I was ratified by
both nations in 1972.

Voting Reforms by Gorbachev 1979

Gorbachev increasingly found himself caught between criticism by
conservatives who wanted to stop reform and liberals who wanted
to accelerate it. When one of these groups pressed too hard,
Gorbachev resorted to political methods from the Brezhnev era.

Gorbachev becomes leader 1979

Gorbachevs supporters praised his youth, energy, and
political skills. He was the youngest soviet leader since
Stalin. Unlike most Soviet leaders Gorbachev decided to
pursue new ideas.

Soviet- Afghan War 1979- 1889

The SovietAfghan War lasted over nine years. At the
end of December 1979, the Soviet Union sent thousands
of troops into Afghanistan and immediately assumed
complete military and political control of Kabul and large
portions of the country. This event began a brutal,
decade-long attempt by Moscow to subdue the Afghan
civil war and maintain a friendly and socialist
government on its border.

Glasnost 1985
Glasnost or openness brought remarkable changes. The
government allowed churches to open. It released
dissidents from prison and allowed the publication of
books by previously banned authors. Reporters
investigate problems and criticized officials.

Lithuania and Latvia 1988

Gorbachev first challenge came from the Baltic nations
of Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia. 1990 Lithuania
declared independence, in effort to try and force them
back into the Soviet Union Gorbachev ordered an
economic blockade. He feared Lithuania's example
might encourage other republics so Soviet troops
attacked unarmed civilians in Lithuania's capital. The
army killed 14 and wounded hundreds

Free Elections in Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary 1989

Fall of the Berlin Wall 1989

As the Cold War began to spread across Europe, the

spokesman for East Berlins Communist Party announced a
change in his citys relations with the West. Starting at midnight
that day, he said, citizens of the GDR were free to cross the
countrys borders

Creation of the Politburo 1990

The ruling committee of the communist party crushed all
political disagreement. Censors decided what writes
could publish. The communist party also restricted
freedom of speech and worship.

Gorbachev Steps Down 1991

The assault in Lithuania and the lack of economic
progress damaged Gorbachevs popularity.

Boris Yeltsin Becomes President

People looked to him for leadership, he was a
member of the Parliament and former mayor of
Moscow. Yeltsin criticized the crackdown in
Lithuania and the slow pace of reforms.

Word Cited
http://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/berlin-wall
http://www.coldwar.org/articles/70s/SALTIandII.asp
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/carter-and-brezhnev-sign-the-salt-ii-treaty
http://countrystudies.us/russia/18.htm
http://www.alternativeinsight.com/Afghan_War.html