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Period: to
Russian History
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Death of Josef Stalin
POLITICAL
Josef Stalin was a part of the Soviet Union government from 1922 until his death in 1953. He was a communist leader who used violence to scare his people. He used the five year plans to help stabilize the economy. They were geared towards technological advancements. With his 5 year plans he forced many people into manual labor. The people did not like him which is a reason he did not allow free elections because he feared he would not be re-elected. -
The Soviet Union launches Sputnik
SOCIAL
Sputnik was the first space satellite launched into earth's oribit. This was a huge acomplishment for The Soviet Union and it's leader at the time Krushchev. -
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first astronaunt
SOCIAL
Soviet Cosmonaut and was the first person to travel into outer space. He traveled on the Vostok 1 spacecraft and the mission lasted 108 minutes. After his journey he reported that the world was round and mostly made up of water. -
The Cuban Missile Crisis
POLITICAL
The Soviet Union had missiles in Cuba that were potentially aimed at the U.S. The U.S sent a spy plane over Cuba which took photographs of the nuclear war heads. Kennedy demanded that the missiles were dismantled but Krushchev refused. There was a period of 13 days where the two leaders discussed their issues and the crisis was resolved. The Soviet Union removed their missiles from Cuba and the U.S removed their missiles from Turkey. -
The Soviet Union joins sides with North Vietnam against the USA
ECONOMIC
The Soviet Union was providing North Vietnam with funds and weapons to help them in the Vietnam war. -
Breznev signs a treaty to stop producing biological weapons
POLITICAL
After a biological weapon caused an outbreak of smallpox in Kazakstan killed dozens of people Breznev signs a treaty to stop the production of the weapons but he secretly continued to produce these weapons. -
The Sovet Union invades Afghanistan
POLITICAL
The Soviet Union claimed that Afganistan asked them to come in to spread communism but the rest of the world knew that was not true and they wanted to take over afghanistan -
The U.S beats the Soviets in the Olympic ice hockey game
SOCIAL
The Soviet Union had won all 21 olymipic ice hockey games they had played until this particular game when the impossible happend and the U.S beat the Soviet Olympic team. -
Mikhail Gorbachev becomes the leader of the Soviet Union
POLITICAL
Soviet leader who supported a comprehensive programs known as glasnot (openess) and perestrioka (restructuring) which offered social, political and economic liberation. He was also the leader during the Chernobyl nuclear disaster and also was responsible for tearing down the Berlin Wall. Under his rule many political prisoners were released. -
The Chernobyl accident
ECONOMIC/SOCIAL
The Chernobyl accident occured in Ukraine. The power plant operators were not trained properly and as a result the plant had a steam explosion along with many fires. 2 Chernobyl plant workers died the night of the accident and 28 more within a week of it due to radiation poisoning. -
The Berlin Wall is destroyed
SOCIAL
The berlin wall which was created by Josef Stalin in the Cold war was finally torn down. The wall separated East Germany and West Germany. The wall separated families and friends for 20 years and finally Ronald Regan gave the orders to tear it down. -
The Soviet Union holds the first free elections since 1917
POLITICAL
The Soviet Union's leaders were never chosen by the people they were either in the family or chosen by the status of their postition in the government. This was the first time the people actually go to choose who led their country and who they were going to follow. -
Boris Yelstin is elected president
POLITICAL
He was the first freely elected leader of the Soviet Union. He presided over the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the end of the communist party. Under his rule the Soviet union fell and Russia was established. -
The Soviet Union is dismantled and Russia becomes an independent federation
POLITICAL
The end of the Soviet union came when Boris Yeltsin was elected president. He had different ideas then the previous leaders which lead to the demise of the Soviet Union. -
Russia ends its de facto dollar peg and aligns the rouble with the euro
ECONOMIC
The Russian's announced they had abandoned efforts to tie the rouble's movement closely to the dollar and switched to shadowing both the euro and the US currency. -
Unemployment in Lithuania sky rockets
ECONOMIC
This is very significant because unemployment leads to people who cannot afford food or housing. When unemployment rates sky rocket it usually leads to an unhappy society.
