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The Collapse of the USSR

Timeline of the events that compiled to the


ultimate fall of the USSR
Adam Lloyd
Grade 11
4/20/2015

The Russian Civil War (1917)

A long and violent war between opposing


Russian political factions known as the "Reds"
and the "Whites," the Russian Civil War took
place following the overthrow of the Russian
monarchy in 1917 and the pullout of Russian
troops from World War I. The conflict led to the
creation of the communist Soviet Union in 1922
and the triumph of Leninist socialism in the new
Soviet state.

World War II (1939)

World War II, the largest and most destructive


conflict fought in human history, began in
September 1939, when German leader Adolf Hitler
directed his army to invade Poland. The Polish
invasion provoked declarations of war from
Poland's allies, the United Kingdom and France. In
Asia, the Sino-Japanese War of 1937-1945 began
with the Japanese invasion of China in July 1937,
and many historians consider that event the first
battle of World War II.

Creation of the Politburo(1917)


The Politburo was the executive committee and
highest body for the Central Committee of the
Communist Party of the Soviet Union, as well as
for several other workers parties in Eastern
Europe, Vietnam and China.

Laika and Sputnik

Laika was a Soviet space dog who became one


of the first animals in space, and the first animal
to orbit the Earth. Laika, a stray dog from the
streets of Moscow, was selected to be the
occupant of the Soviet spacecraft Sputnik 2 that
was launched into outer space on November 3,
1957.

Creation of the Berlin Wall

In 1958 Khrushchev declared the London Protocol invalid.


The Western powers of France, the United Kingdom, and the
United States had forfeited their rights to stay in West Berlin, he
said, and the latter should become an "independent political
unit, a free city."
Khrushchev issued an ultimatum: if Western powers would not
comply with his proposal, then Moscow would sign a separate
peace treaty with the German Democratic Republic and pursue
the eviction of any Allied presence from West Berlin

Voting Reforms by Gorbachev


Gorbachev made a series of reforms during his
time as Leader of the Soviet Union. Some of
these reforms included free press rights, releasing
political prisoners and even internal exile.

Perestroika
A political movement for reformation within the
Communist Party of the Soviet Union.
Associated with Gorbachev's Glasnost reform.

Glasnost
A policy that called for increased openness and
transparency in government institutions and
activities in the Soviet Union.

Warsaw Pact

A collective defense treaty among eight


communist states of Central and Eastern
Europe in existence during the Cold War.

Sputnik

A satellite sent into outer space by the Soviet


Union.
Used the technology of intercontinental ballistic
missiles (ICBMs), weapons intended to deliver
nuclear warheads to targets thousands of miles
away, Soviet scientists were able to blast a
manmade object into the upper atmosphere.

Hydrogen Bomb
The explosion of an atomic bomb by the Soviet
Union in September 1949 ended the U.S. atomic
monopoly and led to a nuclear arms race. The
development of more powerful weapons such as
the H-bomb and of new methods of delivering
nuclear bombs, such as ballistic missiles, were
primarily a result of the Cold War conflict and
concomitant arms race.

Chernobyl Disaster

Chernobyl, a nuclear plant in the Ukrainian city of Pripyat,


was the scene of a massive nuclear accident on April 26,
1986. The initial response of the Soviet government was
inadequate, and early errors were compounded by the
government's unwillingness to speak openly about the
situation. The incident, which released 100 times the
radiation as the Nagasaki bombing and Hiroshima
bombing combined, cast international doubt on the
effectiveness of Soviet technology and emboldened
internal critics of the regime to raise their voices in
unprecedented protests.

1968 Invasion of Czechoslovakia

On August 20, 1968, the Soviet Union led


Warsaw Pact troops in an invasion of
Czechoslovakia to crack down on reformist
trends in Prague. Although the Soviet Unions
action successfully halted the pace of reform in
Czechoslovakia, it had unintended
consequences for the unity of the communist
bloc.

SALT I

The Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT)


were two rounds of bilateral talks and
corresponding international treaties involving
the United States and the Soviet Unionthe
Cold War superpowerson the issue of
armament control. The two rounds of talks and
agreements were SALT I and SALT II.

SALT II

The Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT)


were two rounds of bilateral talks and
corresponding international treaties involving
the United States and the Soviet Unionthe
Cold War superpowerson the issue of
armament control. The two rounds of talks and
agreements were SALT I and SALT II.

Soviet-Afghan War

The SovietAfghan War lasted over nine years


from December 1979 to February 1989. Part of
the Cold War, it was fought between Soviet-led
Afghan forces against multi-national insurgent
groups called the Mujahideen.

Gorbachev Steps Down

In 1991 Mikael Gorbachev steps down as the


leader of the Soviet Union.

Boris Yeltsin Steps In

Taking charge after the lead of Soviet Union


leader Gorbachev Yeltsin steps in as the latest
Soviet leader.

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