Soviet Union Essays & Research Papers

The Collapse Of The Soviet Union Through out the 1970’s all the way to the 1980’s the Soviet Union was seen as one of the most stable political country in the world. Their political system was very strong and only appeared to be getting stronger and stronger by the day. The Soviet Union has various problems that contributed to its downfall. Some reasons that the Soviet Union collapsed were because of ...

The novel Omon Ra, written by Victor Pelevin, Illustrates the absurdity of the Soviet Union and how important heroism, science, the military and space exploration was to the Union at the time. One of the main themes of this novel is the coming of age. Omon yearns to become a cosmonaut and a hero, or just to accomplish something important during his lifetime. But with aid from a series of events, he later realizes that heroism is nothing but a glorified illusion and something he does not wish to...

| The Soviet Union and Eastern Europe | | The world’s most powerful Communist country was the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, or otherwise known as the Soviet Union. It contained 15 republics that were controlled by a central government. Over time, it developed into a large industrial power that dictated all aspects of the national economy. It set levels of wages and prices, controlled the allocation of resources, and decided what would be produced and how and where goods would...

End of the Soviet Union The coup attempt sparked anger against the Communist Party. Gorbachev resigned as general secretary of the party. The Soviet parliament voted to stop all party activities. Having first seized power in 1917 in a coup that succeeded, the Communist Party now collapsed because of a coup that failed. The coup also played a decisive role in accelerating the breakup of the Soviet Union. Estonia and Latvia quickly declared their independence. Other republics soon followed....

THE DREAM THAT FAILED: THE FALL OF THE SOVIET EMPIRE Research Question: What factors contributed to the collapse of the USSR in 1991? Paper Word Count: 3,982 The work contained within is my own – unless otherwise cited ...

Spring 2012 Civ-II Study Questions for Final Exam Date and Time: (Section 09) 1:00-3:00pm, Monday, April 30, 2012 (Section E2) 6:00-8:00pm, Monday, April 30, 2012 Location: Classroom Important Instruction: The final exam covers the last few chapters (29, 30, 32, 33 and 34) of the textbook. The slides we used in class have already been uploaded to ANGEL. To prepare for the test, you must combine studying my slides with textbook reading. This exam will be somewhat...

In 1924, the Soviet Union faced a power struggle when it’s leader and creator Vladimir Lenin died. His successor however, came into power and immediately began to make changes. This man knew exactly what he wanted to keep and more importantly what he wanted to change. His birth name was Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili, but who could possibly rule and leave a legacy with that name? He then adopted the name Joseph Stalin, (which means man of steel.) and began to rule the Soviet Union. At this...

1984 In the novel written by George Orwell, 1984, there are several similarities to the Soviet Union. One of the most important similarities is Adolph Hitler. Another very important point in 1984 is Big Brother. Big Brother is very similar to both of the leaders, Adolph Hitler and Stalin. During Adolph Hitler's time, the government had absolute control over everything. This could also be called totalitarianism, which was frowned upon by 1984's author, George Orwell. Hitler had complete...

Collapse of the Soviet Union For most of the 1900’s, the Soviet Union was one of the most powerful countries in the world. They fought in both World Wars and they also helped to defeat the Nazis in World War 2. Even with all of their achievements, the Soviet Union’s government began to disagree with the people and even force their will upon them in the mid to late 1900’s and they finally collapsed in 1991. The collapse of the Soviet Union was caused mainly by internal issues that developed...

 Hitler’s Invasion of the Soviet Union “We only need to kick in the front door and the whole rotten edifice will come tumbling down” – Adolf Hitler. Little truth these words held, if only Der Fuhrer knew. The Invasion of the Soviet Union had brought about many outcomes that would change World War II in the allies favor. A few of these outcomes included: the waste of vast amounts of German resources, the break of the none-aggression pact resulting in Russia declaring war on Germany...

Was The Post Soviet Union Reformable? (Rewrite) “The universal meaning of reform is not merely change, but change that betters people’s lives.” (Cohen, Stephen) In his book, Soviet Fates and Lost Alternatives, Steven Cohen addresses in details in chapter 4 about whether the Soviet Union was reformable. Following how Cohen views the NEP, the answer is that he believes that it was. He contends that the evidence that the opposition presents as to the unreformability of Russia is for the most...

The USA and the Soviet Union’s relationship grew worse as a result of the peace conferences at Yalta and Potsdam, for many reasons. Some of the reasons were that in the conference is Potsdam, Stalin and Truman had disagreed with each other, on what to do over Germany, as Stalin wanted to destroy the USSR from its future threats to Russia, however Truman did not agree with this, as he thought the Stalin would make the same mistake as he did in the treaty of Versailles. I think that this reason...

Women in the Soviet Dictatorship How were the lives of Soviet women affected by the policies of the Stalin era? Document 1 Source: Izvestiia, “Old Way of Life,” March 8, 1930. Document 2 Source: Pravda, "On the Path to a Great Emancipation," March 8, 1929. Today is international communist women’s day, the international day for working women. Today is a holiday in honor of one-half of the international proletarian army and in honor of the...

Savannah McCombs Mr.VanMeter March 21, 2014 What is the Soviet Union? The Soviet Union is a former country that was the modern day Russian federation. The USSR was a major world power during its existence, which began with the Russian Revolution of 1917 and continued until its collapse in 1991. The Soviet Union and the United States were major rivals from the end of WWII until the late 1980s, creating a conflict known as the "Cold War" where the...

Soviet Union Leaders in the Post Stalin Era Kareem M. Khalil Fall 2010-2011 Lebanese American University Outline I. The Soviet Union: a. Background about the Soviet Union from 1917-1953. b. Vladimir Lenin. c. Joseph Stalin. II. Nikita Khrushchev: a. Rise to power. b. De-Stalinization. c. Reforms and domestic policies. d. Foreign Policy. e. Expulsion from power. III. Leonid Brezhnev: a. Rise to Power. b. Domestic Policies. c....

The USSR stands for Union of Soviet Socialist Republics consisting of Russia and the surrounding countries. It was founded five years after the Russian Revolution. World War II lasted six years and almost all the countries of the world were engaged in it. It was a war between the Axis Powers (mainly Germany, Italy, and Japan) and the Allies (mainly England, U.S., and USSR). But today I will be focusing on the Soviet Union. They played a very dramatic role in the war and more people should know...

Another leader who had a lot to do with the collapse of the Soviet Union was Mikhail Gorbachev. He wasn’t able to stop personal computers from surfacing in the mid 1980’s. This hurt Gorbachev because he couldn’t control the spreading of the information to the public. Also, when Gorbachev tried to reform communism, it created political unrest. The Soviet Union was losing strength because it couldn’t handle its own reforms. Gorbachev’s main contribution to why the Soviet Union...

Sam Grossman Period 8 From 1801­1941 great and drastic changes came to the Soviet Union. Although the Soviet Union was put on a new path of history during this time, they were still connects to their roots as aspects of their society prior to 1801 continued. The Russians were technologically inferior to the rest of Europe and seemed to be living in the past. After losing two wars they ...

The Beatles Rock Russia “You say you want a revolution. Well you know, we all want to change the world”. Those lyrics from the Beatles song Revolution were considered subversive to Soviet youth by the Communist leaders. In fact until the late 1980’s, Beatle music was banned or very difficult to obtain in Russia.(Woodhead) Their music was smuggled into the country. If a person was caught, he would be punished by the KGB. Yet, despite the efforts of the authorities, the youth of...

Totalitarianism in the Soviet Union, Italy, and Germany (by the way, all my essays are not very in depth because we have to write 2-3 600 word essays every week!) A totalitarian government is a modern autocratic regime in which the state controls all phases of society. It not only seeks to control the economical and political aspects of society, but also tries to direct the daily lives of its citizens. Totalitarianism strives to influence the attitudes, beliefs, and opinions of its people...

Ciara McKeon Essay 3 Professor Martin World History 102 The take over of Joseph Stalin in 1928 from Vladimiar Lenin started a revolution it led many of the soviet peoples lives to be changed in many circumstances that were not as they would have hoped. Life in the Soviet Union was harsh and firm on almost all of the population of the large country known as the Soviet Union. Stalin was pushing his five-year plan with a hard iron fist. Even with ruling of the iron fist people of Soviet...

Communism in the Soviet Union and Why it Failed Communism is defined as "a system of political and economic organization in which property is owned by the community and all citizens share in the enjoyment of the common wealth, more or less according to their need." In 1917 the rise of power in the Marxist-inspired Bolsheviks in Russia along with the consolidation of power by Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin, the word communism came to mean a totalitarian system controlled by a single political...

RUSSIA & THE SOVIET UNION 1917-­1941 TIMELINE 1917 -­‐ Bolshevik or ‘October’ Revolution 1917 -­‐ Treaty of Brest-­‐Litovsk signed 1918 -­‐ Start of the Civil War. ‘War Communism’ introduced 1919 -­‐ Formation of ‘Comintern’ 1921 -­‐ End of Civil War. Kronstadt uprising. Introduction of the...

The fall of the Soviet Union resulted in a major collapse of many countries. Bulgaria and Romania were two countries that had ties and many distinctions. They both consisted of a strong, violent communist leader that resulted the demolishment of communism at the end. Each of these leaders was cruel and harsh on the people of their country. Injustice played a big role between the two countries that led to war and inhumane actions. Ethnical and race feuds became an eye opening event for the...

‘In no more than 500 words, after reading the following text, what can it tell us about cross-cultural encounters? ‘ This piece of text can offer a great deal of information on cross-cultural encounters between the Benin people and the Western world. Firstly, we must look at the context in which the passage was written - which in itself can give us an insight of the author’s view (and therefore a British view) of Benin. It is an extract from ‘Benin. The City of Blood’ written in 1897. The...

Communism in the USSR was doomed from the onset. Communism was condemned due to lack of support from other nations, condemned due to corruption within its leadership, condemned due to the moral weakness of humanity, making what is perfect on paper, ineffective in the real world. The end of this system was very violent. It left one of the two most powerful nations in the world fearful of what was to come.

Communism can either be called a concept or system of society. In a society that...

The Collapse of the Soviet Union 1985-1991 By: David R. Marples Chris Holmes Mod. Eur. History Mikhail Gorbachev was born on March 2, 1931 in a village of Privolnoye, Krasnogvardeisk. He was the leader of the Soviet Union during the time period that it collapsed. The Gorbachev era begun march 11, 1985 and went until the end of 1991. He ushered the process that would lead to the political collapse of the Soviet Union. He was also dismantling the soviet administrative command economy...

SOVIET FOREIGN POLICY: 1919-1945 Soviet foreign policy throughout the period from 1919 to 1945 is confusing and often contradictory. By the 1920’s the Bolshevik communists found themselves the leaders of a former Great Power which was pulled by conflicting tendencies. On the one hand, communist ideology preached a world-wide “worker’s revolution” whose goal was the dissolution of all nation-states. On the other hand, Russia needed the support of other nations in order to rebuild its...

Why Did the Soviet Union Collapse? HIS 127: World in the 20th Century December 2012 While political dynamics played a large role in the collapse of the Soviet Union, economic breakdown was the main cause of its deterioration. Built on the Socialist ideology of state owned and run business, the declining Soviet economy was plagued by economic inefficiencies and corruption. The country suffered from decades of being tossed on the rough seas of inconsistent and capricious political...

Gorbachev, Perestroika and the Fall of the Soviet Union In the late 1980s, the Soviet Union was undergoing massive changes in its policies, both domestically and internationally. More and more it seemed that the Cold War was coming to a close, and the Soviets were certainly not winning. The exact ending of the Cold War is a matter of some contention between several historians, but the certain absolute end would be the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The events leading up to this...

Katie Sisco HST 112 Sravani Biswas Thursday 3:30 - 4:30 4/18/11 Examining Totalitarianism Through the Soviet Union Woodrow Wilson’s hopes that World War I would serve as the “war to end all wars,” certainly were not fulfilled with the rise of dictatorships throughout Europe in the first half of the twentieth century. At the end of World War I, the age of absolute monarchy began to crumble. Just a month after the 1917 February Revolution in Russia, Tsar Nicholas II abdicated the...

3. Analyze the ways in which the cold war affected the political development of European nations from the end of the Second World War in 1945 to the construction of the Berlin wall in 1961. From 1945 to 1961, the cold war affected the political development of European nations by causing the formation of the Iron Curtain, which was the division of a free, democratic West and a totalitarian East. Socially, NATO and the COMECON were established, which formed the west and east into different blocs....

The command system, which is also described as Marxism, socialism, or communism, is both a political and economic philosophy. In a communist economy, the government owns most of the firms, subsequently controlling production and allocation of resources. One of the most well-known and well-documented cases of a communist government took place in the Soviet Union, beginning in 1917 and eventually falling in 1992. Idealistically, communism eliminates social classism and provides equal work for...

In April 1986, Mr. Gorbachev began the perestroika, translation “reconstruction”, which was to end the Cold War that effectively brought down the Iron Curtain. The split between West and East not only partitioned the world into two parts, but also divided the European family for over 40 years. With the fall of the Soviet Union came many changes that affected much if not all of Europe. At the end of the Brejnev era , the socialist bloc was severely outdated and far removed from the contemporary...

Decentralization of Banks in Eastern Europe And the Soviet Union As Soviet communism collapsed in Eastern Europe in 1989, the countries of Central and Eastern Europe began the unprecedented transition from a centralized command economy to a market economy. The stages of transition included, liberalization, stabilization and privatization. All of these steps required decentralization of government assets and financial institutions. One of the most crucial parts of the transition was the...

Why Did the Soviet Union Lose the War in Afghanistan? Roxanne C. Jones Politics 300, Section 003016 Why Did the Soviet Union Lose the War in Afghanistan? ‘Do you think you are going to win?’ ‘Yes, yes of course.’ ‘What makes you think so? What makes you think you are going to win?’ ‘I believe we are going to win. It’s evident!’ (Panjshairi commander Ahmad Shah Massoud in an interview from the French prize-winning documentary film ‘Valley against an Empire’ by Jerome Bony and...

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The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), which was established in 1922, was the first communist state in the world. Run by the general secretary, the equivalent of the position of the president in the United States, the communist party controlled the government, and the government controlled all of the industry and agriculture. Yet, under such strict government control, the Soviet Union ended in collapse in the year 1991. The main contributing factor towards the downfall of the USSR was...

Did the Soviet Union win the war because of Stalin or in spite of Stalin? For all the brutality and cruelty that occurred during the Stalin years, Stalin himself proved to be an adept military leader and played an immensely significant role in the Allied victory over Nazi Germany. Dmitri Volkogonov offered the first and most aggressively critical account of Stalin as a military leader published within the Soviet Union.1 Since then, Russian military historians have tended to offer a more...

To what extent was the GDR controlled by the Soviet Union in the years to 1961? The German Democratic Republic was formed from what once was the Soviet Zone of Germany. After the tensions of the cold war became too hostile for all participants Germany was divided into East Germany and West Germany and were renamed the GDR for the East and the FRG for the West. The GDR was formed in October 1949 and was governed by the SED, a political party made up of the Communist Party and the Socialist...

LYNDA DUBE (YEAR 10 SAFARAT) EXPLAIN WHY RELATIONS BETWEEN THE SOVIET UNION AND THE USA CHANGED WITHIN THE YEARS? (1957-69) *Arms Race *Prague Spring During the war the Soviet Union and the USA formed a close alliance due to the shared aim of the defeat of Germany. The Soviet Union became a lot more powerful due to Stalin’s five year plans, and became a contender with the USA for the world’s largest superpower. This sparked conflict between the two nations and a race to see who would be the...

Stalin's rule was disastrous in certain aspects such as industrialisation, collectivisation, the purges and the culture and social aspects of Russia at this time, but in the course of the hardship endured by all, a new and better country was formed. Through the period of Stalin's dictatorship, it was not an ideal place to live, but his goals were substantially fulfilled for the model Russia. Industrialisation was a major enforcement that mostly brought about disastrous effects on Russia and its...

Soviet Union: Rise and Fall of an Empire. The failure of a Command Economy. by David Chee Bachelor of Economics(Eco155) Microeconomics(Eco155) Tutor: Ms. Sharina Silvaraj Help University Department of Business 12th August 2013 ” It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker, that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest. We address ourselves, not to their humanity but to their self-love, and never talk to them of our...

The Cold War was the elongated tension between the Soviet Union and the United States of America. It was a clash of these supergiants in political, ideological, military, and economic values and ideas. The blame for the Cold War cannot be placed on one person -- it developed as a series of chain reactions as a struggle for supremacy. The conflict in ideologies between capitalism and communism resulted in one of the greatest conflicts of the twentieth century. Both the United States and the...

What methods did Stalin use to control the Soviet Union? There are several methods Stalin had introduced to obtain control over the Soviet Union by directing individual policies and techniques into a particular group. Early on the time Stalin had seized power over Russia, he had immediately brought out his version of the cult of personality. It was also referred as the 'cult of Stalin'. As a technique it was brought out to push the glorification of Stalin into every corner of the work...

‘’Explain the methods taken by Stalin to transform the Soviet Union in the period 1924-1939’’ Commencing from the year 1924 and ending in 1939, Stalin undertook many methods to change the Soviet Union socially and economically. Socially, he developed a ‘cult of personality’, which portrayed Stalin as an all knowing and powerful figure, consequently ensuring his position as leader of the communist party and justifying many of his policies and actions. However, to maintain his position as...

 Many Historians contributed the fall of Soviet Union directly to Mikhail Gorbachev and his reforms. They argued that Gorbachev’s Glasnost, (openness) and Perestroika, (restructuring) directly led to uprisings within the Soviet Union, and its Soviet republics that brought the downfall of Soviet Union. This is however a very shallow analysis of the downfall of the Soviet Union. For one to truly understand the fall of the Soviet Union one must understand the history of The Union of Soviet...

Changes in Europe since the fall of the Soviet Union Since the fall of the Soviet Union 1991 many changes have been brought to Europe. After the fall of the Soviet Union newly formed countries of Eastern Europe found themselves brought into a new era, many of the people had relied on the Soviet Union’s system of socialism to help them with every detail of their lives and to dictate their lives but with this newfound freedom citizens had many changes forced upon them. All they once knew had...

Why did the Soviet Union intervene in Hungary and not Poland in 1956? ‘Given the growing sense of national euphoria sweeping eastern Europe in 1955-1956, a full-scale decolonisation of the Soviet Empire was not considered beyond the bounds of geopolitical possibility’. The decision of the Soviet Union to invade Hungary in 1956, whilst acknowledging the need to control events in Poland, came about through a myriad of complex reasons as well as the collapse of the old Hegemony, following...

If you were a spokesperson of the Soviet government at that time, how would you respond to the criticism of the Soviet Union? (7 marks) L1 Vague answer, and ineffective use of the Sources and own knowledge; and/or explaining the relevant criticism, but ineffective in raising responses respectively. (max. 2) L2 Unbalanced answer with effective use of the Sources or own knowledge only; and/or merely raising responses, but failing to explain the relevant criticism clearly. (max. 4) L3...

RTitle: Trace some of the relationships between film aesthetics and the social / political / economic contexts in which they are located. Name: Winter Dong YAN Candidate no: 109057 Module title: Issues in Film Studies: European Film Cultures Tutor: Emilia Chi-Jung Cheng Date: 11th Dec 2012 Words count: 1749 Everett’s statement ‘European cinema is not a monolith, but a series of expressions of different ways of questioning and portraying itself and the world’ (Everett, 5) demonstrates...

A Soviet politician and close associate of Stalin, Malenkov was the virtual head of the USSR in 1953-1955. Georgy Malenkov was born in Orenburg, in the Russian Empire. In 1919 he voluntarily joined the Red Army and was a political worker of the military forces. In a year Malenkov joined the Communist Party and soon became an active functionary. From 1920 Georgy Malenkov studied electrotechnics in the Bauman Moscow State Technical University and headed the commission for the exposure of...

Outline I. Introduction Thesis statement: The Customs Union for Russia, Kazakhstan, and Belarus is a purposeful union, which serves to meet several aims. II. Body A. In the light of common aspiration to the WTO accession, it is worth of examining why preference of states was given to multilateral over preferential trade. B. The idea of the multilateral cooperation and creation of a common economic space, elimination of borders and regional integration is not new in the...

It is in the nature of things for people of countries under some forced union of a unifying power to become content or to have a higher standard of living when their country acquires its independence. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was one of these unifying powers, which influenced several regions to unite as Soviet Socialist Republics (SSRs), in 1922, under the same government. Uzbekistan was a land divided by khanates when it became an SSR. Joining the USSR actually helped...

What major events in the Cold War caused Fidel Castro to side with the Soviet Union Super Power? In the 1960’s the world was largely dominated by the Cold War which was a long period of tension and hostility that only occasionally broke out into open warfare. This conflict was caused by the rivalry of two superpowers - the United States and the Soviet Union and emerged after the Second World War. Both super powers had different ideologies - the United States was a capitalist democracy,...

To what extent was the Soviet Union responsible for the division of Germany from 1945 to 1949? Post-war Germany found itself in the middle of international tensions after its division – between the Allied powers of Britain, France and the USA and the Soviet Union under Stalin. However, the German nation that hoped for a new beginning could not do so due to the distribution of her land between the victors of the Second World War, and historians have since debated over who was to blame for this...

What were the turning-point events that kept relations between the Soviet Union and China hostile for over 20 years? There were many disputes between China and Russia between the 1950s and 1960s. The disputes may be caused by ideological differences, self-interest, personalities of the leaders, or domestic problems. Mao and Stalin had ideological differences. Although Mao and Stalin’s ideologies are based on Marxism, Stalin believed Mao using the peasants as the basis for revolution is not...

 To what extent was the Cuban missile crisis a factor in Nikita Khrushchev being deposed as leader of the Soviet Union? 1018-133 HL Contemporary History Word Count: 1978 Table of Contents Criterion A: Plan of Investigation pg. 3 Criterion B: Summary of Evidence pg.4-5 Criterion C: Evaluation of Sources...

Introduction The leitmotif of the modern theory of International Business is that globalization is not simply a trend or a fad but is, rather, an international system. It is the system that has now replaced the old Cold War system, and, like that Cold War system, globalization is directly or indirectly influencing and reshaping the culture of virtually every country in the world. McDonald's is a powerful emblem of this emerging "global" culture, which is often referred to as the...

War never seems to be presented as a good thing. At best, it is marketed by those wishing to engage in it as a necessary evil. War destroys. It destroys villages, cities, buildings, communities, and most importantly it destroys human life and families and on a larger scale can destroy nations. War does not build. It is not constructive. War is destructive. The Russian people had enough war. They were weary of an unpopular war just decades earlier, and the result of the people’s resolve...

The concept of Stalinism, being the ideologies and policies adopted by Stalin, including centralization, totalitarianism and communism, impacted, to an extent, on the soviet state until 1941. After competing with prominent Bolshevik party members Stalin emerged as the sole leader of the party in 1929. From this moment, Stalinism pervaded every level of society. Despite the hindrance caused by the bureaucracy, the impact of Stalinism was achieved through the implementation of collectivization and...

What Impact Did Joseph Stalin’s First Five Year Plan Have on the Economy and People of the Soviet Union? by Brooke Justus Plan of Investigation In 1928, Joseph Stalin developed his first plan that concentrated on the development of the Soviet Union in the global economic spectrum. Stalin proposed that electricity, coal, and iron production need be increased significantly in the following five years in order to compete with capitalist countries. This investigation will analyze the...

Stalin's rule over the USSR from 1929 onwards saw his country and his people devastated as he forced them to industrialise, ruthlessly eliminated his opponents and lead his county to a costly victory in the Second World War. Although his leadership was brutal his ideas to industrialise were successful, if he had not drove his country to industrialise defeat in the Second World War would be certain. The purges also offered small opening for peasants and workers to become involved in the running...

The Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan In the year of 1979, after helping to establish and maintain a communist government in this nation, the Soviet Union engaged in a bloody war with the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, or the DRA (Unknown Author. (Unknown Date). Encyclopedia: Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Retrieved April 4, 2004 from the World Wide Web: http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Soviet-Invasion-of-Afghanistan.). This 10 year conflict caused massive amounts of destruction...

Nicky Kassab Mr. Van Meter Post-Soviet Eurasia 13 November 2012 Privatization of Russia On midnight of December 31st 1991, the Soviet Union collapsed, along with the communist ideals that it followed. The former the soviet union were forced to transition from a communism to a private government literally overnight, which is why it was referred to as spontaneous privatization. This abrupt economic reform cause problems with the people, as the government struggled to devise an...

How is the audience positioned to respond to the films of Eisenstein? How does he achieve these reactions in both Battleship Potemkin and Strike? Sergei Eisenstein was a Russian propagandist during the Bolshevik Revolution in the 1920’s and recognised and then created film to be used as a propaganda tool to represent communist social messages. Soviet montage film was an advanced style of cinema that used advanced, unique editing and clever use of camera angles and distances that encouraged an...

Explain why the USA was hostile towards the Soviet Union during 1945-1949. The USA and USSR both have very different ideologies. The USA believed in a capitalist economy and a democratic system of government. This meant that the citizens of America could vote in their President and Congress in free elections. But, in the USSR they believed in communism. This meant that people could vote in elections, but could only vote for members of the communist party. Before they even started working...

The Soviet-Afghan War was a 9 year skirmish that left Afghanistan more broken and corrupt than it was before. Devastating statistics include 1.5 million Afghan civilians dead, 90,000 combatants were killed and another 90,000 were injured. Soviet statistics include 22,000 killed and 75,000 wounded. Six million refugees were forced to leave their beloved homeland. This country was in the midst of a civil war when Russians landed in Kabul, Christmas of 1979. The prime minister, Hazifullah Amin,...

Sino-Soviet Split Thesis: The reasons for the Sino Soviet split can be placed upon the political, economic and social difference between the nations; especially the ideological differences. Political Long Term * Stalin feared Mao as a rival for the leadership of the communist world * Didn’t want the Cold War to spread to Asia * Stalin underestimated the CCP * Believed the GMD would be stronger, * Wanted the communists to unite * Even when the...

To what extent was the Soviet Union a totalitarian state by 1939? The term 'totalitarianism' emerged in the 1920s and '30s, to describe the dictatorial regimes which appeared at that time in Germany and the USSR. The Soviet Union was undoubtedly totalitarian by the late 1930s. However, Stalin's power was anything but absolute up until that time. It took the Great Terror, the cult of personality and two decades of political patronage to put him in a position where he could abandon the...

Monumental Changes: Or how the reaction to Stalin by three social groups illustrates the development of Socialism in the Soviet Union from 1945 to the 1990s. Monumental Propaganda relates a bottom-up history of the Soviet Union from the end of WWII to Post-Socialist Russia of the 1990s. The story is presented from the perspective of an unwavering defender of the cultural mores of post-war Russia, Aglaya Stepanovna Revkina. It is through this outlook that the reader glimpses the political...

How far were ideological differences responsible for the growing hostility of US policy towards the Soviet Union 1944-6? ` I think ideological differences played a large part in the growing hostility of US policy towards the Soviet Union, however I also think that other issues and ideas contributed largely. Fundamentally, the two sides were complete opposites of each other, with entirely different ideological ideas. One of the main ideological differences was the USA’s idea of the USSR being...

Changes in Soviet Values Films in the Soviet Union during Stalin's rule were primarily made for propaganda purposes. Some of the most famous films at the time were "Chapaev," "Circus," and "Moscow Doesn't Believe in Tears,” which were all were aimed at describing Soviet Values during and after Stalin's rule. The film "Chapaev" was produced in 1934 and was set during the Russian Civil War, and like "Circus," which was produced two years later, they both reflected Soviet ideals...

Soviet Constructivist Architecture …and its influences The Russian architectural profession was relatively intact after the revolution in October 1917, at least compared to the other arts in this unstable time. Foreign architects worked freely in the larger cities and the demand for private building was relatively high. This period was short lived as civil war wreaked havoc with the economy and infrastructure of the country. A major turning point for the profession, and the Russian people as...

Michael Harris English II Honors May 19th, 2013 Montgomery The Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan On April of 1978, the Afghan central government was just overthrown their own leader, Mohammad Duad Khan. A group of military officials on a quest for power led by Nur Mohammad Taraki, a distinct military general. To replace Duad Khan, two Marxist political groups fill in. The Khalq, or the people’s political group, and the Parcham, the Banner Party. “The new government, which had little popular...

 Why Did The Soviet Union Invade Afghanistan In 1979? YourFirstName YourLastName University title Why Did the Soviet Union Invade Afghanistan in 1979? The Afghanistan cold war leading up to a decade invasion of the country by the Soviet Union is a quite a debatable event. This paper will seek to provide answers to many unanswered question such as the rationale used in recommending the Soviet Union’s military involvement in Afghanistan’s internal...

"Either we do it or we shall be crushed," said a man in 1927, hoping to convince the Communist Party of the Soviet Union to grant him the Soviet ticket to power. Joseph Vissarionovish Dzhugashvili, better known as Joseph Stalin, was born in 1878 and rose to power in 1922. Being granted the position of General Secretary of the Communist Party, Stalin implemented new economic policies that brought 1, rapid industrialization, 2, equality of the classes, and 3, social services for all. Stalin...

Sino Soviet Relations, 1949-76: alliance to confrontation in Asia and its impact on US policy A) 1. The significance of the communist revolution in china 1949 The Chinese Revolution was among the first hot conflicts of the Cold War, and its ramifications were certainly among the most far-reaching. The most important long-term effect was to create a Communist state with the size and power to stand as a rival to the Soviet Union within the Communist world. The Soviets and Chinese were initially...

How did Stalin's rule change the soviet union? Stalin totally hanged the country. When he gained power the economy was still based on agriculture and the majority of people lived in the countryside; when he died, the country was a global superpower, with a huge heavy industry sector and the majority of the people lived in cites. He achieved these through two policies; collectivization of agriculture and, for agriculture, a centrally planned command economy - the Five Year Plans. In...

Why The Soviets Invaded Afghanistan There were several reasons for the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, which were given by both by the communist party to its Soviet citizens, and ones not disclosed to the public. Soviets were told that the invasion was about the liberation of the Afghan communists, and it was imperative to generate more communist states. The Russian government also began to portray the war as a war against Islamic fundamentalism. They had a real fear of having an...

Ben Fielder 18 November 2010 Soviet Intervention on Afghanistan When someone intervenes in your life, it’s usually to project their beliefs onto you and force you to stop a destructive behavior. During the Cold War, the Soviet Union intervened in Afghanistan, not to stop a destructive behavior, but to project their own wants and needs (for the oil and other resources) onto Afghan culture. Forcing them to submit to foreign rule, the people of Afghanistan fought back to protect their land, as...

The Soviet-Afghan War During the Cold War many countries, especially developing countries, were caught in between two super powers separate ideologies. The United States did everything it could to promote democracy during the Cold War and the Soviet Union attempted to promote communism. Both the US and USSR interfered in many different nations’ political affairs in an attempt to gain allies and influence in all areas of the world. In one such corner, the seemingly insignificant country of...

‘The weaknesses of the left opposition were responsible for Stalin’s victory in the soviet union leadership battle by 1929’ Explain why you agree or disagree with this view... In some ways the weaknesses of the left wing were responsible for Stalin’s victory, however, there were other factors that influenced his victory also. One of the main weaknesses of the left which benefitted Stalin majorly was Trotsky and his constant misjudge when it came to making decisions. Trotsky, being the leader...

Adam’s Rib and the Post Soviet Era When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, the citizens of new nations found themselves suddenly pushed into a new era. Once they had relied on the Soviet system of socialism and central planning to dictate every aspect of the lives. Then in the post-Soviet era, their newfound independence forced them to face an obstacle of changes. “..once Russia under its newly elected president, Boris Yeltsin declared independence from the Soviet union in 1991,...

Moldova’s relations with European Union: the wind of change? Content: 1. Historical overview ……………………………………………………………………….2 2. From RSSM to Republic of Moldova……………………………..……...……………….3 3. Moldova’s relations with EU: …………………………………………………………….3 3.1. 1991-1998 - “wait and see”…………………………………………………………..4 3.2. 1998-2008 – “two steps forward and one back”……………………...………………4 3.3. 2009-2010 – “twitter revolution”- turning point in Moldova – EU relations ………..6...

The Individual In History The grey war The beginning of the Soviet war in Afghanistan in 1979 marked a new phase in the Cold War, the effects of which would continue to cast a shadow over modern politics into the next millennium. The Soviet-Afghan war was driven by the persistent personalities of US National Security Advisor, Zbigniew Brzezinski, his puppet president, Jimmy Carter, and Soviet leader, Leonid Brezhnev. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan flipped Cold War politics on its...

The Second World War is called a war of ideologies and morals, unlike the First World War which is called a war of attrition. It brought many nations together to fight against the evil and world-domination seeking Axis powers led by the Germans. Many of these countries had come together to fight against the Axis of evil in the First World War, with the main powers of Britain, France, and the United States joining the Allied forces. One country that had been a key component of the Allied victory...

During the Cold War, the United States resolved to take a shot at the Soviet Union by siding with Afghanistan and taking great measures to stop Soviet influence and communist ideology. In 1979, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in an attempt to expand its influence in the Middle East with the absence of American influence. At this point in the Cold War the United States and Soviet Union were more or less at the climax of their dilemma, so the U.S. therefore decided to get involved by...

A. Plan of Investigation In the late 20th century, the U.S.S.R, as a superpower, exerted tremendous political, military, and economic influence around the world. Eventually the U.S.S.R. collapsed, resulting in the formation of 15 sovereign states, bringing about an end to the Cold War. The Russian Federation was the most developed of the formed nations. However, its internal state has deteriorated, causing tremendous socio-economic change in the new nation. The focus of this investigation is...

The Soviet socialist revolution fascinated everyone and came to change politics all over Europe. However, it turned out to be a beast with two backs: even though to many it represented the hope of Socialism and the salvation of the working class, to many other millions it brought the horrors of totalitarianism and persecution. Until the early 20th century (1905) Russia was ruled by a monarchy. In 1905 there was a Revolution to put an end to monarchy and an Interim Government took place, with a...

The Cold War developed from disagreements on the postwar European world. The Soviet Union wanted to feel secure on the western border and did not want to give up what it had gained in Eastern Europe by defeating Germany. Eastern Europe was an area of disagreement in that the United States and Great Britain were in favor of democratic freedom for the liberated nations of Eastern Europe, however Stalin feared this would lead to traditional anti-Soviet attitudes if they were allowed free elections...

Introduction This paper aims to analyze the motivation techniques in Russia in the Soviet Era and today, where we can find great differences in society after the collapse of communism in 1991. In the first part some information is mentioned about Russia in the Soviet Era and nowadays. Thereafter we refer to the motivation techniques in both eras and how successful they are according to work ethics in each period. The results of this research are pointed out in the conclusion. General...

Khrushchev simply wanted to protect a new and vulnerable communist state. How valid is this explanation of soviet policy towards Cuba in the period 1960-63? Hypothesis/Assumption made by question: Khrushchev had been sincere and altruistic in his attempts in wanting to secure the sovereignty of vulnerable Cuba, even before Castro turned communist in 1961. However, this was only true for the outbreak prior to the crisis. Throughout the development part of the crisis, we encounter a more...

Neo-Colonial Africa in a Post-Soviet World A continent of rapid change and slow modernization, Africa is a place of several failed and rogue states that are key to the international foreign policy of many world powers during periods of both the past and present. The United States of America (USA), the emerging superpower of last half of the 20th century, would clash and eventually prevail against the communist Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) through proxy wars and...

Title: Post Soviet Gender developments in Central Asia Author: Minakhi Das Institution: Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi Email: minakhi.jnu@gmail.com Abstract:- The development process affects men and women differently. Modernization of agriculture has altered the division of labour between the sexes, increasing women’s dependent status as well as their workload. Women often lose control over resources such as land and are generally excluded from access to new technology. Due to...

Joseph Stalin was the leader of Soviet Russia from the mid-1920s to his death in 1953. Though Hitler and Stalin never met or even spoke on the telephone, their lives and fates were inextricably linked. Though each loathed and feared the other, there was much Hitler and Stalin had in common. Both were born into humble backgrounds, their early lives shaped by destitution and impoverishment. As young men, both were drawn to radical political movements. Both became revolutionaries and unlikely...