The end of the 1970s and the early 1980s marked a real negative period for the Soviet Union’s foreign policy. They ended the decade with an invasion of Afghanistan, which has often been compared to America’s involvement in Vietnam. Both of these wars were viewed negatively on the global scene. This context for the USSR […]
Week 14 Posts
The Soviet Vietnam: Afghanistan
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At the height of the Cold War both the USSR and the United States agreed on one concept that in order to gain the upper hand in this war they must extend their political ideologies to other lands. While the United States tried to do this mostly through diplomatic means the USSR had other […]
The Quagmire Of Afghanistan
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At the height of the Cold War both the United States and the Soviet Union fervently worked towards expanding their influence over other countries. Afghanistan was a natural target for Soviet ambitions because of its relative location to that of … Continue reading →
TV, Soviets, and letting go
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No matter where you were from WWII had a great impact on your nation. By 1970, most nations had licked their wounds though, and moved on. For Russia though, this wasn’t really possible. It’s true, the world lost about three percent of it’s population, but the Soviet Union lost about sixteen percent of it’s people. […]
Moscow Olympics
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The 1980 winter Olympics in Moscow, Russia gave Soviets a chance to sow off their superior athletes and countries progress. Like with many countries hosting the Olympics, the country was revamped. New hotels, training facilities, and a new airport were built. Along with murals illustrating “Misha, the cuddly bear who was the mascot of these […]
Moscow to Sochi: The Legacy of the Russian Olympic Host
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On February 7th, the Olympic Games will return to Russia for the first time since the 1980 Moscow Summer Games. Unfortunately, just like the Moscow Games, the Winter Olympics in Sochi Russia are surrounded with controversy. Amid the return of the Olympics, and some calls for a boycott, reminders of the boycott of the Moscow […]
The Rise and Fall of The Aral Sea, 1985
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http://www.columbia.edu/~tmt2120/aral_sea_2006.jpg From as early as 1939, canals began to be constructed redirecting rivers that feed the Aral Sea to the cotton field plains of Uzbekistan, which at the time was under Soviet Rule. The construction of the original Great Fergana Canal was a part of Stalin’s Second Five Year Plan, which would increase the grain […]