Boris Yeltsin urging resistance against the August Coup http://media-2.web.britannica.com/eb-media/72/121672-004-614BEA53.jpg With the election of Mikhail Gorbachev in 1985, the Soviet Union looked like it was on a path of reform on all levels, from economic to political to social. Obviously, hard lined Soviets would be opposed to such reforms and changes in the Soviet Union that […]
Week 15 Posts
The Final Strike
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The collapse of the Soviet Union was definitely not expected to happen without bloodshed, and few would have ever guessed for it to play out the way it did. Most if asked would have thought that its destruction would have come from an outside intervention, either a conventional or nuclear strike, but this is …read more
More Than Just Radiation Damage: Chernobyl
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The nuclear explosive at Chernobyl on April 26, 1986 caused more damage to the Soviet Union than just sending a deadly amount of radiation into the sky and surrounding areas. The nuclear consequences were great, but the accident produced many … Continue reading →
1985 Anti-Alcohol Campaign
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In May 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev decided to launch an aggressive campaign to stop alcohol abuse in Russia. He did this by taking drastic measures to try and eliminate the consumption of alcohol in Russia. How was this done? Shops were heavily regulated on the selling of alcohol Vodka distilleries were closed Vineyards destroyed in Moldavia, […]
For Fatherland, and Freedom.
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The Baltic States of Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania were never too pleased to be part of the Soviet Union. These three satellite countries had been incorporated into the USSR against their will, through rigged elections set up by the USSR, through the capable hands of Vladimir Dekanozov, Andrey Vyshinsky, and Andrei Zhdanov, all of whom […]
Less Than 500 Days to Live
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By the time the 1990′s came about the Soviet Union’s days were numbered, though no one fully understood it yet. The signs had been there for several years, but they had merely been taken as the state being more lenient … Continue reading →
A Gangrenous Growth
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Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev called the conflict in Afghanistan a “bleeding wound which can result in gangrenous growth on the body of mankind” in a statement in 1988. Stagnant wars and conflicts are suffered by most aggressive world powers. Ancient empires such as Rome spread their resources so far that they could […]
The Chernobyl Affair
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Even though Chernobyl destroyed and damaged a large area of the Soviet Union, and the economy was completely shaken, the resolve of the government not to take action or admit its faults was just as astounding as events earlier in … Continue reading →
The Major Themes of Russian History
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For my last blog post this semester, I wanted to look back at the Russian History that we have studied. Looking at my blog posts from the semester, I was able to come up with one overarching theme that I think best describes Russia’s past. Stalled progress and stagnation are two words that accurately describe […]
The Failed Coup
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In 1991 the Soviet Union was on the brink of collapse. Economic stagnation crippled the economy. Centralized planning was no longer a viable economic option. The republics under Soviet domination began moving towards independence from the USSR. This state of … Continue reading →