The Collapse of the

Soviet Union
Joshua Kunicki

Creation of the Politburo

Explanation
The executive committee of the Bolshevik and later
Communist Party. The first Politburo, formed in
October 1917, had seven members but this number
was expanded after the Bolshevik revolution.

Helped/Hurt the USSR

This helped the USSR because they had some power
along with the leader at the time, and at times they
had more power.

Russian Civil War

Explanation
After the Russian revolution in 1917 to get rid of the
Czars the two groups formed that wanted to rule
Russia differently. The Red army contained the
Bolsheviks. The White army was composed of many
groups that were against each other. The Red army
crushed the White army because the White army was
not working together because every group in the
White army had different goals.

Helped/Hurt the USSR

This event hurt the USSR because it divided the
country and killed many of their own people.

Stalins Five Year Plans

Explanation
These were ridiculously impossible plans to make
steel and oil to help russia industrialize. The quotas
that people had to make was near impossible and if
someone didn't make their quota they disappeared.
Stalin had 3 five year plans however the third one
was interrupted by WWI.

Helped/Hurt the USSR

This was meant to be helpful to industrialize the
USSR however, people were living and working in
horrible conditions and were not paid well. This hurt
the USSR.

World War II 1939

Explanation
The Germans massively attacked the USSR and The
Russians had to retreat and as they retreated they
destroyed everything and anything that would help
the Germans. As the Germans pursued in the winter
the German soldiers were not equipped for the harsh
weather and the Russians easily destroyed the
Germans. At the end of the war the USSR lost
millions of troops.

Helped/Hurt the USSR

This hurt the USSR because they had lost so many
people and had to repair everything before they
could advance.

Joe I 1949
Explanation
This was the USSRs first nuclear bomb test. They
wanted to do this test as soon as possible no matter
the risks.

Helped/Hurt the USSR

This helped the USSR because they were able to
show off their power.

Hydrogen Bomb- 1953

http://soviethistory.macalester.edu/index.php?page=subject&SubjectID=1954bomb&Year=1954

Explanation
On August 12, 1953 the Soviet Union set off a
hydrogen bomb. This atomic bomb unlike the
USSRs first was of original design. The first bomb
was an US design that they took.

Helped/Hurt the USSR

This helped the USSR because this super-bomb
showed off their power to the rest of the world.

Warsaw Pact 1955

Explanation
This was a treaty between eight communist countries
similar to NATO. The USSR was afraid that NATO
would come and get them so they formed this treaty.

Helped/Hurt the USSR

This helped the USSR because if they ever needed
help the other countries in the Warsaw Pact would
come to their help.

Sputnik 1957
Explanation

Helped/Hurt the USSR

Sputnik was the first Earth-orbiting artificial satellite.

This helped the USSR greatly because they got a

satellite to space before the US did in the space race
during the cold war

Laika and Sputnik 3 1958

Explanation
Laika was the first animal in space in the Sputnik 2.
Laika died during the flight however the Russians
were monitoring the flight and found out how to fix
the problem. Sputnik three had animals as well the
animals returned to orbit but then the USSR shot it
down destroying it hoping that this was no one
would be able to figure out how they succeeded.

Helped/Hurt the USSR

This helped the USSR because this was the first
living being successful flight into space during the
space race in the cold war.

Creation of the Berlin Wall 1961

Explanation
This was a barrier between the free side and the
communist side of berlin if people tried to cross the
wall they were shot.

Helped/Hurt the USSR

this hurt the USSR because no one in the world
wanted the berlin wall.

1968 Invasion of Czechoslovakia

Explanation
The farmers and workers were upset with the
Czechoslovakian government and the warsaw pact
forces came in and get the leader out of office.

Helped/Hurt the USSR

This hurt the USSR because they were not able to
keep Czechoslovakia in their power.

SALT I 1972
Explanation
SALT I, the first series of Strategic Arms Limitation
Talks, extended from November 1969 to May 1972.
During that period the United States and the Soviet
Union negotiated the first agreements to place limits and
restraints on some of their central and most important
armaments.

Helped/Hurt the USSR

SALT II 1979
Explanation
series of talks between United States and Soviet negotiators
from 1972 to 1979 which sought to curtail the manufacture of
strategic nuclear weapons. It was a continuation of the SALT
I talks and was led by representatives from both countries.
SALT II was the first nuclear arms treaty which assumed real
reductions in strategic forces to 2,250 of all categories of
delivery vehicles on both sides.

Helped/Hurt the USSR

Soviet-Afghan War 1980

Explanation
The current leader invited the army of the soviet
union and they were betrayed. The USSR crushed
Afghans when in open combat however when
Afghanistan used guerilla warfare they were
supreme. This war lasted for 10 years. The Soviets
withdrew.

Helped/Hurt the USSR

this hurt the USSR because they lost the war
dropping the morale of the soldiers for the future.

Chernobyl Disaster 1986

Explanation
This was a nuclear power plant in Ukraine, that
exploded and released radiation all over Western
Europe.

Helped/Hurt the USSR

This hurt the USSR because many people all over
Europe was angry at the USSR after this accident.

Gorbachev becomes leader

Explanation
Gorbachev was named the new leader of the Soviet Union.
Gorbachev represented a younger generations of Soviet
leaders, and began a series of reforms aimed at invigorating
the Communist system in the Soviet Union, while at the same
time improving relations with the West. The changes he
began soon developed a momentum of their own.

Helped/Hurt the USSR

This helped the USSR because he gave the people
many reforms to give them more freedom.

Glasnost
Explanation
Allowed greater freedom of expression. Gave more
freedom to criticize the government. Churches were
opened. Political Prisoners were released. The
banned authors were now allowed to publish.

Helped/Hurt the USSR

This helped because this gave the people more
freedom.

Perestroika
Explanation
De-centralization of the soviet economy with gradual
reforms. Owners of farms and factories could make
of their own decisions.

Helped/Hurt the USSR

This helped because gave the people more freedom.

Voting Reforms by Gorbachev

Explanation
Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev called for a sweeping
"democratization" of Soviet life, including elections by secret
ballot with two or more competing candidates for senior and
other Communist Party posts.

Helped/Hurt the USSR

this could have helped the USSR move forward
toward more freedom and people choices.

Free Elections in Poland,

Czechoslovakia,Hungary
Explanation
The revolutionary wave that started in poland that
led to the fall of the USSR, gave these countries free
elections after the Glasnost act.

Helped/Hurt the USSR

this hurt the USSR because they no longer had any
control over these countries.

Fall of the Berlin Wall 1989

Explanation
Gorbachev tore down the Berlin wall in act to show
that he wanted people to have more freedom.

Helped/Hurt the USSR

this helped the USSR because it showed to the world
that he wanted to help his people get more freedom.

Lithuania and Latvia Protests

Explanation

Helped/Hurt the USSR

The USSR wanted to make a hydrogen power plant

on one of Latvias rivers, but this would destroy their
landscape and their culture so they started to protest.

This hurt the USSR because the people in these

countries were not staying loyal and made them look
weak.

Gorbachev steps down 1991

Explanation
He stepped down because every part of the USSR
became independent except for the Russian
Federation so he was no longer the leader of the
USSR.

Helped/Hurt the USSR

This helped the USSR start to become a democracy.

Boris Yeltsin becomes President

Explanation
After the fall of the USSR Yeltsin was already the
leader of the Russian Federation of the USSR. So
when the USSR fell he automatically became the
leader.

Helped/Hurt the USSR

This helped the USSR get closer to become a
democracy

Why did the Soviet Union collapse?

The soviet union collapsed because of many
revolutions across satellite nations and the
USSR was not a united nation just a failing
dying one.