The Former Soviet Union. This PREtest should be your first page of notes so it can help you study for the quiz we will take at the end!

The Former Soviet Union

The Former Soviet Union

This PREtest should be your first page of notes so it can help you study for the quiz we will take at the end!

From Russia to USSR to Russia again…

Please list modern day countries on the maps of Europe and Asia that were once part of the SOVIET UNION.

Create 3 Columns 1. OWN IT: you will list terms here that you

know, can define, feel you understand completely

2. FAMILIAR W/IT: this column is for terms you have heard, might be able to fake knowing, but really aren’t sure exactly how to use

3. WHAT IS IT: this final column is for terms that are very new to you and that you know you must learn

The TERMS for you to sort and master:

Czarist RussiaRomanovs – last ruling familyMonarchy was outdated and out of touch

with the needs of the peopleIndustrialization caused explosion of

population in cities and all the problems that come with urbanization

Poor were very poor and growing in numbers daily

Czarist Russia

Czarist RussiaRoyal family blamed for the plight of the poorPoor encouraged to support a revolutionFamilies of soldiers encouraged revolutionStrong military leaders saw the opportunity

to lead a revolution

What is this?

The KremlinA major fortified central complex in historic

Russian citiesThis one is the most famous oneOn one side of Red Square in MoscowReferred to as the White House of Russia

What is this?

St. Basil’s CathedralBuilt in the late 16th century as the Cathedral

of Vasily the BlessedLocated on one side of Red SquareBecame a museum during the Soviet Union’s

anti-theist campaigns

What is this?

Red SquareCenter of MoscowMajors streets originate from the squareThe name doesn’t originate from the color of

the square or the association of red and communism…

The Russian word krasnaya means red or beautiful originally applied to St. Basil’s Cathedral transferred to the nearby square

CommunismPromised equality and stabilityMarxism is based on the idea of the

proletariat (the poor) rising up and taking over the bourgeoisie (the rich)

Creating a “governmentless”/classless societyEveryone is dependent on each other – on the

community

CommunismAfter a protracted

revolution and civil war a Marxist government was set up under Vladimir I. Lenin

But circumstances did not change for the common man…

CommunismTo gain control of such a huge and disparate

population…State run newspapers and radioEconomic reformsReeducation camps

Made only more restrictive by Joseph Stalin

Soviet Union

Cold WarAfter WWII

Soviet Union takes control of eastern Europe and parts of Asia

New enemy – the United States and democracy Arms raceSpace raceThe Influence Game

Detente1970s and 80sUS and USSR figured out that they needed

the rest of the world and each other to flourish economically.

Nixon visits Soviet Union and China – making sure to establish ties with eachBTW - USSR and China hate each other

Ending the Arms RaceSALT I and SALT II

Mikhail GorbachevDemocratization

Elections to a national congress

LegalityJudicial system as

instrument of the state or regulator of the state

GlasnostRegain credibilityFree press

Nobel Peace Prize - 1990

The End of the Soviet UnionIndependence Movements

Eastern EuropeCaucasusStans

August of 1991 – coup attemptCommonwealth of Independent StatesRussia and the rest…

Russia

IssuesChechnyaGeorgiaFreedom of the PressPutinUkraine

ChechnyaRepublic of RussiaWants independence

from RussiaRussia has spent a

lot of money and men keeping Chechnya part of the Russian Federation

GeorgiaRussia invaded

Georgia in August 2008

The provinces of South Ossetia and Abkhazia wanted to break away from Georgia to join Russia

Cease-fire agreement, but Russia still present in those provinces

Freedom of the PressIn 2002 the last independent TV national

news station was closedOnly state-owned national TV stations now

Violence against journalistsBy 2007, 21 journalists had been killedMost cases never prosecuted

Alexander Litvinenko, critic of Putin, poisoned with radiation while living in Britain

Vladimir PutinPresident – Prime

Minister – PresidentStabilized economyReasserted Russian

dominance in the areaProsecuted key figures in

business community – including outspoken rivals

“nationalized” oil companies into Gazprom

Governors over provinces no longer elected – appointment system

Popular Putin2009 – popularity

rating of 68%only 57% of Russians

felt the country needed democracy

60% wanted the president to be in control of both the courts and parliament

August 2014 Poll – according to the Moscow Times86% approval rating

Popular PutinIf democracy is based on majority rule,

then does the US have a right to interfere with the direction Russia is taking as long as it is supported by a majority in the country?

UkraineIndependent nation since 1991Energy spats with Russia

PipelineSupply cut-off

Ukrainian RevolutionViktor Yanukovych – pro-Russian president oustedEastern Ukraine (pro-Russian) rebels against KievRussia supports rebels – quietly, at first

UkraineRussia calls the revolution

a coupTakes the Crimea

Peninsula by forceRussia sends troops to the

border of UkraineRussia arms rebelsRebels shoot down

Malaysia Airlines Flight 17With a ground to air

missile… supplied by RussiaRebels won’t let

investigators near the crash site