The Soviet Union From 1922 To 1989

The Soviet Union was none the less held together by "…powerful central institutions, pressure for ideological conformity, and the threat of force." (Baylis & Smith, 2001.) Therefore, these new reforms could not overpower the previous ‘seventy years' of soviet rule.

The NKVD was a law enforcement agency of the Soviet Union which was directly related with the secret Soviet police. It was formed to control the militia(police), criminal investigation departments, firefighters, internal troops, and prison guards. The main function of the NKVD was to protect the state security of the Soviet Union. This was done by kidnapping, murdering, and by massive political repression. The NKVD was run by the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, who was responsible for the deaths of millions of people. During the 1930’s, the NKVD was responsible for political murders of those Stalin believed opposed him. When the war with Germany began, any soldier who refused to fight was shot and killed by the NKVD. The NKVD would often abolish

Emerging victoriously from World War II, America became the leader of the free-market capitalist world, and proved to be a military, economic, and political powerhouse. However, as one major war came to a close, another battle was brewing between the democratic United States and the communist Soviet Union. As the Soviet Union expanded farther West into Europe, America as well as its NATO allies worked together in an effort to contain the USSR’s expanding communist party. The Cold War went far beyond a battle between different ideologies. Rather, it developed into a global conflict where espionage, treason, and massive propaganda campaigns were inflicted on all aspects of individuals’ lives internationally. The plausibility of communism seeping into the confinements of the United States caused nation-wide fear to erupt. American businesses feared the idea of a communistic revolution on the basis that it would disturb the very groundwork that holds capitalism together. As a result, the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) was formed to investigate communist and fascist organizations within America. Unfortunately, the controversial tactics used during the HUAC hearings contributed to the fear, blacklisting, and repression that existed from 1940 through the 1950s. In the midst of the Cold War, several American opinions materialized concerning the role of the HUAC, in which Americans either praised the committee for its patriotic ideals, applauded but recognized the

Soviet Russia, the motherland, born out of the Russian Revolution and grew to become the superpower nation that everyone knows. The dominant Union of Republics founded in 1922, and dissolved in 1991, holding a population of 293 million people. Do the people really know the roots of the Soviet Union? If not, how would they be able to learn? The answer is textbooks, textbooks produce knowledge and gives scholars the opportunity to learn about new topics. In Soviet Russia, textbooks should emphasize the social condition, political repression, and military strength.

Next, in order for the USSR to create a buffer zone in the Eastern European countries to protect the nation from the West, the Soviet Union organized the Warsaw Pact with Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, and Romania. The Warsaw Pact was established in order to eliminate any potential threats to the Soviet Union. In order to seal borders and prevent the escape of East German residents, Khrushchev, Stalin’s successor, decided to build the Berlin Wall, a concrete wall that was enforced with barbed wire, minefields, and machine gun towers that completely divided two sides, USSR with communism in the East, the United States holding power in the West (Glencoe 853). The USSR sent military forces to control the occupied

In 1945 the Second World War came to an end, many people thought there would be peace and happiness once it ended. They were correct for a while, until the turmoil left over by the World War II began a new war in itself. Germany did not like its punishment as it nearly ruined their economy and it was divided up into four areas, each controlled by United State, Soviet Union, Great Britain, and France respectively. But at the time they did not agree with many things which began to affect the territory control. The Soviet Union began to take over Eastern Europe and create communist governments. Along with the Communist governments being created in Europe, the Soviet Union began to create communist governments in Korea, Asia, and other parts

The first topic that should be in Soviet Textbooks is the Great Terror. The reasons why this should be in Soviets textbooks is death rate shows that the Soviet Union and its leader’s personality and how much they’re willing to pay to win. In document C it describes the statistics of Joseph Stalin’s actions as ruler of the Soviet

Now, however, all former fifteen USSR republics are enduring the aftermath of a huge climax in the national tensions. Consequently, the erosion of Soviet patriotism became aggravated with the weakening policies on travel and curiosity of what is behind the iron curtain. Image of an intellectually superior communist citizen started to fade. Gorbachev’s mistake was in trusting mass Soviet propaganda and starting the process of democratic liberation and beginning of new socialistic movement before resolving national tensions (Gaidar, 2010; Zubok, 2009). Thought he was a man of “great intelligence, but weak spirit”, and was faced with tensions and lies in his own office, but despite that was strong enough to face the Cold War with more courage

The Cold War was not a normal conflict. The US and the USSR never fought. However, they often supported different warring sides. Nevertheless, we can say that the Cold War is a political, military and media conflict, which has a large effect over the lives of thousands of innocent civilians. The Cold War is a battle between totalitarianism and democracy, battle for a new world turn between two opposing systems. This essay will look at three different theories that explain why the Cold War came to an end. First will be discussed the Revisionist and Gorbachev leadership theories. Second, this paper will look at the “Triumphalist” theory by the Realist school of historians who believe that Ronald Reagan’s foreign policies during the Cold War

On August 6th, 1945 the world watched in awe as the United States dropped two Atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, this brought forth the end of World War 2 and an allied powers victory. The two biggest winners of this war were the United States and the USSR (aka. Soviet Union and present day Russia) and they knew that they won the most. The United States during this time had just come out of the Worst depression it had in history and needed more reassurance for a better future. The USSR was also on top of the world beating its biggest rival but also took some of the biggest losses about 40 million people for a closer estimate. Germany had separated into four divisions Russia taking the biggest portion and the capital Berlin. Russia saw themselves as missionaries trying to expand communism worldwide from China to Cuba. The problem with this was that the exact opposite of Communism was Capitalism, which ,along with democracy, is what the United States stands for. The United States’ did not like that the USSR was trying to spread communism which resulted in intervention and tensions between the two countries. These political and military tensions were called the Cold War i.e. the unfought war of threats that lasted over four decades. The Cold War can be dissected into five simple parts; The beginning of the war, the heating up of the war, confrontation, the homefront, and the end of the war. The whole war ends up making the same point about the United States and that is

The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics or USSR was at one time one of leading world powers, only rivaled by the United States. So that begs the questions, “how could a country that was at one time so dominant fall so far?” In this essay I will examine the circumstances that led up to the Soviet Union’s eventual downfall by mainly focusing Mikhail Gorbachev’s term as leader of the Communist party of the Soviet Union and what changes he brought about through glasnost and perestroika, democratization and the national independence movements that began as a result of it, and lastly failed coup by conservative members of the USSR against Gorbachev that ultimately became the last nail in the coffin for the

In the heat of the Cold War, communism has spread its influence across the world and the United States stand fearing the worse from the Soviet Union. The United States’ objective was to expand the sovereignty of capitalism, but this was in the way of the USSR’s plan to overthrow capitalism entirely. With this struggle to keep their intentions active, the Cold War is primarily about who can be able to control the end results of World War II. Now the fear was creeping up among the U.S., with the events of the Korean War and the tension between the free enterprise versus the socialist. So while the Cold War continued to advance, the corruption of Cuba caused by General Fulgencio Batista, elected president of Cuba who has dictated the Cuban

Could you ever imagine living in a country where as a citizen you have no power in the government or a say in your own business? This is how the citizens lived for many years under the rule of many different leaders. The Soviet Union is a prime example of a society where your rights are taken away. The creation of the Soviet Union, also known as The Union of Soviet Socialists Republics, began shortly after the overthrow the Russian tsar in 1917. Soon after its creation, problems arose within the new form of government affecting the lives of two hundred and ninety three million civilians. Decades after the revolution, Mikhail Gorbachev came into power proposing new laws in order to lead the Soviet Union out of economic catastrophe. These changes

Soviet Russia was a uniquely difficult culture for artists to not only thrive in, but to survive in as well. The Soviet Era marked one of the few times in history that artists were judged primarily on how well they matched the party’s agenda, rather than on their artistic achievements. Music, for the most part, was not banned entirely, but converted into a propagandist tool used by the government to encourage optimistic feelings toward its own policies. However, musicians who created works that were objectionable to the party, or to Stalin personally, often had their works banned and were exiled to Siberia. Many musicians were even murdered because party leaders did not feel that their music was art for the people. Communist leaders

When I began to think about what life would be like in Soviet Russia, I could not give you an example to relate it to. Words like hardship, sacrifice, war, oppression, and love for the motherland come to mind-But no examples. I can say that even though I was not born here in America, I have never known hardships or oppression like the people of Russia have known. I have never had to watch what I say in public or be penalized by the God I worship. I have never been scared to speak my mind about someone or worry about if I am going to eat everyday. I believe that the comrades of Russia carry with them a reminder of what Soviet Russia was like and will truly never forget it. And for the new generation, family members will pass down stories. Famous film directors that one were either in a Siberian labor camp or were kicked out of the country will make movies. But the best way I believe for a human to never forget who they are and how far a society has come, is by books. The New York Times has named it a “ Masterpiece and the most significant works ever to emerge from Soviet Russia.” Written by Alexander Solzhenitsyn,” One day in the life of Ivan Denisovich,” has given me an idea what life would be like in Soviet Russia.