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Jan 1, 1462
First Czar
First czar of Russia was Ivan III (The Great). He reigned from 1462 - 1505. -
Peter the Great
Peter the Great accelerated worldly trends and made Russia into a major European power. He focused on increasing scientific, technical, and military/diplomatic knowledge. -
Russian Revolution
The Russian Revolution resulted in the ending of the rule of czars. The Communist Party took the place of the czars. -
The Soviet Union (USSR) is created
The Communist Party organizes the territory of Russia into a new nation, the Soviet Union. The new leaders soon took all of the nation's economy and controlled it. -
Stalin
Josef Dzhugashvili, also known as Stalin, started a plan for the Soviet Union to focus all economic powers to the state. Industrialization and poverty were started by him in the Soviet Union. -
World War II begins
Stalin had taken over the leadership of the USSR and led the Soviet Union against Nazi Germany. During this time, relations between the Soviet Union and its allies became worse. -
The Cold War begins
After WWII, relations between the Soviet Union and the U.S. were at its worst. The Soviet Union's army wanted to spread communism. No open warfare actually occured. -
Sputnik is launched
Russian launches the world's first artificial satellite. This marked the beginning of space technology. -
The U-2 Affair
The Soviets shoot down a U-2 Stealth Plane on a mission over the Soviet Union and capture its pilot. The United States claim it was on a weather mission (the U-2). -
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Soviet Union installedd nuclear missiles in range of the US. After confirming the threat, President Kennedy ordered a naval blockade at Cuba until the Soviets finally agreed to remove the missiles. -
Star Wars
President Reagan outlines his space based system to destroy attacking missiles. The Soviets accuse the U.S of violating the 1972 Antiballistic Missile Treaty.
