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Rise of Soviet Union
The Bolsheviks overthrow the Russian Provisional Government that formed earlier that year following the February Revolution and the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II, marking the end of the Russian Empire. Vladimir Lenin was a founder of the Soviet Union, and Leon Trusky was the founder of the Red Army and a key to this October revolution. This impacted the future of Russia negatively by causing economic reconstruction and redrawing of political boundaries. -
Bolshevik Revolution
A revolution that occurred in Russia that overthrew the imperial government and placed the Bolsheviks in power. During the revolution, the Bolsheviks, led by leftist revolutionary Vladimir Lenin seized power and destroyed the tradition of czarist rule. This revolution paved the way for the rise of communism as an influential belief system around the world and the Soviet Union. -
The Cold War
The U.S. and S.U. fight for political power. The U.S. wanted to spread democracy and the S.U. wanted to spread communism. This event still affects modern geopolitics today because both nations still have divergent geopolitical interests, large defense budgets, and international military bases. -
The Arms Race & The Space Race
U.S and S.U want bigger nukes and more power along with trying to send the first person into state. 1958- U.S tests bombs, 1962-Cuban Missile Crisis 1961- Russia send first man to space 1969 U.S has first people to walk on the moon.
These helped create the perception that there was a “missile gap” between the US and USSR. -
The Fall of the Soviet Union
Allowing elections caused destabilization in communism and allowed people to elect who they wanted to. -
Ukrainian Independence
Ukraine leaves the Soviet Union declaring independence and becoming their own country. Russia has deep cultural, economic, and political bonds with Ukraine. They both have very strong "family ties", so Ukraine having their own independence impacted the country of Russia in many ways. -
Vladmir Putin and the early 2000s
Putin was the president from 2000 to 2008. He is the longest-serving Russian or Soviet leader since Joseph Stalin. During Putin's presidency, he turned Russia from a nascent democratic state into an autocratic one, expanded Russia's influence in the Middle East, strengthened Russian relations with China, and displayed a willingness to use force to achieve his goals. -
Russia Annexes Crimea
Russian President Vladimir Putin signs the treaty of accession (annexation) with Crimean leaders in Moscow.
Ukraine and many other countries condemned the annexation and consider it to be a violation of international law and Russian agreements safeguarding the territorial integrity of Ukraine. The annexation led to the other members of the G8 suspending Russia from the group and introducing sanctions. -
Russo-Ukrainian Conflict 2022
Russia invaded Ukraine in an escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War that started in 2014, which became the largest attack on a European country since World War II. The culmination of the Kremlin's (the Russian Government) growing resentment toward NATO's post–Cold War expansion into the former Soviet sphere of influence. Due to this war, Russia entered a recession as the Federal State Statistics Service had reported a national GDP loss for the second consecutive quarter.