-
Chernobyl Accident
The Chernobyl Accident happened when the staff of a nuclear facility made to many mistakes. There was a large amount radioactive material released into the atmosphere. 30,000 people had to be evacuated. There were 41 deaths in total. -
Period: to
Joseph Stalin
During the rule of Stalin Russia was transformed from a society dominated by peasants into a military and industrial power. Stalin ruled with terror and millions of Russians died during his rule.He gained control after Vladimir Lenin died. After he "outmaneuvered" his political opponents, he collectivized farming and executed any potential enemies. -
Period: to
The Berlin Airlift
The Berlin Airlift was a result of Russians who tried to prevent the Allied Powers form going into Berlin and supplying their troops. The Allied Powers responded by flying supplies in to feed soldiers and civilians. -
Period: to
Nikita Khrushchev
After the death of Stalin, Khrushchev ruled as Premier from 1958 to 1964. Nikita was the one who instigated the infamous Cuban Missile Crisis. In Russia he began what is called the “de-Stalinization” process, which means he did everything in his power to wipe Russia of Stalin's influence. -
Checkpoint Charlie
Checkpoint Charlie is probably the most popular crossing within the Berlin Wall. Charlie was place where many daring escapes were made by Easter Germans. A very "nail-biting" standoff took place between the United States and the USSR. One of the only truly armed standoffs happened at the Checkpoint. -
Period: to
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a 13 day political and military standoff. This was caused because the Soviets installed nuclear missiles just 90 miles off the coast of Florida. John Kennedy created a naval blockade around Cuba. In order to end it Kennedy secretly removed missiles form Turkey. -
Period: to
Russia's War in Afghanistan
The Soviets were in support of the Afghanistan communist government. The Soviets helped the government to fight against anti-communist Muslims. The Russians sent 30,000 troops into Afghanistan. -
Russian Boycott of the Olympics
The decision by the Soviet Union the boycott the Olympics in 1994 was retaliation to the United States, because America had boycotted the 1980 Olympic which were held in Moscow. Both the United States ad Russia claimed that each country sought cheap political gain. -
The Fall of the Berlin Wall
As the Cold War began to dissipate across Europe a speaker for the Communist Party in East Berlin said that citizens were allowed to freely pass each side as they wished. Almost 2 million Germans went to the wall in order to tear it down. -
Period: to
Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail was President of Russia from 1990 to 1991. He was known for de-escalating and even partly ending the Cold War. He was also responsible for the fall of communism in Europe as well as the destruction of the Soviet Union. In 1990 he was a warded the Nobel Peace Prize. -
Period: to
Boris Yeltsin
Boris Yeltsin held the office of President of Russian from 1991 to 1999. During his early political career he was a member of the Communist party, but during his time as president he began to believe in democracy and free markets. Boris completely reformed Russian economics by allowing private ownership and embraced free-market principles. There was however a negative affect to these changes, there was major inflation and a large portion of the population became impoverished. -
Period: to
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin's first presidency lasted from 2000 to 2007. Putin was a former KGB agent when he was picked to serve as prime minister. His popularity soared after he blamed the Chechen for several bombings and conducted multiple successful military campaigns. During his tenure as president, Putin focused on building better foreign relations.
