1. Russia After Stalin

2. The Cold War begins
End of World War II marks the beginning of the Cold War.
Cold War- military rivalry and political tension between the East (communist) and West (capitalist).
Stalin had turned Russia into a totalitarian state- a state in which the gov’t controls every aspect of citizens’ lives.

3. Russia after Stalin Stalin died in 1953.
His successor: Nikita Khruschev
Denounced Stalin’s abuse of power.
Started “détente”- an easing of Cold War tensions between the USSR and the west.

4. Leonid Breshnev In power 1964-1982.
Suppressed dissidents (People who speak out against the government).
The constant “arms race” between the U.S. and USSR led to the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962.

5. Breshnev 1979: The USSR invades Afghanistan.
The U.S. responded by arming and empowering a group of “holy warriors”: the Mujahideen.
Later known as the Taliban.

6. Mikhail Gorbachev Came to power in 1985. New 2-part plan:
Glasnost- openness; let people speak openly about government problems.
Perestroika- restructuring of gov’t and economy: allow capitalism in while keeping a communist structure.

7. The fall of the Soviet Union
1991
All soviet republics declare independence, forming 15 new nations.
Still face many problems today: unemployment, inflation, poverty, civil wars, and dictatorships.

8. New nations Armenia Azerbaijan Belarus Estonia Georgia Kazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan
Latvia
Lithuania
Moldova
Russia*
Tajikistan
Turkemenistan
Ukraine
Uzbekistan