1. Chapter 15: Consolidation and Collapse
The SU under Leonid Brezhnev continued to suffer from the ills that were plaguing the country for decade, namely slow agricultural output, and shortage of basic goods.
The consumer goods, however, for the first time received more attention.
Living standards continued to be low, worker on average had to work almost 6 time longer than their American counterparts to earn a loaf of bread.

2. Study P.276, S5
Pilfering from work place.
Brezhnev as chief of the politburo for life and the culture of the nomenclature
The stability of cadres
The underground culture of “samizdat”
Helsinki Agreement of 1975
Andrej Sakharov
Why was the economy still in trouble? Read P.278

3. Andropov and Chernenko, the two sick old men.
P.280, S 10. Read the paradox
Andropov and Chernenko, the two sick old men.
The Rise of Michael Gorbachev
At age 54 he looked like a teen among the old guards.
Perestroika and Glasnost. Read p. 282
Antropov
Chernenko
Gorbi

4. The Rise of Boris Yeltsin
The Baltic Crises
Perestroika abroad- Eastern Europe sees its chance.
The 1991 Coup d'état. P. 289
The collapse of the SU. Study map 291.

6. Chapter 16: Continuity and Change
Russians have always lived under a tsar.
Read for Stalin said about Ivan the Terrible p.295
The Complexities of Mother Russia to become more democratic :
The size of the country
The fear of external threat
Tradition and ideology
The acceptance of the ruled
Threats within her borders
Repression
Ivan the Terrible

7. Closing the economic gap with the West
Russian Economy: heavily based on natural resources
Climate and environment
Foreign invasion
Resistance to change
The government and military spending
The Afghan War

8. Russia today The war conflict in Georgia and the Ukraine
The annexation of Crimea
The leadership of a strong leader
The increasing isolation from the West
The falling rubble
The mistrust of the West
The oligarcs
Putin said that the fall of the SU was one of the greatest tragedies of the 20th century.
Will he try to regain some of the lost territory?
Many people believe that he restored the respect and honor of Russia. Do you remember the one man who tried to do the same in the 1930’s?
No matter which way Russia will go, the chances are, you will hear about her all your life.
Russia is strange and unpredictable, but her culture is an amazing array of great music, arts, literature and her people one of the best athletes on Earth.