What is the Russian Soviet Union?

The Soviet Union, officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), was a socialist state that spanned Eurasia during its existence from 1922 to 1991. It was nominally a federal union of multiple national republics; in practice its government and economy were highly centralized until its final years.

How did Russia help in WW2?

When World War II started, the Soviet Union was effectively an ally of Nazi Germany in a relatively conventional European interstate war. Until 22 June 1941, when Germany launched Operation Barbarossa, the Soviet Union provided Nazi Germany with large quantities of strategic raw materials.

How close was the Soviet Union to losing WW2?

About 40 kms close. Had Hitler captured Moscow, he’d have also captured entire government as it deceided to stay in the capital.

Was Russia part of the Soviet Union?

The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (also known as the USSR or the Soviet Union) consisted of Russia and 14 surrounding countries. The USSR’s territory stretched from the Baltic states in Eastern Europe to the Pacific Ocean, including the majority of northern Asia and portions of central Asia.

Why study the consequences of the collapse of the USSR?

By studying the consequences of the collapse of the USSR, students today can gain an understanding of how the end of the Cold War affected U.S. and Soviet relationships, and how it led to the current political and economic climate between the two countries.

What happened to the Soviet government after the fall of communism?

When the Soviet government fell, the Russian mafia, which had struggled to survive during the height of communism, stepped in to fill the power void. Government infrastructure—ranging from basic public utilities to police services—mostly evaporated during the collapse.

How did the fall of the Berlin Wall affect Eastern Europe?

Once the Berlin Wall fell, citizens in Eastern European countries such as Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria and Romania staged protests against their pro-Soviet governments, hastening the collapse of communist regimes across the former Soviet bloc.

How did the economic policies of the Soviet Union affect trade?

Gorbachev’s economic policies of Soviet expansion and cooperation with the Western world changed the attitude of the country from one that regarded foreign trade as a means to compensate for short-term scarcities to one that considered imports to be long-term alternatives to domestic production.