Soviet Union

The Soviet Union was a Communist federation made up of countries from Central Asia and Eastern Europe. The federation lasted from 1922 to 1991.MSN Encarta: USSR Entry The USSR was founded by Vladamir Lenin in 1917. The country lead the way in Science, spearheading the Space Race. The nation also possessed the worlds largest army and air force. The USSR was also the most populated nation in the world. Soviet Census 1989

• 1917: The October Revolution—the Russian Provisional Government is overthrown and the Soviets gain controlSeventeen Moments in Soviet History: The October Revolution: the Bolsheviks Seize Power
• 1922: Soviet Union is officially established in December, with control over four statesMSN Encarta: USSR Entry
• 1924: Vladimir Lenin dies, Joseph Stalin takes overSeventeen Moments in Soviet History: Death of Lenin and the Birth of the Lenin Cult
• 1929: Stalin institutes collectivization, which kills millions of KulaksSeventeen Moments in Soviet History: Liquidation of the Kulaks as a Class
• 1939: World War II beginsBBC News: Timeline: Soviet Union
• 1945: World War II ends with the Soviet Union controlling a total of 15 states, including parts of Eastern EuropeBBC News: Timeline: Soviet Union
• 1949: Soviet Union detonates its first nuclear weaponBBC News: Timeline: Soviet Union
• 1950-53: Korean WarBBC News: Timeline: Soviet Union
• 1953: Stalin dies, Nikita Khrushchev gains controlBBC News: Timeline: Soviet Union
• 1957: Soviets launch Sputnik, the first satelliteBBC News: Timeline: Soviet Union
• 1964: Leonid Brezhnev takes powerBBC News: Timeline: Soviet Union
• 1985: Mikhail Gorbachev becomes leader of the Soviet UnionBBC News: Timeline: Soviet Union
• 1987: Gorbachev agrees to discontinue the Soviet's intermediate-range nuclear missile programBBC News: Timeline: Soviet Union
• 1991: Soviet Union dissolvesBBC News: Timeline: Soviet Union

• 1922-24: Vladimir LeninBBC News: Timeline: Soviet Union
• 1924-53: Joseph StalinBBC News: Timeline: Soviet Union
• 1953-64: Nikita KhrushchevBBC News: Timeline: Soviet Union
• 1964-82: Leonid BrezhnevBBC News: Timeline: Soviet Union
• 1982-84: Yuri AndropovBBC News: Timeline: Soviet Union
• 1984-85: Konstantin ChernenkoBBC News: Timeline: Soviet Union
• 1985-91: Mikhail GorbachevBBC News: Timeline: Soviet Union

• ucc.ie: Sounds of Soviet Russia

• Marxists.org: Images of the Soviet Union

• Katardat.org: Russia and the USSR In Pictures | Images from WWII

• YouTube: Soviet Union Slideshow (Time 1:54)

• YouTube: Charlie Rose Interviews former Soviet Union President Mikhail Gorbachev (1996), (Time 1h:02)

• YouTube: Humor of the Soviet Union (Time 4:17)

• YouTube: CNN: Fall of the Soviet Union (Time 50:00)

• Google Video: WWII Documentary: Red Star - The Soviet Union - 1941-1943 (52:45)

• Cartography: Soviet Topographical Maps