Eastern Europe and Russia Large topographic and climatic diversity Spans two continents (11 time zones)

Russia Former USSR or Soviet Union – largest nation in the world 25% of Russia is in Eastern Europe and 75% is in Asia

Russia Facts Climate – weather varies dramatically (-30 is common, even colder in Siberia) Coal, oil, iron ore, natural gas, manganese, gold, lead, etc. Siberia is large untapped area – hard to extract because of frozen conditions Desire for warm ports has influenced Russia’s foreign policy to control the satellite nations surrounding Russia

Russian: The rise of the USSR The Russian Revolution of 1917 ended the monarchy Vladimir Lenin – Leader of the Bolshevik party was heavily influenced by Karl Marx Lenin turned Russia to a communist state (USSR) Communism would survive in Russia until the early 1990’s

Russia: The rise of the USSR Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels wrote “The Communist Manifesto” Communism – Theory that all people should own farms and factories, share in the work equally, and receive an equal share of rewards Huge split between rich and poor at the time Peasants supported because land was redistributed

Russian History Dictator Joseph Stalin succeeded Lenin in 1924. He sent many to Siberia prison camps that opposed his plans. His people lived in terror as he set up the concept of collectivism, which many resisted. Million’s died of starvation. Collectivism resulted in wide-spread food shortages

Collectivism The practice or principle of giving a group priority over each individual in it. The theory and practice of the ownership of land and the means of production by the people or the state.

Russian History Cold War – Extreme tension without an actual war from 1945 to 1991. Eastern Europe forced into communism after WW II – cut off contact with the West Tried to expand communism beyond Eastern Europe – The United States was determined to stop this NATO – North Atlantic Treaty Organization was created in 1949 and its members agreed to protect one another from communist attack in Europe

Communist Bloc The Communist Bloc, led by the Soviet Union, included countries after the end of World War II which became linked by adherence to the ideology and practice of communism. Many Eastern European countries eventually broke away from Soviet control to include the following nations: Poland, East Germany, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Armenia, Latvia, and Estonia

Break-up of the Communist Bloc Communist Bloc – Soviet Union and other communist nations of Eastern Europe Berlin Wall – Built by the East Germans in 1961, sealed off East Berlin from West Berlin November 1989 – East German leaders could no longer count on support from Soviet Union. Berlin Wall torn down and the country was reunified

Russian History – Times of Change Mikhail Gorbachev – The last General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and the last head of state of the USSR. Served from 1985-1991.

Boris Yeltsin – President after Gorbachev Russian History Boris Yeltsin – President after Gorbachev Leader during transition from communist dictatorship to a democratic government and steered Russia toward a free market Challenge - converting a command to a market economy Industries and farms were privatized, but this created food shortages and unemployment Without government control prices rose and crime increased Poor Russians resented rich. They wanted stability and a return to communism

Recent History Vladimir Putin – Former member of KGB. Praised for his economic reforms, but questioned for his human rights violations.