2. 1917- The Russian Revolution left communists in power and led to the creation of the USSR in 1922. 1914-1917 In World War 1, 1.7 million Russians died and several million were injured. Casualties accounted for 76% of their army.

4. 1941-1945 The Soviet Union lost about 26 million people in WW2 They ended the war with control of much of Eastern Europe, including the eastern half of Germany. The line between communist countries and the West became known as the “Iron Curtain”.

5. 1945-1991 The Cold War led to a period of competition, including arms races and the space race, between the communist USSR and U.S. allies (especially NATO, created in 1949).

6. 1991 The Soviet Union disbands, giving independence to Ukraine and other “post-Soviet” states. Some countries become friendly with NATO, some with Russia, and some stay neutral. August 1991- Ukraine declares its independence.

7. European Union Began in 1993, has grown to 28 countries. Beginning in 2002, some countries became part of the “Euro zone” using a single currency, now including 19 countries.

8. 2004 A pro-Russian politician, Victor Yanokovych, is elected president in an election the opposition says was rigged. Mass protests lead to a revote where the opposition wins. 2010 Victor Yanokovych is elected president in an election judged to be free and fair.

9. Ukraine Uprising 21 November: President Yanukovych abandons an agreement on closer trade ties with EU, instead seeking closer co-operation with Russia. Small protests start, and quickly grow to 100,000 by the end of the month.abandons an agreement December 8- Protests grow to 800,000

10. 17 December: Vladimir Putin throws President Yanukovych an economic lifeline, agreeing to buy $15bn of Ukrainian debt and reduce the price of Russian gas supplies by about a third.

11. January to February: The government passes anti-protest laws. The protests turn deadly, continuing into late February.

12. 20 February: 88 people killed within 48 hours, with snipers firing on protestors. 21 February: The president signs a deal with the opposition. 22 February: The president disappears, later appearing on TV to criticize “coup.”

13. February 26-27: Unidentified gunmen, later shown to be Russian, invade Crimea in the southeast of Ukraine.

14. Pro-Russian protesters seize control of Crimea in eastern Ukraine, leading to a war that continues today.

15. 16 March Crimea holds an election (called illegal by Ukraine and NATO), choosing to be independent (though now it’s really controlled by Russia). March and April: The U.S. and NATO allies declare “sanctions,” economic punishments, on Russia. These sanctions hurt their economy and forced them into recession.

16. MH17

17. Malaysian Airlines MH17 Crash Flight MH17, en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, was travelling over the conflict-hit region on 17 July 2014 when it disappeared from radar. A total of 283 passengers, including 80 children, and 15 crew members were on board. The final report into the disaster said a missile exploded just above and to the left of the cockpit, causing the plane to break up in mid-air.

19. Today Russia controls Crimea. War in Donbass (very far eastern Ukraine) 8,000 killed, including 2500 civilians More than 2.3 million refugees in Ukraine and internationally.