The Rise and Fall of Communism Russian Revolution

The Rise and Fall of Communism

Russian Revolution of 1917 Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 Communist Revolution of 1917 • Monarch of Russia (Czar/Tsar) overthrown and communist govt installed

Karl Marx • Communist philosopher • Class struggle between owners and laborers • Communist Manifesto

Vladimir Lenin • Leader of 1917 Russian Revolution • First leader of the USSR

Birth of USSR in 1921

Centripetal Forces of the USSR • command economy / central economic planning • Communist Ideology

Joseph Stalin • Leader of USSR after Lenin until after WWII • Brutal: responsible for 20 million deaths

Cold War • USSR wants to spread communism, USA wants to contain it • Arms race • No actual battles fought, not a real war

Mikhail Gorbachev • Last Premier of USSR • Instigator of sweeping reforms leading to the collapse of the USSR

Death of USSR in 1991

Centrifugal Forces of the USSR • Distance decay: govt officials in far regions of the USSR often ignored instructions/requests • Many ethnic groups • Multiple religions • Weak economy

Post USSR Collapse Issues • Economic Issues – Unemployment – Loss of guaranteed market – Poor business sense – Outdated infrastructure and equipment

Post USSR Collapse Issues • Social Issues – No “safety net” – Rise of nationalism / ethnic conflicts – Adjusting to new freedoms

Post USSR Collapse Issues • Political Issues – What do to with former commies? – How exactly does democracy work?

Boris Yeltsin • First freely elected president of Russia after collapse of USSR in 1991

Vladimir Putin: President of Russia overall super-sketch former KGB agent that rigs all of Russia’s elections so he and his supporters win