Communist China 1917 - Present

The Russian Revolution was a revolt within the people that ended the rule of Czars. The Russian Communist Party, led by V.I. Lenin took control of the government and economy.

The Communist Party had, by 1922, organized all of the countries that were taken by Russia. They merged Russia and the smaller countries under one name, the Soviet Union.

Stalin set up a five year plan than began majorly industrializing the economy. He set his sights on artists and therefore forced them to make their work hail communism.

When World War II broke out, Stalin led the Soviet Union in the fight against Germany after the nonaggression pact was broken. Despite their common enemy, the Soviet Union has worsening relations with its democratic allies.

The Cold War was a conflict between the Soviet Union and the United States in which both superpowers struggled to show they they were more developed. economic and social power would be returned little by little to the people, thus starting the fall of communism.

Khrushchev comes to power. Cold war takes a turn towards scientific innovation.

Warsaw Pact set up in reaction to the formation of NATO

Sputnik was a satellite that the Soviet Union sent into space (before the U.S.A could, which was how they intended it to be.) After a big focus was on education, which put the spotlight on the people and less on the communist government that they were under.

The Soviet Union promised Cuba's Castro military support, seeing this as a way to get the upper hand in a tight situation they were in. Once this support was all set up, the U.S. and the S.U. teetered on the brink of a nuclear war. After intense thought both superpowers removed their weapons.

Gorbachev begins an anti-alcohol campaign and promulgates the policies of openness, or glasnost, and restructuring, or perestroika.

The toppling of Soviet-imposed communist regimes in central and eastern Europe. Events begin in Poland and continue in Hungary, East Germany, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia and Romania. In East Germany, an unprecedented series of mass public rallies leads to the fall of the Berlin Wall on 9 November.

Russian government takes over offices of USSR in Russia.