...The Red Spread The rise of communism is the rise of an ideal only rivaled by Hitler and his Nazi regime. 1917, World War I was coming to a close; the Russian people were starving and war-weary. The rising casualties from war or hunger led to the overthrowing of the tsar monarchy; and establishment of a temporary Provisional Government. Most sources blame the Provisional Government for the spread of communism in Russia; this is not the case however, because the Petrograd Soviet must also bear some burden. The Petrograd Soviet had power during that time along with the Provisional Government. While in the United States communism is seen as worse than death; communism for Lenin and the Russian people was a way out from "Europe’s capitalist system...
Words: 657 - Pages: 3
...of the Soviet Union caused principally by American policies or growing domestic unrest across the Eastern bloc? Student Name: XIANG MA Student ID Number: 2112688 Module Code: V12153 Module Title: The Contemporary World since 1945 Module Convenor: Sarah Browne At the end of 1991, the Soviet Union, the world’s first socialist country with the largest territorial area suddenly disintegrated without any war and foreign invasion, which was one of the most important global events in the 20th century and it shocked the world to a huge extent[1].Since then, there have been heated debates and discussion about what caused the demise of the Soviet Union. Some scholars think that internal factors such as social crisis and growing domestic unrest led to the end of the Soviet Union while others believe external factors like the policies of the US and Western Europe resulted in the end of the Soviet Union. This essay strongly agrees that the demise of the Soviet Union was caused principally by growing domestic unrest across the Eastern bloc rather than American policies. The Soviet Union was a multi-ethnic country built on the ruins of the Czarist Russia characterized by its nation. The ethnic issue of the Soviet Union was longstanding. During the history of more than 370 years starting from Moscow Grand Duke Ivan IV declared him to be Czar and established the Czarist Russia in 1547 until the Czarist Russia was overthrown in 1917, the Czarist Russia merged...
Words: 3185 - Pages: 13
...good and bad reasons. Berlin played a significant role in European history though the sequence of events from 1945 to the late 1990`s that were end of World War Two, through the rise and fall of the Berlin wall, and the birth of the Eurozone. The events covered during this time all interlinked with each other and where the cause for what Europe looks like today. At the end of World War two the USA, France, Britain, and the Soviet Union gathered together to see how Europe should be divided after the war. After it was all divided it came out that the Soviet Union should get most of the countries that Nazi Germany controlled, which were the eastern part of Europe. The division gave East Germany to the capitalist states, and West Germany to the socialist, with Berlin also divided into the two sides. Berlin was on the western side claimed by the USSR, but the city was divided into east and west just like the country had. This division of the capital happened pretty much over night and many were separated from their families and friends. The USSR built the Berlin Wall that would separate all contact with the east side. This forced a Socialist way of living that in the long run created many conflicts of Socialism against Capitalism. The Berlin Wall was eventually torn down and it marked the defeat of the Soviet Union in Europe and the end of the cold war, the wall was essentially the symbol of the Cold War. After the collapse there was much to do about where the continent was headed...
Words: 1857 - Pages: 8
...Lenin walks around the world. Frontiers cannot bar him. Neither barracks nor barricades impede. Nor does barbed wire scar him. Lenin walks around the world. Black, brown, and white receive him. Language is no barrier. The strangest tongues believe him. Lenin walks around the world. The sun sets like a scar. Between the darkness and the dawn. There rises a red star. – Langston Hughes In the early 1900’s there were very few political parties focused on the plight of African Americans and their quest for civil rights. Communism had inherent within its philosophy the idea that all men and women are equal and focused on an economic model that purported to promote that equality. Karl Marx believed that capitalism thrived on exploitation and he had very concrete notions on slavery. He stated: Direct slavery is just as much the pivot of bourgeois industry as machinery, credits, etc. Without slavery you have no cotton; without cotton you have no modern industry. It is slavery that has given the colonies their value; it is the colonies that have created world trade, and it is world trade that is the pre-condition of large-scale industry. Thus slavery is an economic category of the greatest importance (Marx, 1975). Without slavery Marx believed that it would have been impossible for America to thrive. They needed that free labor to be able to build a profitable industry and forge the nation. Thus the enslavement of an entire race of people was necessary for a capitalist country...
Words: 2423 - Pages: 10
...The world has changed drastically since 1945, so much so that there are entire classes dedicated to the change brought about by the end of World War II. Between 1945 and 2018, the world has seen the rise and fall of communism governments, has witnessed countries formed and others torn apart. The world has seen empires fall and superpowers rise to take their place, only to become locked in the ideological Cold War that left all in fear of nuclear war. No country remained unaffected by the conflict of the United States (US) and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). Consequently, Cold War politics continue to affect modern the actions and reputations of countries globally even long after its end in 1989. The Cold War refers to the...
Words: 1675 - Pages: 7
...Human trafficking and exploitation have been in existence since the beginning of time. This paper focuses on the underground economy of human trafficking and its relation to the transitioning economies of Russia and Ukraine. To understand the scope of the issue of human trafficking on transitioning economies, the history and origination of the issue must be clearly understood. The emergence of human trafficking, also commonly referred to as modern day slavery, can be dated back to the beginning of the 20th century; the start of slavery when humans were trafficked for mainly for labor. Records of human slavery within Europe date back to ancient Greece and Rome, but the practice did not end in ancient history. There are long-standing historical precedents for the exploitation of Slavs within Western Europe. It is commonly perceived that slavery disappeared from Europe many centuries ago. There was little knowledge of the active slave market in Palermo Sicily, with slaves being brought from Africa until the middle of the nineteenth century. Much of the slave trade was ran by legitimate actors and companies sanctioned by the state. An active slave trade with Africa flourished in the large colonial powers of Europe such as England and some of the smaller colonial powers such as Portugal. In addition to Africans, indigenous American populations were also enslaved in the colonies of Central and South America and the Caribbean. When the importation of slaves was outlawed in the colonies...
Words: 1593 - Pages: 7
...best iii) Justified imperialism, militarism iv) Caused disruptions in multi-ethnic nations (Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire); rebellions, revolts against foreign rule c) Militarism i) Build up of a country’s military; keeping a large standing army ii) Nations expanded their militaries as a show of power iii) Arms race: each nation needed to have a standing army because their neighbors had standing armies d) Alliances i) Bismarck: German chancellor behind alliance system in Europe ii) Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy allied; France, Great Britain, Russia allied 2) Events a) Assassination of Archduke Frantz Ferdinand: Serbian terrorists kill the Austrian duke and his wife as they honeymooned in Sarajevo i) Austria demands Serbian submission ii) Russia offers to back Serbians in defying Austrians iii) Austria and Germany declare war on Serbia and Russia (along with Russia’s allies) b) Schlieffen Plan i) Germany knows Russia will take longer to mobilize, so plans to attack France first and then loop back through Germany to meet Russian troops ii) Germany begins invasion by first cutting through Netherlands and Belgium iii) Great Britain outraged at Germany’s attack on neutral nations, begins to mobilize for war iv) Conquest of Belgium takes longer than planned, by the time...
Words: 3465 - Pages: 14
...The Battlefield with no Blood The Cold War was the elongated tension between the Soviet Union and the United States of America. It started in the mid 40's after WWII had left Europe in shambles and Russia and the USA in superpower positions. The Cold War was a clash of these super giants in political, ideological, military, and economic values and ideas. Though military buildup was great on both sides neither one ever directly fought each other. In this essay I'm going to bring forth the following points: Rise of the Cold War, events in and because of the Cold War, and the fall of Russia. Again Germany had been thwarted in its plans of total domination. It had been a combined effort by all the Western powers and a few Eastern powers too. England was devastated, France had been literally burnt to the ground, and many small nations had suffered economic failure. To the East Russia had suffered many losses from the vain siege of the Nazi's. But they were in better shape than Europe. They still had a military and a running, somewhat, economy. In the late 40's through early 50's the Soviet Union started to spread the Lenin ideological as it started moving in the Westward position. In 47 the US started funding the rebuilding of European infrastructure in a system called the Marshall Plan. Russia in turn brought forth its own funding called the Molotov Plan. Because of that, they were able to spread communism through many countries. Some of these nations were: Poland, Romania, Bulgaria...
Words: 1105 - Pages: 5
...prepared in 1944 in London by the European Advisory Commission. In this agreement, Germany would be divided into four occupational zones governed by Great Britain, the United States, France, and the Soviet Union. The city of Berlin, which would be in the Soviet occupational zone, would be divided among the four powers as well. By the time of the blockade, there was a major contrast between the East and West Berlin. West Berlin was a thriving democratic, capitalist city, while East Berlin was in drab poverty. Trying to escape the forced collectivization of goods and agriculture, numerous shortages, and a police state, many fled to West Berlin. To maintain the stability of the communist regime, the East German leaders felt that these floods of people had to be stopped. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 1. Introduction…………………………………………………………..….3 1.1 Summary of the Berlin Wall…………………………………….……..3 1.2 Background………………………………………………………….…3 2. Body…………………………………………………………….……….4 2.1 A Divided Berlin ……………………………………………..………..4 2.2 The Berlin Wall Goes Up ………………………….…………………..5 2.3 The Size and Scope of the Berlin Wall …………..……………………5 3. Conclusion………………………………………………………………6 3.1 The Fall of the Berlin Wall …………………………………………….6 4....
Words: 1554 - Pages: 7
...Gorbachev Phenomenon: A historical interpretation By Moshe Lewin Moshe Lewin, a historian of the Soviet Union, wrote The Gorbachev Phenomenon. The Gorbachev Phenomenon is often referred to as the period between the late 1910’s to present (1988 when the book was published) that corresponds to the growth of the Soviet Union from an undeveloped agricultural society to an urban industrial power. Moshe focuses on social changes and the impacts that occur therein affecting the population’s demographics. Russia entered into World War One in 1914 with largest military force on the face of the earth. However, size did not seem to matter because of the poor weapons technology and incompetent leadership. Russia met this feat with failure, losing 1.7 million soldiers and leaving 3.9 million more wounded. Russia and its leadership were in shambles, and the Tsar Nicholas II began to lose strength in his reputation. In 1917 Russia was an economically backwards country; there was a promising yet feeble parliament and uneasy peasant workers. The main reason for change in Russia came with the beginnings of the Soviet Union through riots and demonstrations in Petrograd, later to be known as St. Petersburg. On the 15th of March the Tsar, Nicholas II, abdicated his position. This fall of the Tsar, gave rise to the idea of socialism and the idea of a world revolution. As contemporary Russia was forming, the people began to change. The population became more culturally diverse and well educated...
Words: 731 - Pages: 3
...History Home > Modern History > International Studies in Peace and Conflict > The Cold War 1945-1991 > Overview of US-Soviet relations and the Cold War The Cold War 1945-1991 Overview of US-Soviet relations and the Cold War David Mclean Charles Sturt University Principal Focus: Students investigate key features and issues in the history of the Cold War 1945 - 1991 Outcomes Students: H1.1 describe the role of key features, issues, individuals, groups and events of select twentieth-century studies (Extract from Modern History Stage 6 Syllabus Board of Studies NSW 2004.) Key features and issues: • origins and development of the Cold War • influence of ideologies on the Cold War • impact of crises on changing superpower relations • the arms race • reasons for the end of the Cold War This is the transcript of a talk given at a seminar co-sponsored by the History Teachers’ Association of New South Wales and the US Information Service in Sydney on 2 September 1995. From this tutorial you will learn about: • influence of ideologies that led resulted in the division of the world into two opposed camps from 1945 • emerging differences between the superpowers Contents 1. US – Soviet relations were not synonymous with the Cold War 2. Chronology of the Cold War 3. Influence of ideologies of communism and capitalism on the Cold War 4. Soviet Objectives 5. American objectives 6. The Arms Race 7. The Third World was important for the Cold War 8...
Words: 4442 - Pages: 18
...of Houston Russia Energy and the Second Global Economy Mohammad Usman Aijaz INTB3354H – MW 2:30-4:00 Olivia Miljanic November 3rd, 2013 The Soviet Union, now Russia, heavily influenced the second global economy. From the reconstruction of Germany to the Cold War, the Soviet Union’s actions affected the world second only to the United States. While the second global economy is loosely defined as the era between the years of 1971 and 1998, the seeds of this time period were planted shortly after the end of World War II in the European theatre. Following the fall of Nazi Germany, the United States devised the Marshall Plan to rebuild the economies of war-devastated countries. As a world power, the United States believed it was their duty to prevent another world war. The Soviet Union agreed with the sentiment, but not with the approach the western nations took. To prevent the rise of authoritarian governments, the United States promoted democracies, constitutional rule, and capitalism. The Soviet Union, an authoritarian government, advanced their communist ideas to counter the Truman Doctrine. The result of the opposing ideologies was a strained relationship between the two influencers of the modern world, and the initiation of the Cold War. The Soviet Union was focused on spreading their political ideology for one reason: Protection (Service 2). While most of the world considers the establishment of communist regimes as Soviet expansion, the Soviet Union created...
Words: 2500 - Pages: 10
...oversee the smaller territories or districts and provide a central hospital and outpatient services. Hospitals and Providers • “Rural Health Post: They take care of minor injuries, do routine exam’s, and immunization they take care about 4,000 people” (Healthcare in Russia, 2012) • “Special Focus Polyclinics: This is a place where children under the age of 19 are treated” (Healthcare in Russia, 2012). • • “Health Centes: They have a range of physicians, nurses, pediatricians, a therapist and midwife or gynecologist. They are able to perform minor surgeries along with a range of primary care services. They cover larger rural areas of approximately 7,000 people” (Healthcare in Russia, 2012). “Urban Polyclinics: They provide services which are normally considered general practice. The door screening and treat chronic illnesses and on-going care. Depending on their size they may house 3-4 specialist from different fields of medicine” (Healthcare in Russia, 2012). Pharmacies • “The Russian Federation has an estimated 17,500 pharmacies of which 23% belong to regional governments, 60% to municipal authorities and 17% are privately owned”(Healthcare in Russia, 2012). • “Pharmaceutical are provided for inpatients by the...
Words: 750 - Pages: 3
...Shearer History 359 29 May 2015 The Rise and Decline of the Soviet Union Vladimir Putin insists that “Whoever does not miss the Soviet Union has no heart, but whoever wants it back has no brain”. Sentiments like these are unsurprising because of the dynamic and yet monolithic elements of Soviet history. At times, the Soviet Union was preoccupied with mechanizing agriculture and modernizing its industrial facilities, while at other times, it seemed disinterested in evolving as a nation and ensuring that everyone would at least have the opportunity to become upwardly mobile. In the end, the cooperative public façade could not forever mask the diabolical private agenda of the Soviet Union and its quorum of leaders....
Words: 992 - Pages: 4
...occurred in 1917 in Russia, and the revolt resulted in a leftist government coming to power. The uprising started in the then-capital city of St. Petrograd, now St. Petersburg, and spread nationwide. Headed by Vladimir Lenin of the Bolshevik party, the October Revolution was the first communist rebellion of the 20th century and was founded on the beliefs of Karl Marx. The events of the October Revolution helped lay the groundwork for Stalinism and the Cold War. The Stage Is Set The Bolshevik Revolution in Russia in 1917 was initiated by millions of people who would change the history of the world as we know it. When Czar Nicholas II dragged 11 million peasants into World War I, the Russian people became discouraged with their injuries and the loss of life they sustained. The country of Russia was in ruins, ripe for revolution. Provisional Government Established During a mass demonstration of women workers in February of 1917, the czar's officials called out the army to squelch the protesters. The women convinced the soldiers to put their guns away and help them in their cause. Czar Nicholas II was dethroned in Russia during this, the "February Revolution." The Provisional Government was formed to replace the void left by the deposed czar. This provisional government was made up of bankers, lawyers, industrialists, and capitalists. The provisional government was very weak and failed to live up to its promise of ending Russia's involvement in the war. They kept Russia in the war and...
Words: 1320 - Pages: 6
