Research-03 

 

The Soviet Union: Russia's physical and historical context

 

Study the following sites for information on the scope and size of the former Soviet Union, the Soviet republics and national groups represented, the nature of the Soviet empire and its organization, the Soviet system and mechanisms of control. (REMEMBER: Russia, the Russian Federation, is different from the SOVIET UNION, which was a larger empire of "republics" that collapsed in 1991!)

 

General information on the Soviet Union (read carefully either the Columbia or Wikipedia summary accounts):

 

On the Soviet System and US-Soviet Relations: This is an "exhibit" -- take a "tour" of both "floors" -- spend some time reading the explanations and looking at the exhibits.

 

 

CONSIDER THESE QUESTIONS AS YOU RESEARCH THESE SITES:

  • What were the republics and nationalities of the Soviet Union? What were the Baltic, Southeastern, Caucasian, and Central Asian republics? What has happened to them: what is the NIS, the CIS? What does USSR mean? CPSU? RSFSR?
  • What elements of the centralized structure of the USSR made the transformation of USSR into the Russian Federation difficult, even impossible? What were some effects of the Russification policies of the Soviet Union when it dissolved?  What elements (positive, negative) of the Soviet Union did the Russian Federation inherit?
  • Define: communism, Communism, the Communist Party, the CPSU, socialism, Soviet socialism, soviet, Soviet, soviet system, Soviet Socialist Republic.
  • The USSR operated with a totalitarian political system:  what does this mean? What does the word mean? How was totalitarianism implemented in the USSR? What are the major aspects, historical traits, and/or events of Soviet totalitarianism?

 

SEARCH THE INTERNET FOR DEFINITIONS OF THESE, IF YOU CAN'T FIND THEM IN THE PREVIOUSLY SUGGESTED LOCATIONS.