Lenin
Born Vladimir Llich Ulyanov in 1870
Expelled from University for radical thinking
Finished law degree 1891
Became “Lenin” in 1901
Exiled to Siberia, went to Europe for 15 years
Became leader of the Bolsheviks
Stalin
Born in Georgia in 1879
Learned Russian at school
Attended a seminary
Became a professional revolutionary and would spend years in Siberia
In 1924 was promoted after Lenin’s death
Dictatorship: strengthened military, poor conditions for the masses, Great Terror of 1930s, Gulags
Negotiated agreements with Germany during WWII
Supply lines went directly into Germany
Secretly cultivated an understanding with the West
Hitler’s attack in June 1941
Soviet Union
Eisenhower and Khrushchev
1970 elected to the USSR Supreme Soviet
Change foreign policy regarding nuclear arms
Negotiated nuclear free zone (s) with President Ronald Reagan of the U.S.
Feb 7, 1990 ended 72 years of communist rule
1990-91 President of the USSR
1991 Fall of Communism and the Soviet State
The Fall of Communism
Economy deteriorated
Poor living conditions, frustrated population
Government control of church
High rates of alcoholism and crime
Women lacked equality
Ethnic strife, poor medical care, rigid education
Pressure from hard-line communists, free market supporters, nationalists and secessionists
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