Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

The Soviet Union (Russian: Советский Союз, Sovyetskiy Soyuz) formally the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) (Russian: Союз Советских Социалистических Республик, Soyuz Sovietskykh Sotsialisticheskykh Respublik, abbreviated СССР) was one of the most powerful and established socialist states in history.

Founding

The USSR, the primary member of which was Russia, was established by Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov (Russian: Владимир Ильич Улянов), also known as Vladimir Lenin's Bolshevik Party in 1922 following the overthrow of the Czarist Russian Empire in the Russian Revolution, and the insuing Russian Civil War. It allowed one central government under Lenin to control many socialized republics, including the original members of Ukraine, Belarus, Russia and the republics of the Trans-Caucasian region. The Soviet Union became a multi-national empire that eventually included 14 republics: Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, and Moldova.

Rise of Stalin and Collapse

Upon Lenin's death, a power struggle insued between Leon Trotsky and Joseph Stalin, two influential officials during Lenin's tenure. Stalin eventually gained the upper hand in the fight, and ostracized Trotsky to Mexico. Stalin was instrumental in creating the Soviet Empire. The USSR became infamous for Joseph Stalin's violations of human rights during the Great Purge, in which he disposed of all followers of Lenin and Trotsky. The Soviet Union eventually imploded after a series of economic and political reforms known as Glasnost introduced by the last Chairman of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU), Mikhail Gorbachyov in the 1980s. The USSR was formally dissolved in 1991 by Boris Yeltsin.