As the new leader of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev believed it was necessary to institute broad reforms that would revitalize the Soviet economy and increase productivity. His famous policies of Perestroika (“restructuring”) and Glasnost (“openness”) expanded political freedoms, decreased press and creative censorship, increased government transparency, and expanded democratic elements in local governments. Contrary […]
Tag: Protest
The Baltic Independence Movement
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Prior to 1991, the Baltic States had long suffered from precarious sovereignty. In the early years of the 20th century, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania had gained recognition as independent nation states by the Soviet Union, only to lose it in 1939 after the signing of the Molotov Ribbentropp Pact. Over the course of World War … Continue reading The Baltic Independence Movement →
The Singing Revolution
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It all started in 1987, Estonians began mass protests in the capital city of Tallinn against the Russian occupation of their country. One of the protests included gathering of 10,000 people in the Tallinn Song Festival where they sang a … Continue reading →
The Baltic Way
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Since being forced to join the Soviet Union as Republics during World War II, the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania had desired independence. These states had their independence during the early 20th century for about 20 years but were forced to be under Soviet rule once again because of the power of the … Continue reading The Baltic Way
The July Days
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The July Days, a string of insurrections in Petrograd, Russia during the first week of July in 1917, quickly became a flashpoint for the already coming tide of revolution. In the masses protesting the newly organized provisional government were soldiers and workers who were met with force by the provisional governments loyal troops. As seen … Continue reading The July Days →
Revolution within the Russian Army
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Russian soldiers take to the streets to protest in Petrograd in April 1917 By 1917, three years into World War I, Russia had drafted nearly 15 million men to serve in the army; a majority of them being peasants. After years of fighting, soldiers would question why they were even fighting and just wanted to … Continue reading Revolution within the Russian Army
Mounting tensions cause setbacks for the Bolsheviks
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1917 was characterized by massive change within Russia. Two revolutions took place in this year: the February revolution and the October Revolution. The February Revolution was triggered by riots over food shortages and bread prices on International Women’s Day. The revolution resulted in Tsar Nicolas II’s abdication, which officially put an end to the Romanov …
Continue reading Mounting tensions cause setbacks for the Bolsheviks
