Austin, great post! I think you did a great job explaining the context of the invasion of Afghanistan. I like how you talked about the mass condemnation of the invasion, by most of the third world and the US. Were any other countries supportive of this decision?
Author: cnritchey
Comment on Physical Sports & Politics by cnritchey
Taylor, this was an interesting post! I feel like this topic is something many people know about but don’t know the root causes of. You mentioned that this was his “only option”– do you think Carter could have chosen a more effective method to show he disapproved of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan?
Comment on Come And Czech This Out by cnritchey
Austin, this was a great post! I like how you’ve focused on other states associated with / controlled by the Soviet Union in this post and your last. Although still continuing many policies the Soviet Union did, you highlighted how the focus on liberalization and reform made the Soviets uncomfortable. I also like how you talked about the implications of the invasion; even with the Brezhnev doctrine, these actions made the world look down upon them. Great work!
Comment on The Corn Man by cnritchey
This was a great post! The images you included are excellent, and I think it’s important to realize that the failure cannot be completely blamed on the weather. Expanding without innovating techniques was a recipe for disaster for the corn campaign, and it led to a quick collapse. How did the Soviet people receive this collapse?
Comment on The Sino-Soviet Split by cnritchey
Anderson, great post! I think you did a great job explaining why Chinese communism was seen as such a threat– it wasn’t complying with the Soviet view of a world revolution with its unique form of Communism. I like how you used so many declassified CIA sources, were you able to find any Soviet sources on the topic?
Comment on Come Fly With Us by cnritchey
Zane, this was a great post! I think it’s interesting how something that seems so simple, such as a flight, had so many diplomatic and cultural implications. I like how you mentioned that it wasn’t really the flights themselves, but their symbolism which was important at the time. I also like how you talked about the cultural exchange that occurred due to this, especially in terms of the Soviet people being exposed to US culture and capitalism. Great work!
Comment on Let the games begin! by cnritchey
Maura, this was a really interesting post! It only makes sense that if physical development was a state policy that sport spectatorship would increase, but it’s still not something we typically associate with the Soviet Union. It also shows the growing room for more cultural activities to emerge. I loved your comment at the end about the world cup in 2018, that’s super interesting!
Comment on Rain Makes Corn by cnritchey
This was a very interesting post! I think it’s interesting that so many resources were used to research and help create these huge corn fields, and the irregular weather is what led to their failure. What was the public reaction to this failure? Were there other reactions similar to the Novocherkassk massacre?
Comment on The Race to Space by cnritchey
Great post! I think it’s interesting how so much innovation essentially stemmed from competition, rather than scientific curiosity– I like how you mentioned that they launched a simpler object into space just in order to beat the US. What was the public reception to this orbit, in both the US and the USSR?
Comment on Coon Rapids? by cnritchey
This was a really interesting post! I like how you used Khrushchev’s visit to the US to frame Krushchev’s corn campaign. Since this campaign failed after just a couple years, how do you think the Soviet people responded to this?
