THE COLLAPSE OF THE SOVIET UNION (Milestones in Modern World History)

The dissolution of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on December 31, 1991, stunned the world. The communist empire--which had been a dominant force in global politics for 74 years, influencing world events from World War II to issues of nuclear weapons and defense--was suddenly gone. The Collapse of the Soviet Union highlights major events in Soviet history, such as the rise of communism in Russia, the terror and expansionist policies of Joseph Stalin, the election of Mikhail Gorbachev, the explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear reactor, and the rivalry between Gorbachev and Boris Yeltsin as a new democratic Russia emerged from the ashes of the Soviet Union.

This curriculum-based series is ideal for high school students writing reports and studying these world events.

Titles in this series are bolstered by biographical sketches, illustrations, photographs, excerpts from primary source documents, and first-person narratives.

Milestones in Modern World History introduces students to seminal historical events that helped shape the modern world. This series presents both an in-depth look at the event and those people who not only played an integral part in making it significant, but also those who were ultimately affected by its consequences.