Soviet Union (New Union)

The Union of Soviet Sovereign Republics (: Союз Советских Cуверенных Республик, Soyuz Sovyetskikh Suvyeryennykh Ryespublik), known colloquially as the Soviet Union (Советский Союз, Sovyetskiy Soyuz), and abbreviated as the USSR (СССР, SSSR); is a country situated in northern. A federation comprised of, the USSR is the largest nation in area and one of the two global s (along with the ).

The Soviet Union was established in 1922, encompassing much of the territories of the former. The USSR became involved in following  in 1941, eventually siding with the western allies. The Soviets suffered the largest casualties during the war, ending with the Soviet occupation of Berlin in 1945. Following the end of the war, the western allies and the USSR turned against each other for global economic and political. Known as the, the period was noted for the political dominance of the capitalist west (led by the United States) and the communist east (led by the Soviet Union), which was fought not by direct war but by manipulation, proxy-wars, and mutually assured destruction following the in 1949. The Cold War lasted from 1945 until 1990.

From its formation up until the 1980s the Soviet Union was a. Upon gaining power, initiated economic and political reforms known as  and cultural reforms known as. These reforms are credited with transforming the USSR into a more democratic and open nation, but also helped spark internal tensions. In 1991, six of the [then] 15 republics gained independence, while the remaining helped to establish a decentralized federation of equal states. The 1990s saw the gradual revival of the Soviet Union domestically and acting as a model for all post-communist states. The 2000s brought the USSR back into global dominance following their involvement in the and the.

Following World War II, the Soviet Union emerged as a global player in the arts, science, and sports. During the late 1950s and early 1960s, the USSR was the leading following the launches of  in 1957 and the flight of  in 1961. The Soviet Union continues to be a major player in the exploration of space.

Etymology

 * Main article: 

The word "" is derived from the word совет (sovet), which translates into  as council. The term would become synonymous with the Soviet Union during the, in which a council acted as the governing body of the people. Several governments were established during the revolution, several of which would refer to themselves as a "Soviet Socialist Republic." Four of these SSRs would agree to unite themselves as a single nation in 1922. In a similar manner to the use of the "United States of America," these four republics were united under the "."

The short form "Soviet Union" and the abbreviation "U.S.S.R." have becomes the standard for everyday use. Outside the Soviet Union, "" continues to be used as a  for the Soviet Union as a whole (similar to the use of "Holland" and "England" for the whole of the and the  respectively).

Upon the signing of the, the term "Union of Soviet Socialist Republics" was officially dropped as the official name. Several new names were proposed, but the most talked as the "Union of Sovereign States," which was officially used in the New Union Treaty. When the constitution was finalized in May 1992, the official name chosen was the "Union of Soviet Sovereign Republics," to allow the continued use of the "Soviet Union" and the "USSR."

Reformation
On August 20, 1991, the republics of, , and would sign the , establishing the Union of Soviet Sovereign Republics. Addressing the nation, would make mention that a "Bright future is just around the corner." Despite rumors about the USSR annexing additional regions from the six republics, the USSR recognized the independence of, , and on October 25, 1991, and , , and  on December 31, 1991. Gorbachev made mention that the USSR would leave the break-away regions of, , , and (as well as any additional regions which opposed separation) alone, provided that the republics do not act out against them.



Despite the majority of the Union now having signed the treaty, the was left in the dark. The Ukrainian government has already stated that they wanted to conduct research on the matter of whether the Ukraine would survive in a reformed Union. In late September, it was declared that a would be held in December on whether they should declare independence. After the announcement, the people of the declared on boycotting the independence referendum on the desire to remain in the Union. The referendum was held on December 1, with about 56% of the voters rejecting independence. After which, newly elected Ukrainian President announced plans for the Ukraine to ratify the treaty in mid January the following year, and that all Ukrainians should look forward to the holidays. The last republic joined on January 10, 1992, with all remnants of the former Soviet Union now either independent or absorbed into the new government.

Border conflicts
With the beginning of 1992, the Soviet Union hoped to bring peace between and the newly independent republics. Headway between Moscow and when the two sides met in Tehran in December 1991. The would bring an end to the  war between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Tensions between the USSR and the independent republics of and  seemed to only worsen as the months passed. Minor fighting broke out in in January 1992, with limited Soviet assistance on behalf of the South Ossetians. It has hoped that not engaging in war over South Ossetia would leave diplomatic options open.



The boiling point came in March 1992, when Moldova (backed by neighboring ) launched an invasion of the break-away region of. Gorbachev ordered military aid to the Pridnestrovians, deploying the 14th Army involvement across the border. Russian, Ukrainian, and volunteers began the trek to the front. Days after the beginning of the war, and  declared independence from Moldova and requested admission into the Soviet Union. The conflict lasted only weeks, ending in a decisive Soviet victory. With pressure from the two republics, as well as pressure from South Ossetia on a potential invasion by Georgian forces, the three republics were granted admission into the USSR in April 1992.

With the announcement that South Ossetia has been granted admission, Georgian troops were ordered to the borders of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Soviet troops were ordered to assist the regions in the event of a Georgian invasion. In hopes to prevent war, Gorbachev requested diplomatic reasoning to end the conflict. Georgia reluctantly agreed, and the two sides began talks in August. By the end of 1992, Georgia agreed to allow the transfer of Abkhazia and South Ossetia into the USSR, in exchange for economic assistance to the new nation. With one conflict over, another needed resolution. In 1994, Moldova held a referendum on whether to merge with Romania. With an almost 80% vote for unification, Romania itself showed little interest in inheriting a border conflict with the USSR. Prior to the unification in 1995, Romania announced that the unification would only take place if Moldova gave up Gagauzia and Transnistria. This officially took place on December 31, 1994, one day prior to the official unification on January 1, 1995.

Roaring Nineties
Just as in the case of the late 1980s, the early years of the 90s was gripped by a recession in the Soviet Union. Despite this, the standards of living was already higher than had been previously, and along with growing economic ties and co-operation with the United States, Western Europe, and Japan; the Soviet Union was slowly rising from the ashes of Communism. By the time was elected President in 1995, the USSR's economy was beginning to surpass the previous decades in growth. The global importance of the began to equal that of the, the , and the. By the turn of the millennium, the ruble would be equal to the status of the and the. Since 1995, the economy entered in a period of recovery, allowing industry, trade, investment, and agriculture to grow and develop in a rate the country has not seen it decades. infrastructure, public utilities and transportation greatly improved during this period.



The 1990s also saw a rise in "Soviet nationalism," and the continued movement for new republics within the USSR. In 1993, the highly independent autonomous republics of Russia&mdash; and &mdash;were admitted as s., (Nagorno-Karabakh), , , and  followed in 1994. But after the beginning of 1995, the issue of letting additional autonomous areas become republics became a concern for Russian politicians (especially Russian President ). Many of the areas were not populous enough to qualify as republics, but continued to express the desire. The issue was finally brought to the Supreme Soviet or Russia, in what would become known as the. The compromise agreed to allow full republican status for, , , , , , , , , and ; and allowed the mergers with Komia and the mergers of the  and the  with Buryatia; in exchange that a series of criteria be implemented in the USSR to help bring an end to the  and prevent another outbreak of confusion from happening again. A second and final compromise would be made in 1998 which allowed the, , and the to become republics.



The decade also showed a major boost for the Soviet space program. In 1993, the (known simply as SAKA) was established. As was the case of, SAKA was established to help end the military monopoly in the space program, and encourage more civilian and private activities. The major project for the new agency was the, the Soviet's answer to the US. In 1994, the first manned flight of the shuttles began operations. Buran missions to  began a year later.

War on Terror
While the Soviet Union hoped to focus more on internal affairs during the administration, the USSR continued to be pushed into more and more international situations. Ryzhkov's centered around the Soviet Union moving away from their "aggressive image," while continuing to fulfill their roles as a superpower. The USSR would take a more active role in the United Nations, supporting non-aggressive actions against foreign nations.



The later years of the 20th century would become a turbulent time for both the Soviet Union and the. With the rise of and Islamic-lead, the two superpowers would be taken as the two "Great Satans." The global position of the USSR would come back to focus on September 11, 2001, in which four American airliners are hijacked and used as weapons against the in  and  near  (the fourth plane crashed in a field in ). As was with the entire world, the Soviets grew concerned for their own protections, and for those lost. The Soviet Union would condemn these attacks, and would support the United States on their "." The USSR voted in favor of actions against (which has been suspected to harbor and support the terrorist group, who took responsibility for the 9/11 attacks), and even offered a small amount of troops to be deployed to Africa.

Despite the positive intentions, it would soon become clear that the USSR was also targeted. In October 2003, a terrorist bomb rips across, , killing over 200 (including a large number of Soviet citizens), followed months later by the infamous of three Moscow Metro trains, the  station, and followed weeks later by an attempted suicide bombing in.



For the first time in a decade, the Soviet Union would be going into war. With backing by the United Nations, the might of the Red Army would launch an attack on (which has been suspected of harboring  since the invasion of Sudan in 2001). Despite the liberation of Mogadishu within months, insurgency continues in southern Somalia. The insurgency intensifies when the Soviet Union becomes the first nation to recognize the independence of, gaining both opposition from the insurgents and the newly established Somali government.

The most recent front on the Soviet War on Terror was the in May 2010. The  would retake the ship the following day, but would lead to public fears both in the Soviet Union and globally. The growth of has become a bigger threat for the Soviet Union and its allies in the Gulf of Aden.

Government and politics


According to the, the country is a and  , wherein the President is the  and the  is the. The Union of Soviet Sovereign Republics is fundamentally structured as a, with the federal government composed of three branches:


 * : The, made up of the 925-member  and the 1035-member , adopts , , approves treaties, has the  and the power of  of the President.
 * : The President is the of the military, can veto s before they become law, and appoints the Cabinet and other officers, who administer and enforce federal laws and policies.
 * : The Constitutional Court, Supreme Court, Supreme Court of Arbitration and lower federal courts, whose judges are appointed by the Supreme Soviet on the recommendation of the President, interpret laws and can overturn laws they deem.

The president is elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term, but not for a third consecutive term). Ministries of the government are composed of the Premier and his deputies, ministers, and selected other individuals; all are appointed by the President on the recommendation of the Prime Minister (whereas the appointment of the latter requires the consent of the Supreme Soviet). Leading in the Soviet Union include the, the , , and the.

Foreign relations

 * Main: 



The Soviet Union continues to implement the international commitments of the former Communist regime, and continues to hold a permanent seat in the, membership in other international organizations, the rights and obligations under international treaties, and property and debts. The USSR has a multifaceted foreign policy. As of 2009, it maintains diplomatic relations with 191 countries and has. The foreign policy is determined by the President and implemented by the.

As one of five permanent members of the UN Security Council, the Soviet Union plays a major role in maintaining international peace and security. The country participates in the and the  with. The USSR is a member of the (G8) industrialized nations,, and. The USSR usually takes a leading role in regional organizations such as the (CSTO).

Military
The Soviet military is divided into the Army, Navy, and Air Force. There are also three independent arms of service: Strategic Nuclear Forces, Military Space Forces and the Airborne Troops. In 2006, the military had 2.246 million personnel on active duty.



The USSR has the the largest stockpile of nuclear weapons in the world. It has the second largest fleet of ballistic missile submarines and is the only country apart from the US with a modern force. The USSR's force is the largest in the world, its surface navy and air force are among the two strongest, the other being that of the united States.

The country has a large and fully indigenous, producing all of its own military equipment. The Soviet Union is the world's second top supplier of arms after the United States of America, accounting for around 35% of worldwide weapons sales and exporting weapons to about 100 countries.

Official government military spending for 2008 was $120 billion, the, though various sources have estimated Soviet military expenditures to be considerably higher.



It is mandatory for all male citizens aged 18–47 to be drafted for a year of service in Armed Forces; the government plans to increase the proportion of contract servicemen to 70% by 2010. Defense expenditure has quadrupled over the past six years. According to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute estimates, official government military spending for 2008 was around $120 billion, the second largest in the world, though various sources, including US intelligence, and the International Institute for Strategic Studies, have estimated the USSR’s military expenditures to be considerably higher. Currently, the military is undergoing a major equipment upgrade worth about $800 billion between 2006 and 2015. Defense Minister Anatoliy Serdyukov supervises the major reforms aimed to transform a mass mobilization army into a smaller, mobile force of professional soldiers.

Political subdivisions

 * Main: and 



The Soviet Union is a made up of 33 Union Republics and one Union City. Each republic runs itself as a sovereign state, working on their own affairs, economy, president, and each has their own militia. All have agreed to unite under a single legislature, leader, currency, foreign affairs, and a united militia. Each republic holds the right to secede from the Union if they so do, which contributed to the reformation of the USSR in 1991.

Prior to the signing of the, the Soviet Union was constitutionally a federation, but ran more as a centralist state in practice. Glasnost and Perestroika brought the centralist ideals out in the open, leading to the formation of a union of sovereign states.

Demographics
The Soviet Union is one of the world's most ethnically diverse countries, with more than 200 distinct ethnic groups within its borders. The total population was estimated at 310 million in 2000, the 4th most populous nation after China, India and the United States of America.

The majority of the population are (60.78%), followed by  (12.45%), and  (4.84%). Other ethnic groups include, , , , , , , and as well as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , and others.

Mainly because of differences in birth rates among the Soviet nationalities, the share of the population that was Russian steadily declined in the post-World War II period, but increased during the 1990s.

Religion


Prior to Gorbachev's presidency, the Soviet government had banned all forms of religion in the country. However, during the period of Glasnost and Perestroika, nearly all restrictions on religion were completely relaxed. With religious freedom now in place, Orthodox Christianity had become the fastest growing religion in the Soviet Union, quickly spreading in the Caucasian republics, Siberian republics, Russia, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan. In 1999, secularism accounted for 17% of the population, since religion had started to play more of a role in people's lives. In 2001, Christianity accounted for 47.3% of the population, while Islam accounted for 21.5%, Judaism accounted for 7%, Buddhism 5%, while other religions represent the rest of the population.

There are nine factors of Christianity in the country, including the largest, the Russian Orthodox Church, followed by Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox, Catholicism (Both Roman and Ukrainian Greek), Protestantism, and others. Sunni Muslim is the largest Islamic factor followed by Shia Muslim. Both religions make up most of the population in Russian Central Asia and the Caucasus. Judaism also plays a role in most of the country's Jews.