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USSR is Established
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republic was officially established on this date. This was after the Bolshevik revolution. Lenin headed this revolution and was the first leader of the USSR. -
Death of Lenin
Lenin, the leader of the Bolsheviks and first leader of the USSR, dies. It is believe that Lenin died by cause of Syphilis, but is widely unknown. As the USSR was just coming into power, this was a big deal. -
Stalin Comes to Power
Stalin shared power immediately after Lenin's work, as he was appointed as the Soviet Union's General Secretary. It took him five years after the death to take total control of the Soviet Union. His biggest competitor was Leon Trotsky. -
Kirov's Assasination
Sergei Kirov rose through the ranks in the communist party. His assasination was thought to weaken the Communist Party, and Stalin used this to his advantage. It lead to Stalin's Great Purge and the Moscow Trials -
Non-Agression Pact with Germany
The Soviet Union entered in on a Non-Agression Pact with Germany, which is an aggrement to not fire on or invade each other. It was finished just days after the war started, as both countries were powerhouses. Hitler and Stalin were the two men to be leading the countries involved. -
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa had officially been started. This was the plan for the German army to invade the Soviet Union. This, of course, broke the Non-Aggression Pact which was signed between the two countries. -
Germany Moves to Kiev
High orders come in from the German Army to eliminate the forces around Smolensk and march to Kiev, instead of attacking Moscow. this, in large part, was seen as the beginning of the German loss in the the Soviet. Attacking Moscow would have been the ideal situation for Germany to continue to push back the Red Army. -
Germany Fails in Stalingrad
Germany makes a mistake and attacks Stalingrad. German troops were low on supplies, low on morale, and were fighting in the harsh Russian Winters. Russian troops burnt their supplies as they retreated, hindering the Germans ability to survive. -
Vienna Offensive
After repulsing German offensives in Stalingrad, the Soviet Union and Bulgaria launched an offensive to capture Vienna, Austria. A victory here allowed the Allies to push farther into Austria. It also caused a large German retreat. -
Hitler Commits Suicide
Poland had finally fallen to the USSR, the Soviet Union was marching on Frankfurt, and the war had been lost. Hitler hid in his bunker with his wife, Eva Braun, in which they killed themselves. The tryant had finally fallen.
