The first Russian state (Rus) was in present-day Ukraine. Occupation by the Tatars (1240û1480) left a mark on the Russian language and character. From the 17th century, rule was under the Romanovs.
* 1904û1905 Russian war against Japan; ends in defeat for Russia.
* 1905 Revolution.
* 1909û1914 Rapid expansion of economy.
* 1914 Enters World War I against Germany.
* 1917 February Revolution; abdication of Nicholas II. October Revolution; Bolsheviks take over with Lenin as leader.
* 1918 July: Nicholas II and family murdered.
* 1918û1920 Civil war.
* 1921 New Economic Policy; retreat from socialism.
* 1922 USSR established.
* 1924 Lenin dies. Struggle for leadership, eventually won by Stalin, follows.
* 1928 First Five-Year Plan begins; forced industrialization and collectivization.
* 1929 Trotsky is first banished to Kazakhstan, then deported to Turkey.
* 1936û1938 Show trials and campaigns against actual and suspect members of opposition. Millions sent to "gulags" in Siberia and elsewhere. Forced labor; purges widespread.
* 1941 Germany attacks USSR. Stalin unprepared. December: Battle of Moscow is first German defeat.
* 1943 February: great Soviet victory at Stalingrad.
* 1944û1945 Soviet offensive penetrates Balkans.
* 1945 January: Yalta agreement recognizes eastern and southeastern Europe as Soviet zone of influence; four-power occupation of Germany. August: Potsdam agreement; intends Germany to be ruled as whole, but it quickly breaks up into east and west. USSR dominant European power.
* 1947 Cold War begins; Stalin on defensive and fears ideological penetration of Western and capitalist values.
* 1953 Stalin dies.
* 1956 Hungarian uprising against Soviet occupation. Moscow crushes uprising and reinstates Imre Nagy as Prime Minister. Krushchev's "secret speech" attacking Stalin at Party congress.
* 1962 October: Cuban Missile Crisis between USSR and USA brings world close to nuclear war.
* 1964 Krushchev ousted in coup, replaced by Leonid Brezhnev.
* 1975 Helsinki Final Act; confirms European frontiers as at end of World War II. Soviets agree to human rights as legitimate concern of international community.
* 1979 Invades Afghanistan. Beginning of new Cold War.
* 1982 Brezhnev dies. Yuri Andropov takes over.
* 1984 Andropov dies and is succeeded by Chernenko.
* 1985 Chernenko dies. Gorbachev in power. Beginning of perestroika, era of new political thinking and the breakup of the USSR. First of summits with US President Reagan in Geneva, which lead to arms reduction treaties and dΘtente between the superpowers. Nationality conflicts surface.
* 1988 Law of State Enterprises in operation. More power for enterprises; this leads to greater inflation and dislocation of economy.
* 1990 Gorbachev becomes president of the Soviet Union. First partly freely elected parliament (Supreme Soviet) meets.
* 1991 Boris Yeltsin elected president of Russia. August: attempted coup by right-wing elements against Gorbachev successfully opposed by Yeltsin and Muscovites. CIS established; demise of USSR.
* 1992 Beginning of economic shock therapy; rapid price rises.
* 1993 September: Yeltsin decrees dissolution of Supreme Soviet. October: Yeltsin uses force to disband parliament. December: elections return conservative, anti-reform State "Duma".
