Soviet Union
The Soviet Union was the chief communist country in the world from 1917 until its dissolution in late-1991. At its formation, it was a conglomeration of several countries such as Russia (Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic), Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan (Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic), Ukraine (Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic) and Belarus (Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic).
Later, expansion took direct control of several other countries and they were folded into Soviet Union. Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and what is now Moldova. Following World War 2, the influence of the Soviet Union was felt throughout Eastern Europe. All the countries living behind what was later called the Iron Curtain essentially became puppet states or colonies.
Speech Relevance[edit]
The Soviet Union and its political/economic system of communism was mentioned very frequently by Reagan due to the fact that, as Reagan said in 'Encroaching Control,' "I'm sure that everyone in the world agrees that the number one problem in the world today is the ideological struggle with Russia." The Soviet Union is mentioned in 'Encroaching Control', 'A Time For Choosing' and briefly in 'A City Upon a Hill'.
