The Last Empire Plokhy Analysis
Serhii Plohky’s The Last Empire is a text with a strong argument, seeking to debunk myths surrounding the collapse of the Soviet Union. Most prominently, Plohky attacks the misconception that the United States somehow won a victory against the USSR when Gorbachev resigned and the Union dissolved. In his 26 December 1991 speech, President H.W. Bush famously stated “This is a victory for democracy and freedom. It 's a victory for the moral force of our values. Every American can take pride in this victory…” Clearly, President Bush felt no reason to hold back in using the collapse as a source of national pride, but Plokhy argues that Bush’s claims are simply hot air. Further, Plohky shows that Bush attempted to keep the union intact rather that speed its dissolution. So, what does Plokhy point to as the cause for the Soviet Union’s Collapse? His thesis argues …show more content…
Kravchuk is the epitome of a pragmatist as shown by Plokhy, who’s policies could accurately be described as the essence of realpolitik. He was the chairman of the Ukrainian Soviet parliament when Ukraine declares independence, making him the de facto leader. Plokhy wisely points out the Kravchuk was indeed a communist, but shows him as a political chameleon when power shifts. Following the failure of the August Coup, “Kravchuk immediately did what the opposition deputies had been demanding for days: he jumped on Yeltsin’s bandwagon.” Kravchuk’s pragmatism is what kept Ukraine out of a new union, and at arms length in the new Commonwealth of Independent States. Finally, Yeltsin becomes a rebel figure for Plohky, attempting to lead the strongest Russia possible out of the ashes of the union. He is shown as the archenemy of Gorbachev for his anti-unionist politices and strong opposition to the
How Did Ronald Reagan's Actions Aid In The End Of The Cold War
1872 Words | 8 PagesThe role that Reagan’s actions played in ending the Cold War has been a controversial topic ever since the war came to a close. This investigation will show that, to a good extent, Reagan’s actions
Defying Empire: An Analysis
604 Words | 3 PagesThe businessmen of colonial New York strove to succeed in their trade by any means possible, often resorting to violence and bribery in order to increase their profit margin. However, their methods were not limited to violence. Throughout Defying Empire the reader is often bombarded with descriptions of the mindsets of the eponymous merchants. The text goes into detail cataloging the general thought processes behind some of the most ingenious smuggling conventions of the 18th century. They utilized any tools at their disposal in order to continue their businesses including powerful connections and money.
Address From The Brandenburg Gate Speech Analysis
523 Words | 3 PagesPresident Ronald W. Reagan was known as a great communicator. In his “Address from the Brandenburg Gate (Berlin Wall)” speech, President Reagan called upon the leader of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, to open the gates and tear down the wall that divided Berlin. Reagan appealed to the West Berliners by connecting with them through emotions because they rebuilt their city and had prospered and were free. He uses facts to persuade the West Berliners they would benefit from tearing down the wall. He uses examples how other countries who have achieved freedom have been successful.
Ukrainian Genocide Dbq
896 Words | 4 PagesHe soon turned his attention toward Ukraine, the most troublesome of the non-Russian Soviet republics. The Ukrainians were fiercely independent, given to ignoring orders from Moscow and keeping their agrarian way of life. “At a time when Stalin wanted to build a strong industrial base, they clung to their rural peasant traditions. At a time when he wanted to abolish private ownership of land, they refused to surrender their farms. In short, the Ukrainians had become a threat to the revolution….”(Document
US Foreign Policy Dbq Essay
1031 Words | 5 Pages“Our position as the center of power in the free world places a heavy responsibility on the United States for leadership.” This symbolizes how the U.S. has become one of the leading nations and is responsible for resisting the expansion of the Soviet Union. The conflict between the Soviet Union and the
Why Is Rachel Carson Unethical
466 Words | 2 PagesRachel Carson was a courageous woman who in the early 1960s called attention to the harms of indiscriminate pesticide use. In Silent Spring, a beautiful book about a dreadful topic, she explained how pesticides were accumulating in the food chain, damaging the natural environment, and threatening even the symbol of American freedom, the bald eagle. In spite of industry attempts to paint her as a hysterical female, her work was affirmed by the President’s Science Advisory Committee and in 1972 the EPA concluded that the scientific evidence was sufficient to warrant the banning of the pesticide DDT in America. In 2007, the Internet was flooded with the assertion that Carson was a mass murderer, worse than Hitler because Silent Spring led to the banning of DDT, without which millions of Africans died of malaria.
Joseph Stalin's Cult Of Personality
1757 Words | 8 PagesThe archetypes analysed in this essay will be Stalin as ‘the wise leader’, as ‘the father of all people’, and as ‘the generalissimo’. To answer the research question, several academic works including those of Jan Plamper and Anita Pisch will be investigated, and paintings by the prominent Socialist Realism artists Deineka, Laktionov, Gerasimov and Vladimirskiy will
Analysis Of Pillaging The Empire
1953 Words | 8 PagesLane, Kris E. Pillaging the Empire: Piracy in the Americas 1500-1750 (M.E. Sharpe Inc., 1998). Kris E. Lane’s Pillaging the Empire: Piracy in the Americas 1500- 1750 focuses on Spain and Portugal’s encounters with pirates in the Americas during the early modern era. Lane diverges from traditional history on piracy through his attempt to place pirates in a world-historical perspective and he emphasizes how pirates were motivated by their desire for money rather than patriotic motives. Lane is a professor of Colonial Latin American History at Tulane University. The purpose of Pillaging the Empire is to provide a chronological survey of piracy in the Americas and introduce maritime predation in Spain’s colonial holdings between 1500 and1750.
Was The Cold War Inevitable Essay
969 Words | 4 PagesMany realized that the Soviet Union was a terrible foe to face, as George Kennan, a respected American diplomat, noticed. He said in “The Sources of Soviet Conduct,” “This means
Joseph Stalin Dbq
619 Words | 3 PagesPost WWl, Russia was still not industrialized, suffering economically and politically and in no doubt in need of a leader after Lenin’s death. “His successor, Joseph Stalin, a ruthless dictator, seized power and turned Russia into a totalitarian state where the government controls all aspects of private and public life.” Stalin showed these traits by using methods of enforcement, state control of individuals and state control of society. The journey of Stalin begins now.
Cold War Dbq Analysis
643 Words | 3 PagesIn the wake of World War II, the American morale was ravaged by fears of communist pervading American values and security. This was deepened by the Eisenhower administration’s inability to address and placate American concerns towards the expansion of communism, the apparently immutable precipice of nuclear war, and the displacement of democracy. The Cold War served as distinguishing feature in the American ethos and served as a defining moment in American
Who Was Responsible For The Cold War Essay
496 Words | 2 Pages"The Cold War was an ideological contest between the western democracies especially the United States and the Communist countries that emerged after the Second World War" (Tindall 972). The United States and the Soviet Union had differences over issues such as human rights, individual liberties, economic freedom, and religious belief. "Mutal suspicion and a race to gain influence and control over the so called nonaligned or third world countries further polarized" (Tindall 945). After the WWII Soviets dominate European countries and thought the U.S. had the same motives.
Ronald Reagan Tear Down This Wall Rhetorical Analysis
409 Words | 2 PagesThe rhetorical elements, logos and pathos, included in Ronald Reagan’s speech, “ Tear Down This Wall” assist Reagan and his words to convince Gorbachev, along with the people of Berlin, that the wall between eastern and western Berlin must be dismantled. Logos is an appeal to logic, or a way of persuading an audience by reason. Reagan provides details of how other countries have reached a state of freedom, at the same time have maintained a strong financial background. In “Tear Down This Wall” logos is used to show that countries who are not separated by a wall are thriving economically. For example, Reagan explained, “in the West today, we see a free world that has achieved a level of prosperity and well-being unprecedented in all human history.”
Vladimir Putin Ethical Leadership
1070 Words | 5 PagesI covered how Putin’s visionary leadership traits ignored key aspects of diversimilarity and show how he was methodical in planning and executing is objectives. I also demonstrated how his drive for success and a lack of open-mindedness made him an unethical leader. Finally, I reflected on my own leadership as it pertains to these lesson principles, and my pursuit to continue growing as a self-aware leader. Perhaps there would be no Russia, as we currently know it, without Putin”, certainly he has shaped his country and has effected countless lives and treasure. Influential Russian author, Fyodor Dostoevsky might have foreshadowed such a leader as Putin in his book The Brothers Karamazov: “He understood very well that for the meek soul of a simple Russian, exhausted by grief and hardship and, above all, by constant injustice and sin, there was no stronger need than to find a holy shrine or a saint to prostrate himself before to worship”.
Was The Russian Revolution Inevitable Essay
716 Words | 3 PagesThe Russian Revolution, which was started by Lenin and his followers, was a rebellion that occurred in 1917 which forced higher powers to act to the needs of the lower class. For instance, many citizens were worried for their protection in consequence to the lack of survival necessities due to an early drought. Furthermore, their current czar during the time was incapable for his position as a czar and made horrendous decisions as czar. For example, when the czar, Nicholas, entered in World War I, he sent untrained troops into countless battles of failure which costed in mass amounts of lost life (paragraph 23).
More about The Last Empire Plokhy Analysis
How Did Ronald Reagan's Actions Aid In The End Of The Cold War
1872 Words | 8 PagesDefying Empire: An Analysis
604 Words | 3 PagesAddress From The Brandenburg Gate Speech Analysis
523 Words | 3 PagesUkrainian Genocide Dbq
896 Words | 4 PagesUS Foreign Policy Dbq Essay
1031 Words | 5 PagesWhy Is Rachel Carson Unethical
466 Words | 2 PagesJoseph Stalin's Cult Of Personality
1757 Words | 8 PagesAnalysis Of Pillaging The Empire
1953 Words | 8 PagesWas The Cold War Inevitable Essay
969 Words | 4 PagesJoseph Stalin Dbq
619 Words | 3 PagesCold War Dbq Analysis
643 Words | 3 PagesWho Was Responsible For The Cold War Essay
496 Words | 2 PagesRonald Reagan Tear Down This Wall Rhetorical Analysis
409 Words | 2 PagesVladimir Putin Ethical Leadership
1070 Words | 5 PagesWas The Russian Revolution Inevitable Essay
716 Words | 3 Pages