> Which country was established on December 30, 1922?And the answer: Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.).In 1922, after the Russian Revolution, the U.S.S.R. was formed, consisting of aconfederation of Russia, Belorussia, Ukraine, and the Transcaucasian Federation.In the decades that followed, the Soviet Union grew into one of the mostpowerful and influential countries in the world, before dissolving into separatenations in 1991.Photo credit: public domain.The U.S.S.R. played a crucial role in globalpolitics. During its 69 years of history, the Soviet Union was the largestcountry on Earth, stretching from the Baltic Sea in the west to the PacificOcean in the east. With the world's longest coastline and frontiers on theplanet, the U.S.S.R. contained a wide array of cultures and people groups. Over130 languages were spoken across the country, and there were over 100 differentethnic groups. Although diverse in composition, the U.S.S.R. brought with it a heavy,centralized rule. Communism represented the one-party state in the Union, andwas run by the Politburo — a coalition of 12 to 15 members, including the chairof the U.S.S.R. Meanwhile, the economy was also under the control of the state,who determined which goods were created and how much they would cost. Manydecisions were based off of five year plans that set targets for consumption andcreation in the Soviet Union.Following the unrest of the early 20th century in Russia, the people were eagerfor change. When Lenin came calling after World War I, equipped with the slogan"Peace, love and bread," his Communist ideals quickly gained popularity and wonhis place as leader of the early U.S.S.R. Eventually, Stalin[https://www.askqotd.com/the-cold-war/] stepped in to take his place – followedby Nikita Khrushchev and Leonid Brezhnev – and finally Mikhail Gorbachev[https://www.askqotd.com/mikhail-gorbachev/] led the Soviet Union to itsdissolution in 1991. Editor's note: Yes, we just gave you the Cliff Notes version of what was acomplicated several decades of Russia's history. But you can learn more aboutthe history of the Soviet Union in the video below.