Soviet Union

Richard Cavendish explains how, on September 12th, 1959, the Soviet Union launched Luna 2, the first spacecraft to successfully reach the Moon.

John Swift examines a vital element of the Cold War and assesses the motives of the Superpowers.

Ian D. Thatcher defends the record of Josef Stalin’s successor, Nikita Khrushchev, and sees him as a forerunner of Gorbachev.

Mark Bryant on the work of Soviet cartoonists engaged in the epic struggle against Nazi Germany.

Clive Pearson assesses the Soviet dictator’s war record.

The Cold War has become this year’s hot media topic. Taylor Downing welcomes the chance to look more critically at the era of ‘mutually assured destruction’.

Bill Wallace looks at the anniversary of the Prague Spring in 1968.

International alarm over the terrorist threat is not new. Anthony Read relates how the appearance of Bolshevism created a state of near hysteria throughout the Western world.

Richard Cavendish marks the anniversary of the events of February 15th, 1957.

Fifty years after Khrushchev’s famous denunciation of Stalin at the 20th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, John Etty examines what was at stake.