[[Image:600px-Flag_of_the_Soviet_Union.svg.png||thumb|right|200px|Flag of the Soviet Union]]
The '''Soviet Union''' (Russian: Советский Союз, ''Sovyetskiy Soyuz''), formally the '''Union of Soviet Socialist Republics''' (USSR) (Russian: Союз Советских Социалистических Республик, ''Soyuz Sovietskykh Sotsialisticheskykh Respublik'', abbreviated ''СССР'') was one of the most powerful established [[socialist]] states in history. At it's height the USSR covered one - sixth of the earth's land area stretching from eastern Europe across north Asia to the Pacific Ocean.
==Founding==
The [[U.S. Department of State]] refused to regard Japan as a bulwark against Soviet expansion in North China in the 1930s. As a matter of fact, not one protost was sent by the Department of State against the Soviet Union despite her absorption of [[Sinkiang]] and [[Outer Mongolia]],
while at the same time, Japan was censured for stationing troops in China. <ref>"The Explanation of the Foreign Minister at Imperial Conference," December 1, 1941, Far Eastern Military Tribunal, Record p. 26101. According to Alexander Barmine, who was in charge of the supply of Soviet arms, by 1935, Sinkiang had become "a Soviet colony in all but name." One Who Survived (NewYork: G. P.Putnam's Sons, 1945), pp. 231-232. [http://home.comcast.net/~markconrad/Sinkiang.htm#_ednref9][http://www.oxuscom.com/sovinxj.htm]</ref>
==The Cold War==
Later the USSR would steathly oppose the [[United States]] by providing aid to enemies in direct conflict. In 1971 the USSR provided heavy arms shipments to Egypt and Syria that were used in their 1973 war with [[Israel]]. Although the two Arab nations were routed the Soviets would replenish the arms lost. Soviet military assistance aided North Vietnam in the 1960's and 1970's during the [[Vietnam War]].
In 1979 Soviet forces entered [[Afghanistan]] to support that government against Islamic fundamentalist Mujahideen rebels. These rebels found support from the United States, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and other Muslim nations. By 1989 the Soviets withdrew with some 14,000 killed and 53,000 troops wounded. This along with the economic cost helped lead to the disintegration of the Soviet Union. (Only 80,000 - 140,000 troops were in Afghanistan at any given time.)<ref>The World Almanac, Global Press, 1999</ref>
The Soviet invasion of Afganistan led to the America and several other nations boycotting the Moscow 1980 Summer [[Olympics]]. In turn the Soviets and many of their proxy states would boycott the Los Angeles 1984 Summer Olympics.
==Disintegration==