From Vladimir to Vladimir In the three years since the outbreak of World War One in 1914, an estimated four million Russian soldiers and civilians are killed fighting German forces. Russia faces social and economic collapse 1917, October Revolution: Led by Vladimir Ilyich Lenin (above), Bolsheviks overthrow Provisional Government, installed following abdication of Tsar Nicholas II (left). Lenin seizes control of media – post, telephone, telegraph and printing presses – to spread propaganda 1922: Bolsheviks win civil war against opposing “White” Russians. Conflict claims around 10 million lives. Soviet Union declared 1924: Joseph Stalin consolidates power following death of Lenin 1928 onwards: Stalin’s five-year plans turn Soviet Union into modern industrialized country. Huge increases in coal, oil, and steel output lead to economic growth Stalin’s ruthless purges of those opposed to his form of Communism sees three million people sent to Gulag labour camps in Siberia. At least 750,000 “enemies of the people” are executed 1949: Soviet Union explodes its first atom bomb ————— 1953: Stalin’s death leads to period of less oppressive rule under leadership of Nikita Khrushchev (right) 1957: Soviet Union launches Sputnik 1 Achievement proves Soviet Union has ballistic missiles and can strike U.S. territory with nuclear weapons 1962: For 14 days in October, world stands on brink of nuclear war after Khrushchev secretly deploys nuclear weapons to Cuba, less than 150km from U.S. coast. Most dangerous confrontation of Cold War 1970s: Under hardline President Leonid Brezhnev (right) economic growth stagnates to less than half of world’s average 1982-85: Two short-term rulers succeed Brezhnev – Yury Andropov holds office for 15 months while Konstantin Chernenko lasts just 13 months ————— 1980s: West regards Mikhail Gorbachev (right) as reformer who helps end Cold War – but Russian people experience worst economic crisis in decades 1989: Fall of Berlin Wall marks dramatic downfall of communism in Eastern Europe 1991: Coup against Gorbachev fails – Soviet Union rapidly collapses. Gorbachev resigns 1991-99: Boris Yeltsin (left) becomes leader of post-Soviet Russia. Oligarchs amass vast wealth – social inequality and poverty spreads 2000: Vladimir Putin (below) becomes president 2000-14: Facing further break-up of Russia, Putin wages war in Chechnya and Georgia, and seizes Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine 2017: U.S. intelligence accuses Putin of using cyber war to spread propaganda, including influencing U.S. presidential election ————— Sources: Open Democracy.net, Rathbones Review, The Atlantic Pictures: Associated Press, Hulton Archive, Getty Images