In 1945 the Soviet Union controlled half of Europe and was a founding member of the United Nations. By 1991, it had a four-million strong army, five thousand nuclear-tipped missiles, and was the second biggest producer of oil in the world. But soon afterwards the union sank into an economic crisis and was torn apart by nationalist separatism. Its collapse was one of the seismic shifts of the twentieth century.
Register for free to join our community of investors and share your ideas. You will also get access to streaming quotes, interactive charts, trades, portfolio, live options flow and more tools.