The Soviet Union detonated its first atomic bomb, known in the West as Joe-1, on Aug. 29, 1949, at Semipalatinsk Test Site, in Kazakhstan. The Soviets called their first atomic test "First Lightning." ...

The Soviet Union stretched across Asia and Europe and ruled more than 15 republics. Unfortunately, the era of centralized control came crashing down in 1991. This resulted in redrawn borders and ...

Soviet leader Joseph Stalin wanted a buffer zone of friendly Communist countries to protect the USSR from further attack in the future. However, British Prime Minister Clement Attlee and US ...