Russia refers to the largest country in the world, stretching across both Eastern Europe and northern Asia. During the Cold War, it was known as the Soviet Union and played a central role as an adversary of the United States.
Related terms
Warsaw Pact: The Warsaw Pact was a military alliance formed in 1955 by several communist countries under Soviet leadership to counterbalance NATO.
Gulag: The Gulag refers to a system of forced labor camps established by Joseph Stalin's regime in the Soviet Union.
Cuban Missile Crisis: The Cuban Missile Crisis was a tense standoff between the United States and Soviet Union in 1962 over the placement of nuclear missiles in Cuba.