Recent events have made it clear that the Soviet Union is not a monolith; it’s a collection of nationalities, many with serious objection to union. The demise of communism holds great promise and great danger not only for the Soviets, but for the world. This presentation examines how the region’s long history led to modern reality.The World’s Political Hotspots Series explains the basis of conflicts in some of the world's most politically sensitive areas. Many of these regions are in today's headlines, and tensions recently have become violent in virtually all of them. Each presentation covers up to ten centuries of background, revealing how and why today's problems occur.