Mod-3 Historical Context Assigment

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Greenville Technical College *

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History

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Dec 6, 2023

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HIS-100 Mod. 3 “Historical Context” Identify the topic you chose to explore: Chernobyl Describe the historical context surrounding your historical event. The Soviet Union was known for its dishonesty and lack of safety. Prior to the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster, the Ukrainian Security Services recovered Soviet archives revealed several clandestine coverups ordered by high-ranking officials. One document from the archives revealed that the KGB purposely concealed test results that showed a radiation leak from Chernobyl plant, this was done to prevent domestic trepidation and controversial rumors (Reuters, 2021). In 1983, three years before the disaster, O’Bryan (2021) discovers that high ranking officials in Moscow were informed that the Chernobyl power plant was the most dangerous nuclear power plant in the Soviet Union, due to lack of safety equipment (para.3). This trend of negligence and concealment is a common tactic of the USSR, although it rarely works in their favor. The Soviet Union’s “fixer” was the infamous KBG, Russia’s version of the CIA with the unchecked authority of totalitarian ruler of a communist party. The KGB work in the shadows to protect the USSR and assert dominance by any means necessary. To keep the world from learning about the Chernobyl nuclear disaster the KGB had intercepted and switched materials for testing. Reuters (2021) explains that a French journalist collected water samples from the Chernobyl area one year after the disaster to monitor radiation levels. The KGB swapped the real samples for fake ones, still trying to trick the world to believe their false narrative (para. 5). The political leaders of the USSR did not evacuate the area around Chernobyl until 36 hours after the disaster, more concerned with public turmoil and media scrutiny. It can be said that Chernobyl was not the worst man-made disaster in world
history, instead negligence, utter disregard for people’s safety and well-being, and state-sponsored disinformation propagated by a totalitarian regime, is the worst man-made disaster in human history. Describe a key historical figure or group’s participation in your historical event. The Chernobyl “liquidators” were seven hundred thousand men made up of military personnel and everyday civilians. Miners, firemen, soldiers, plant workers, farmers, cooks, these men are paid the price of extreme recklessness and negligence. One man by the name of Olexandr Lyashenko, reflects on the duties the liquidators had to carry out. Lyashenko says each person was only able to work for 30 days, any longer and the radiation would cook you alive ( Chernobyl disaster liquidators, 2021). Lyashenko is a chemistry specialist, so he knows better than most how real the danger was, he states, “we knew what we were going for and knew what the consequences would be if we didn't do it” ( Chernobyl disaster liquidators, 2021). Collecting radioactive soil and pieces of uranium, cutting down forests, and covering reactor #4 in a lead barrier were just some of the tasks that needed to be done ( Chernobyl disaster liquidators, 2021). Lyashenko mentions that out of the 400 liquidators from his old neighborhood, 120 are still alive as of 2021. Lyashenko himself says he must deal with several serious health complications as well as disability. Another liquidator Ivan Bokun says that after the liquidation efforts were over, all liquidators were officially disabled, five men from his unit died within a month, and Ivan himself has debilitating headaches to this day ( Chernobyl disaster liquidators, 2021). These are accounts of just two liquidators that were forced to clean up a mess that their government neglected. Explain the key historical figure or group’s motivation to participate in your historical event. The liquidators had two choices, help with the clean-up effort or die. Many of them could have chosen death and it would have been better than what they got. However, I think a lot of these men did it because it needed to be done. In America we see communism as one of the worst things a government could do to its people. However, Russian’s were born into
communism, they know nothing else, and I think a lot of soviet citizens believed the propaganda they heard over several years and had pride for their country and their leaders. Most soviet citizens did not want help from Americans any more than their politicians did. This idea that the Russian people are strong, independent, and proud is what motivated many of the liquidators to work rather than die. In addition, many of the liquidators had families, if they did not mitigate the radiation quickly, it is likely that it would have had an impact worldwide, so they did what needed to be done to protect the ones they loved. In fact, Liquidators (2017) states that many military personnel volunteered after their mandatory time had been met, which shows how much they valued hard work, honor, and duty (para. 3). Articulate how the historical context caused or influenced your chosen historical event. The liquidators deserved far better than what they were given. After the liquidation efforts, the liquidators were largely forgotten about. The Soviet Union wanted to pretend like the whole disaster never even happened, forgetting the disaster means forgetting to disaster clean-up. Once the liquidators received the “cold shoulder” from the USSR, they started to realize they deserve better. Once the world saw how the liquidators were treated disgust and discord for the USSR had reached a boiling point. In 1991, five years after the Chernobyl disaster, the Soviet Union collapsed under the weight of its failures. Explain how connecting your historical event and current event improves the understanding of your topic. When I think of how the leaders of the Soviet Union handled the Chernobyl disaster, the tactics they used to discredit, deflect, and dismiss are eerily like the tactics used by President Biden lately. Now I’m not one to talk about politics at length, simply since people in America get very angry when you are not on the same political side as them. However, I think everyone is starting to realize the red hearing tactics that have been deployed. Much like how the USSR hated America, politicians use Russia as a boogeyman to scare American citizens to act, think, or vote a certain way. In 2020, 51
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