HIS 100 Module Three Activity Context Template
docx
keyboard_arrow_up
School
Moraine Valley Community College *
*We aren’t endorsed by this school
Course
202
Subject
History
Date
Feb 20, 2024
Type
docx
Pages
2
Uploaded by AgentFog8758
HIS 100 Module Three Activity Template: Historical Context
Replace the bracketed text below with your responses.
Identify the topic you chose to explore: The topic that I chose to explore is the political implications caused by the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. The first power plant in Ukraine, Chernobyl, experienced a catastrophic explosion April
26
th
,1986. After an depth investigation, it is believed that the disaster was a product of reactor flaws, as well as human error (Chernobyl Accident 1986, 2022). Describe the historical context surrounding your historical event. Following the Chernobyl accident, political consequences arose. Being that the hazardous effects
of the explosion affected so many, it became a public issue that brought about changes to the nuclear energy policy. Additionally, Soviet citizens, namely those in the affect areas began to question Gorbechev’s regime, specifically their ability to respond to the accident accordingly. Ultimately, soviet citizens did not feel safe which led to distrust over the government. Describe a key historical figure or group’s participation in your historical event.
A key historical group in this disaster was President Gorbachov and the Russian government. Prior to the events at Chernobyl, Gorbachov sought to create a level of transparency between Soviet citizens and the government. Following the disaster, many witnessed the government retreat, leaving many citizens in the dark about the effects that Chernobyl would have on people for years to come. Explain the key historical figure or group’s motivation to participate in your historical event.
President Gorbachov did not have a choice but to participate in this historical event as he was president of the Soviet Union. However, after Chernobyl occurred, he had an agenda. After Gorbachov attempted to downplay the velocity of the situation which many believe came at the cost of many more lives. Gorbachov could sense that Soviet citizens were not convinced that he could provide the stability and safety that one expects a government to provide. To attempt to rectify this situation and gain trust, he kept crucial information from them hence doing the opposite of what he set out to do (Chernobyl Accident 1986, 2022). Articulate how the historical context caused or influenced your chosen historical event.
Chernobyl was not caused by the Soviet government; however, the aftermath of the disaster was much worse due to the way that the incident was handled by the government. Because of the secrecy, many lives were lost. Chernobyl influenced history, not only because of the catastrophic
events that occurred but because it convinced Soviet citizens that the government was unable to handle such an incident thus leading to the collapse of the USSR (Chernobyl Accident 1986, 2022). Explain how connecting your historical event and current event improves the understanding of your topic.
Connecting this historical event as well as the Russian invasion of Ukraine has improved my understanding of the topic because while I had a basic understanding of the Chernobyl disaster, I had no idea that it influenced government structure. Additionally, I failed to realize that not only the site of the incident is still a public health threat but that the Russian government is knowingly
putting individual’s in harms way today. References:
Chernobyl Accident 1986 (2022). World Nuclear Association. Retrieved from
https://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/safety-and-security/safety-of-plants/
chernobyl
accident.aspx
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help