In 1922, after a long and bloody civil war, the Soviet Union was officially established. After World War II, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR, established itself as one of the world's superpowers, opposing the United States of America. The communist regime reigned over the Soviet Union until 1990, shortly before the Soviet Union collapsed and formally disbanded in December 1991. However, during that reign, many rules and regulations were imposed on all aspects of life, including the music. Many musicians were sued because their music did not comply with Soviet regulations. Some have fled the country. Others stayed to fight for the right to compose freely. Those who remained had to walk a fine line, balancing their own personal expression and conforming to Soviet demands.A Brief History of the Soviet UnionI. The beginnings of the Soviet Union In 1917, Russia was shaken by a series of revolutions following the end of the First World War. The country went through great economic hardship and famine, and the people became dissatisfied with the tsarist rule. Tsar Nicholas II of the Romanov dynasty abdicated, and on July 17 he and his family, along with several servants, were executed by the Bolsheviks. During this period, Russia was involved in a long and bloody civil war, fought between the Red Bolshevik Army, founded by Vladimir Lenin and led by Leon Trotsky, and the White Army, the anti-Bolshevik forces. On December 30, 1922, the Treaty on the creation of the USSR was signed, and in 1923 the Bolsheviks finally emerged victorious over the White Army.II. The Soviet Union under the iron fist of Joseph Stalin Joseph Stalin, a Georgian, was appointed general secretary of the Communist Party of...... middle of paper ...... and Soviet music and composers. New York, NY: Psychology Press, 2004. Print.Montefiore, Sebag. Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar. New York, NY: Alfred at Knopf Inc, 2003. PrintEdmunds, Neil. Soviet music and society under Lenin and Stalin: the sickle and the stick. New York, NY: Routledge, 2009. Print.Lenin, Vladimir Ilyich. Lenin: On culture and the cultural revolution. University Press of the Pacific, 2001. Print.Fay, Laurel E. Shostakovich: A Life. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, USA, 2000. Print. Tomoff, Kiril. Creative Union: The Professional Organization of Soviet Composers, 1939-1953. New York, NY: Cornell Univ Press, 2006. Print.Horton, Andrew J.. “The Forgotten Avant-Garde: The Soviet Composers Crushed by Stalin.” Central Europe Review 1.1 (28 June 1999): n. page Network. March 19 2011. .