Preview

Why Did The Soviet Union Collapse

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
750 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Why Did The Soviet Union Collapse
The Soviet Union on December 25, 1991, Christmas day the Soviet flag flew over Moscow for the last time. A few days earlier from this event, 11 of the Soviet republics met in the city of Kazakh. It was announced that all the satellite states like Ukraine, belarus, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan would no longer be apart of Soviet union and they said they would establish a commonwealth and not be controlled by the Soviet Union. Once one of the most powerful and scary empires has fallen. There were a generous amount of reasons for the Soviet Union's collapse and some of the most important were the Chernobyl disaster, Mikhail Gorbachev radical reforms and local nationalism. Those were …show more content…
After he became the general secretary people say that he dramatically changed the Soviet Union's course. He had dual program the called perestroika that translated into restructuring and he had glasnost that translated into openness. Within five years of the act Gorbachev set the revolutionary program took out most of the communist governments all throughout Eastern Europe. His program also put an end to the Cold War that was from 1945 to 1991. Even though these reforms seemed to do very good for the Soviet Union's safety and their economy it sent a message to controlled areas from the Soviets that independence was not that hard to achieve. Also the reforms took many communist governments power away and the controlled area by the Soviet Union didn’t agree with the system they had and would rather be an independent capitalist country.
One of the really important reasons for the Fall of the Soviet Union was nationalism. The definition of nationalism is a patriotic feeling, principles, or efforts. With the declining of the public perception by the citizens of the Soviet Union of the way that the Soviet government ran their country, which was by communism. Nationalism grew within all of these individual republic that the Soviet Union was under control over. There were many minor strives for independence by countries throughout the Soviet Union and most of them

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Due to problems in Russia originating from the slow recovery from WWII, Gorbachev made changes and saw how the country was falling. Citizens were in desperate need for supplies, shelter, and allies. United States President at the time, Ronald Reagan, demanded that Gorbachev tear down the Berlin Wall which divided Germany in two for both the U.S. and Russia. Gorbachev knew his country wouldn't be able to survive the war so he tore down the wall and the peace between Russia and the rest of the world slowly started to build. The Russians were able to become friendly with citizens from other countries which enabled the country to flourish.…

    • 716 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The nation was created with poor decisions and dishonesty that throughout the years led to the collapse of the Soviet Union. Gorbachev’s decision to give more power to the people and how open elections which was similar to what was seen in a democratic government which began a slow process of democratization that destabilized Communist control. After 1990 elections, Gorbachev was faced with many political pressures which in turn sped up the process of his resignation. On December 25, 1991, the Soviet flag was taken down and replaced by the Russian flag that flies today. Gorbachev resigned as president and on December 26, 1991, The Soviet Union…

    • 669 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    DBQ ESSAY

    • 850 Words
    • 3 Pages

    First off, nationalism in Europe caused war outcomes. As nationalism is rising throughout Europe, many nations decide to get ready and to prove their nation is the top or the best. By proving they are the best and that they will set the example of a very influential one, the nation would have to go to war to conquer the weaker nation or to gain its independence from another nation. For example, document 2’s painting depicting a Berlin uprising (Marzrevolution), shows the uprising of one nation over the other. This painting depicts how nationalism was used by having the people come as one and conquer or defeat the other nation. Not only that, “We are, moreover, more exposed than any other people to the danger of hostile coalition because of our geographical position, and because, perhaps, of the feeble power of cohesion which, until now, the German people has exhibited when compared with others.” (Otto von Bismarck; “War and Armaments in Europe”) proves that if you are a nation like Germany, you must be very alert and careful. One stupid move or mistake and your nationalism and nation will fall and be crushed by another nation. Lastly, It is the sacred conviction which has given birth to the steadfast belief both of our rulers and of the ruled, that Russia is the source and center of an invincible might, which is but increased by the attacks of her foes.” (Prince Ukhtomskii, “Russia’s Imperial Destiny”) proves that because the nation is the most invincible might, it has set an influential example towards other small states and countries. By being the top might,…

    • 850 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Khrushchev had a lot of good ideas that he wanted to implement but due to the bureaucratic nature of the Soviet party  officials weren’t keen on implementing certain reforms which offered no benefits to them despite being good for the population…

    • 355 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The rise of nationalism added to the troubles faced by the Kremlin during the 1980s. The growth of the Transcaucasia and Baltic Popular Fronts had brought the problem of the nationalities to the fore when in 1989 the Red Army entered Tbilisi to assist the Georgian authorities in putting down a rally. Soviet troops were also used to prop up the communist government of Azerbaijan under threat from nationalist forces (Chubarov, 2001; 195). The Baltic States did not join the chorus of statements of sovereignty which had come from Kazakhstan and Ukraine, this was because they regarded their incorporation into the USSR as an illegal act. They challenged the legality of the Molotov - Ribbentrop pact of 1939 and achieved international support in the form of the American refusal to recognise the annexation of the region (Strayer, 1998; 152-153). The policy of Perestroika can be seen as the catalyst for the increase in nationalism as the planned restructuring of the USSR exposed fundamental flaws in the Soviet system. The policy of Glasnost also exposed corruption within the Caucasian and Central Asian republics, Gorbachev responded by replacing the Kazakh Communist Party leader Kunaev with a Russian. This caused a great deal of rioting in Almaty (Strayer, 1998; 150-151). Further to the rise of popular front movements within the constituent republics, the Soviet Union was also facing a crisis with its East European satellites due in part to the policies of Glasnost and Perestroika. Glasnost and Perestroika are often cited as the most important factors in speeding the demise of the Soviet Union. Eric Hobsbawm claims that the only thing that made the soviet system work was the command structure of the party and the state which had been inherited from the days of Stalin (1995; 480). Once again it seemed that reform from the top was going to introduce fundamental change which was to be ultimately uncontrollable. Hobsbawm…

    • 2282 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Mikhail Gorbachev took control of the Soviet Union. He believed that the future of the Soviet Union depended on important reforms and began to implement two programs.…

    • 398 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the 1980s, the Soviet Union was in a period of domestic crisis, and it took a toll on Soviet society (25-7). The people from the Caucasus and Baltic states demanded more freedom from Moscow, and the Kremlin lost control over certain regions and elements in the Soviet Union (Lumen, Fall of the Soviet Union). The Soviet Union eventually collapsed in 1991, leaving the land to be governed by independent states. China also went through a similar period of instability, but it took longer than their Russian comrades. Their government survived the Cultural Revolution in 1966 by evolving into a combined Leninist command economy with modern Western capitalistic practices, and they crushed a protest movement in 1989 while asserting the dominance of…

    • 210 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    <br>The Collapse of communism in the Soviet Union began the years of change in Eastern Europe and brought an end to the Cold War. There are many effects of the fall of the Soviet Union, such as the formation of the Commonwealth of Independent States, the end of the Cold War, Economic hardships, conflicts between pro communist and pro…

    • 495 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Space Race Research Paper

    • 812 Words
    • 4 Pages

    USSR had been dissolved and Russia’s economy reached its lowest point. But by 1986, it…

    • 812 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    From Revolution to Ruin: Unraveling the Complex Forces Behind the Soviet Union's Dissolution The collapse of the Soviet Union, a transformative event marking the end of a geopolitical era, was primarily driven by a combination of internal economic inefficiencies, failed political reforms such as Gorbachev's Perestroika and Glasnost, and the exacerbating effect of external pressures including the arms race and global shifts towards neoliberal policies. These factors, compounded by the rise of nationalist movements within its republics, not only highlighted the systemic flaws inherent in the Soviet economic and political structure but also significantly undermined the legitimacy of the Soviet state, leading to its eventual dissolution in 1991. Economic…

    • 2661 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    There have been many different opinions on why the once powerful Soviet Union fell including a stagnant economy, new reform policies, or general dismissal of communist ideology. Many of the issues that were either unresolved or worsened stem from Mikhail Gorbachev reign as General Secretary from 1985 until the collapse in 1991. While there were a plethora of issues surrounding the Soviet Union, Gorbachev seemed to be the focal point of where things went from bad to worse. Though Gorbachev had the Soviet…

    • 973 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The economy of the soviet Union played a big part as to why they collapsed because it had been stagnating throughout the 1970s, as Western economies moved into new technologies, the Soviets economy stayed based on Karl Marx's analysis of the British economy in the mid 19th Century. The Soviets focused on heavy industry such as coal, iron…

    • 535 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    For most of the 1900’s, the Soviet Union was one of the most powerful countries in the world. They fought in both World Wars and they also helped to defeat the Nazis in World War 2. Even with all of their achievements, the Soviet Union’s government began to disagree with the people and even force their will upon them in the mid to late 1900’s and they finally collapsed in 1991. The collapse of the Soviet Union was caused mainly by internal issues that developed long before 1991, like the government keeping secrets from the people, or the government disagreeing with the people.…

    • 1092 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Soviet Union was looking to expand their way of life and basically take away liberty, slowly but surely. It may not have seemed so at first, and it is apparent because of the actions of presidents Richard Nixon and Jimmy Carter. With their choices to deny containment in the spirit of trade and relations,…

    • 302 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    In 1989 the Berlin wall fell down and soon did the power of the Soviet Union. Then in 1991 on Christmas Day the Soviet flag flew for the last time. In the beginning the Soviet Union was one of the largest communist nations with 15 states and it capital being Moscow. In World War II Eastern Europe had already become divided but in 985 Mikhail Gorbachev took power and began huge reform. He allowed more freedom of speech and began allowing open voting for each country. After the fall of the Berlin wall Gorbachev was astounded but he still kept pushing reforms. With all this change many of the states like Poland, the Czech Republic, and Ukraine seceded from the Soviet Union in order to control their own territories who were vastly different. The nation was divided between conservative communists and those who wished for democracy.…

    • 1801 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays