The end of the cold war and the dissolution of the ussr jstor. However, even before this happened in 1989, relations between the soviet union and the united states had changed dramatically. The revisionist statecapitalist period in the soviet union lasted from the mid1950s until the final collapse of the ussr in 1991. Collapse of the soviet union, sequence of events that led to the dissolution of the soviet union on december 31, 1991. Its population numbered more than 290 million, and 100 distinct nationalities lived within its borders. Nationalist mobilization and the collapse of the soviet state this study examines the process by which the seemingly impossible in 1987 the disintegration of the soviet union became the seemingly inevitable by 1991, providing an original interpretation not only of the soviet collapse, but. Between 1945 and 1990, the ussr and the communist bloc grew to cover nearly all of asia and eastern europe. The us played at best only an indirect role in facilitating the collapse of the soviet system. Cia and the fall of the soviet empire central intelligence agency. Gorbachev, the eighth and final leader of the soviet union, resigned as president of the communist empire, turning power over to the new commonwealth that replaced it. Run by the general secretary, the equivalent of the position of the president in the united states, the communist party controlled the government, and the government controlled all of the industry and agriculture.
The demise of the soviet bloc 175 warsaw pact countries. The referendum process demonstrated that the federation was over, and the ussr would continue at best as a confederation, a particularly unstable form of territorial governance. Ussr was founded in 1924 after the end of the monarchy of the czar. The dissolution of the soviet union or collapse of the soviet union was the process of internal disintegration within the union of soviet socialist republics ussr, also referred to as the soviet union, which began in the second half of the 1980s with growing unrest in the various national republics and ended on 26 december 1991, when the supreme soviet voted the ussr itself out of existence. If you are inclined to believe igor panarin, and the kremlin would not mind if you did, then president barack obama will order martial law this year, the us will split into six rumpstates before 2011, and russia and china will become the backbones of a new world order. Cold war ended with the disappearance of the ussr from the political map.
Soyuz sovetskikh sotsialisticheskikh respublik, former republic. Successor state, following the merger of the yemen arab republic and the peoples democratic republic of yemen. In 1991, most of the republics that had made up the ussr formed in cis. The role of yeltsin is best described by james graham in his book the collapse of the soviet union. More than 100 ethnic groups lived in the soviet union. Collapse of the soviet union, sequence of events that led to the dissolution of the u. In december 1991, the soviet union ceased to exist as a nation. With the collapse of communist power in the soviet union, considerable attention. The collapse of the ussr and the emergence of mass.
Merger control in postcommunist countries ebook by jurgita. The crisis of the ussr was above all a crisis of federalism, and by this time sovereignty had effectively become a synonym for independence. A discussion document gareth murphy, communist party of ireland july 2004 part 1 of this paper will examine the collapse of the soviet union. Far from intending to let go of the soviet bloc, gorbachev arrived in office wanting to strengthen the military, political, economic, and ideological institutions that linked the soviet union with the communist regimes in eastern europe. The us could sell weapons all over the world and make profit out of it. Panarin might be easy to ignore but for the fact that he is a dean at the foreign ministry s. Reforming the economy and politics the new openness allowed soviet citizens to complain about economic problems. The former superpower was replaced by 15 independent countries. Pdf over two decades have passed since the dissolution of the communist system and the disintegration of the soviet.
Causes of the collapse of the soviet union and russias. Download limit exceeded you have exceeded your daily download allowance. What china learned from the soviet unions fall why the process of assessing blame for the collapse of the ussr is still a hot topic in. Reagan first used the phrase evil empire referring to the soviet union essay pages.
Mar 14, 2017 for this question there could not be a comprehensive answer. Gorbachev came to power, and his leadership was different to that of previous leaders. The biggest mistake the coup instigators made was failing to arrest boris yeltsin. And the collapse of the last empire is still unfolding today. It was found that the russian model of socialism communism was different from the socialism of marx and engel in a number of aspects. Various nationalities in the soviet union began to call for their freedom. An analysis of the soviet economic growth from the 1950s to. General secretary of the communist party of the soviet. These reforms, once initiated, spun out of control and led to the breakdown of the soviet union. Of the states that made up the cis, the russian federation was the largest and it had many problems facing it. An attempt by mikhail gorbachev to avert the collapse of the soviet union and reorganize the union into a new confederated entity. This book provides a critical analysis of merger control regimes in the former socialist countries with small market eco.
Starting in 1981, mikhail gorbachev instituted a policy of perestroika, or restructuring, that led to a decline in soviet political control and. Economic problems continued under yeltsin 1990 1999. Suppressed or difficult to find documents about the soviet union during both the socialist period up to the mid1950s and the revisionist period until the final collapse of the ussr in 1991. One aspect that is critical, however, to the understanding of soviet collapse is the.
Contradictions and neomodernisation article pdf available in journal of eurasian studies 41. Dissolution of the ussr and the establishment of independent. This article was an attempt to question the so called perception of conceiving socialism as a major cause of the disintegration of the ussr. Read merger control in postcommunist countries ec merger regulation in small market economies by jurgita malinauskaite available from rakuten kobo. One of the important events during his presidency was the collapse of the soviet union and the end of the cod war. Likewise, the collapse of the ussr in 1991 acted as a source of equally big impact on international relations of the last decade of the 20th century. However, nonrussians formed a majority in the 14 soviet republics other than russia. Dissolution of the ussr and the establishment of independent republics, 1991. The soviet union was the first state to be based on marxist socialism see also marxism. If you continue browsing the site, you agree to the use of cookies on this website. Hayley robinson slideshare uses cookies to improve functionality and performance, and to provide you with relevant advertising. But the idea that the ussr was adaptable has been used as the basis for claiming.
It had also received immense criticism from some of the prominent marxists. President bush and his chief foreign policy advisers were more proactive toward russia and the former soviet republics after the collapse of the communist monolith than while it was teetering. The soviet union is gone, but its still collapsing foreign. From the metalworks of magnitogorsk to the nickel mines of frozen norilsk, the economy bequeathed to modern russia by stalin, khrushchev, and brezhnev was only slowly changed. The collapse of the soviet union following chronological order use a time line to record significant events in the soviet union and russia.
Dunlop, the rise of russia and fall of the soviet empire, 1993, p. The purpose of this paper is to study the soviet economic growth from 1950 to 1991, focusing on the questions of capital accumulation and structural change. The soviet union invaded afghanistan just to see themselves as the big losers of the war. The cold war was a disaster for the development of the ussr in my view. The soviet union, union of soviet socialist republics ussr, is a vast alliance of 15 different countries. In the wake of the 1991 collapse of the soviet empire and the most. The cold war that continued for several decades finally led to the disintegration of the soviet union. In addition, some observers argue that the soviet union should put greater emphasis on making friends with on these insurgencies, see mark n.
Three of the soviet union s 15 republics had already declared independence, and days earlier the leaders of 11 others agreed to leave the ussr to form the commonwealth of independent states. Jul 14, 2014 although he survives the august coup, gorbachevs political career is over. The soviet union faces turmoil gorbachevs new thinking led him to support movements for change in both the economic and political systems within the soviet union. There seems to be general acknowledgement that the socialist states pose significant problems for the soviet union. In 1985, gorbachev became the leader of the communist party and the soviet union.
The collapse of the soviet union cold war 1991 essay. The contributing factors that led to the collapse of the. The soviet union is gone, but its still collapsing. It was his goal to reform the communist system, but not abandon it or dismantle the ussr. Armenia, azerbaijan, belarus, estonia, georgia, kazakhstan, kyrgyzstan, latvia, lithuania, moldova, russia, tajikistan, turkmenistan, ukraine, and uzbekistan. A series of events from 1989 to 1991 led to the final collapse of the union of soviet socialist republics ussr, paving the way for the establishment of new, independent republics in the baltics and central asia and the creation of the russian federation. The ussr was forced by us imperialism, at least for a time anyway, to match it in the arms industry. Free he was able to lead resistance against the state committee for the state of emergency in the ussr, the name the hardliners gave themselvesgraham. Glasnost, perestroika, and democratization were all means to reform the system. Collapse of the soviet union and the end of the cold war george h bush was the 41st american president who served in office from january 20, 1989 to january 20, 2001. Learn more about one of the key events of the 20th century in this article. Reagans policy and attitudes towards the soviet union in the 1980s essay pages.
Seven lessons from the soviet collapse ivan krastev september 2012 in 1992 the world woke up to find that the soviet union was no longer on the map. Governments quickly changed, but the infrastructure of the soviet economy did not. Second draft numa mazat numa mazat franklin serrano abstract. The long collapse of the soviet economy did not end with the dissolution of the ussr. History of the communist party of the soviet union 1939. The scars it left on many of the remaining soldiers created social and political problems. Apr 26, 2018 well, stalin completely botching his post ww2 diplomacy was probably worse.
The baltic states, however, chose total independence. Collapse of the soviet union outline student handouts. During this time it assumed the status of the second superpower with a rivalry only matched. The author of this article is a representative of aflcio a federation of american labor unions. The fall of the soviet union and reunification of europe. Nationalism and the collapse of soviet communism mark r. An attempt by muammar gaddafi to build a panarab state. Revolution also spread from eastern europe to the soviet republics, resulting in the collapse of the formal soviet empire, whose demise confirmed the transformation of the international system. Combine the rats expected payoff under home rule with their payoff from the enemy. The collapse of the soviet union a documentary film.
Jun 30, 2004 the cold war and the arms race were also costly. Practically speak ing, the collapse of communism in eastern europe hollowed the warsaw pact and led to its disintegration. The dissolution of the soviet union was the process of internal disintegration within the union of soviet socialist republics ussr which began in second half of 1980s with growing unrest in the national republics and ended on 26 december 1991, when the ussr itself was voted out of existence by the supreme soviet, following the belavezha accords. In addition to the august coup, he found other causes of the collapse of the soviet union. The soviet union was supposed to be a society of true democracy, but in many ways it was no less repressive than the czarist autocracy that preceded it. The collapse of the soviet union and the productivity of american mathematicians george j. The collapse of communism in the ussr and central and eastern europe before we move on to our essay on to analyse the collapse of communism in ussr and central and eastern europe and the reasons behind its collapse, we should discuss and understand the definition of communism.
I wonder where the article would take the discussion if it didnt just end at the fall of the soviet union, and instead provided a narrative of the evolution of democracy in former soviet republics since that time. The collapse of communism in the ussr, central, and eastern europe 1102 words 4 pages. The collapse of the soviet union essay example 1016 words. The 21st century opened as a new century characterised by ideological and strategic unipolarism, and struggling to adjust with the new. The dramatic events that followed the change of leadership in 1985, culminating in the dissolution of the soviet union at the end of december 1991, had longerterm sources, but these. I will spend most of this part looking at the internal reasons for its demise and will only briefly mention the external pressures. The berlin wall falls and ussr dissolves short history. Super powers, the united states and the soviet union in wars such as the vietnam war and the cold war. Powerful forces for democracy were building in the country, and gorbachev decided not to oppose reform. The ussr s weakened military and economy following world war. It led to the collapse of the entire socialist bloc. Nationalist mobilization and the collapse of the soviet state.
Causes and origins of the collapse of the former soviet union an honors research thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for graduation. While its hard to avoid a rivalry between the extremely assertive postww2 us and the very incompatible economy of the ussr, a much more friendly rivalry is, in my view, possible. Today, the ussr is most associated with the cold war but theres more to that than meets the eye. Introduction the 20th anniversary of the collapse of soviet communism in eastern europe is an appropriate time for stocktaking and for seeking to answer a number of questions associat. Perestroika restructuring of the soviet economy and government iii. Merger integration programs pose demands on the hr team collectively and on hr executives individually that are typically tough and sometimes unreasonable.
Comrade gorbachev became the first soviet born leader of the. Suppressed or hard to find documents about the ussr. If the united states and the soviet union decide they are no longer enemies. The afghanistan war and the breakdown of the soviet union. France, germany, the soviet union, and the united states behaved contrary to neorealist expecta 6. He traveled to the area in 1991 to study the reasons for the breakup of the soviet union. Nationalism and the collapse of soviet communism 333. Document based question cold war historical context. However, the move to reform the soviet union ultimately led to its breakup.
The impact of the collapse of the ussr what caused the collapse of the ussr. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. One of the worlds two superpowers had collapsed without a war, alien invasion or any other catastrophe, with the exception of one rather farcical and unsuccessful coup. How far did the economic problems within the ussr and its sphere of in. The ussr officially ceased to exist on 31 december 1991. Collapse of ussr and its impact on international relations. On january 1, 1991, the soviet union was the largest country in the world, covering some 8,650,000 square miles 22,400,000 square km, nearly onesixth of earths land surface. Indeed, in the final months immediately prior to the dissolution of the soviet union in december 1991, then. The second important result of the merger of party and state was the effect it had. The last days of the soviet union old dominion university. It is the unavoidable result of the dual pressures of simultaneously having to provide business support to help get right the myriad people decisions in the merger. Introduction more than its famous vodka, the soviet union has had an equally intoxicating story to tell. A loose confederation was formed, but ended due to the gambias lack of interest in integration. List of books and articles about collapse of the soviet union.
Thirteen months later, on december 25, 1991, gorbachev resigned and the union of soviet socialist republics dissolved. Collapse of the ussr in pictures world news the guardian. Many people in reformist and revisionist parties around the world were not able to recognize this fundamental change in the nature of the soviet union, and there has been considerable struggle and debate about this. The union of soviet socialist republics ussr, which was established in 1922, was the first communist state in the world. However, while the us economy grew from this industry, the ussrs was drained. Coup leaders, however, are arrested and yeltsin replaces regional leaders who supported it.
What was the role of people power and nationalism in the fall of the ussr. Beissinger abstract this article examines the role of nationalism in the collapse of communism in the late 1980s and early 1990s, arguing that nationalism both in its presence and its absence, and in the various. Marx and lenin make clear the differences between the state and the party. Abolition of serfdom and the development of industrial capitalism in russia. The causes and origins of the collapse of the former soviet union. However, the west misinterpreted his reforms, believing that he had given up on communism and, ultimately, the soviet union collapsed anyway. May 06, 2008 great article, i think it is really useful base for discussion. The defeat of the soviet union in afghanistan was a serious blow to the prestige of the army, to national pride and faith in the soviet political leaders. Armenia, azerbaijan, belarus, estonia, georgia, kazakhstan, kyrgyzstan, latvia. The film is using episodes filmed mainly at the kremlin, soviet unions headquarters which enable to have a glance to worlds most wellknown political kitchen.
Serhii plokhy is the professor of history and director of the ukrainian research institute at harvard university. There are several questions that need consideration when attempting to explain why the cold war ended. Everything you know about the collapse of the soviet union. The soviet union officially fell on december, 26 1991 when the ussr was dissolved and the communistera policies of the region ceased. The last soviet president mikhail gorbachev initiated reforms that ultimately led to the dissolution of the soviet union. Anyway, ill try to share what i think made the biggest contribution. The collapse of the soviet union in december 1991 changed the worlds geopolitical balance. The collapse of the ussr essay 1209 words bartleby. The collapse of the soviet union moore public schools. On 25 december 1991 he announces his resignation on television and by the end of the year the ussr has collapsed.