The Soviet Union was once the most powerful nation in the world, and its dissolution in 1991 came as a drastic surprise. It was a superpower, not only in terms of its economic and military might, but also in its ideological strength. The collapse of the Soviet Union was due to a combination of internal and external factors. In this article, we will discuss the most important of these factors, as well as their ultimate effect on the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Reforms of Gorbachev
Mikhail Gorbachev, who became the Soviet Union’s leader in 1985, made drastic reforms that, in hindsight, had explosive consequences for the nation.
Gorbachev’s renowned Glasnost and Perestroika reforms aimed to restructure the Soviet economy and impart a sense of freedom and openness that would reinvigorate the nation.
Glasnost was a policy of increased transparency and openness associated with the media and information dissemination. It challenged the traditional Soviet style of strict censoring of the media and manipulating the public’s access to information.
Perestroika was a series of economic reforms that sought to update the rigidly centralized system established by Lenin. The stated intent was to create a more productive and efficient system, but the ultimate effect was to decentralize and deregulate the system.
These reforms had the unintended effect of weakening the Soviet Union, both ideologically and economically. Under Gorbachev, the Soviet Union began to crumble from within.
Dissolution of Communist Economic System
The Soviet Union was known for its Communist economic system, in which the government controlled the production, distribution and prices of goods. This system was extremely inefficient, with massive shortages causing citizens to suffer a lack of basic necessities such as bread and housing.
Gorbachev’s reforms aimed to decentralize the economy, which had the effect of removing the government’s ability to centrally manage production and prices. This caused the economy to become unbalanced and chaotic.
The collapse of the centralized economy was a major factor in the Soviet Union’s collapse, as this system had been the cornerstone of the government’s authority. Without it, citizens had no incentive to abide by Soviet rule and were left vulnerable to outside forces.
Rise of Ethnic Nationalism
The traditionally centralized structure of the Soviet Union was weakened by Gorbachev’s reforms, as it gave power to individual regions and republics. This caused a rise in ethnic nationalists within the Soviet Union, as they sought to break away from the government’s control.
One example of this was in Lithuania, which declared its independence in 1990. Soon after, other states and republics within the Soviet Union followed suit.
The resulting lack of unity within the Soviet Union put immense pressure on the government, as it had to respond to the sovereignty claims of each independent nation. This pressure ultimately caused the complete dissolution of the Soviet Union.
Lack of Economic Sovereignty
The Soviet Union was also faced with economic issues due to its lack of economic sovereignty to make international economic decisions without the involvement of other countries.
Under the Soviet Union, the economy was heavily dependent on oil exports, and this reliance on external markets put them at the mercy of the global market. This gave way to a lack of financial stability, which led to an inevitable collapse of the economy.
In addition, the lack of economic sovereignty meant that the Soviet Union was unable to efficiently manage its currency, as it was tied to the value of the US dollar. This made their currency weak, and the country was unable to compete internationally with other nations with stronger currencies.
The Soviet Union was one of the most powerful nations in the world. However, its collapse in 1991 was caused by a combination of internal and external factors.
Gorbachev’s reforms of Glasnost and Perestroika had unintended consequences such as a weakening of the Communist economic system and a rise of ethnic nationalists seeking greater self-determination. In addition, the Soviet Union lacked economic sovereignty, which caused its economy to be heavily dependent on international markets and ultimately weak.
These various factors put immense pressure on the Soviet Union, ultimately leading to its dissolution.
