Why Did Communism Collapse so Suddenly in 1991?
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- Category: History: Religion
- Date Submitted: 01/18/2011 12:32 PM
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Synopsis
Communism collapsed so suddenly in 1991 due to the economic and political reforms introduced by Gorbachev in 1987. His economic reform of perestroika worsened an economy that was already on the verge of economic collapse and his political reform of glasnost allowed people throughout the Soviet Union to question Communist authority. As result of these policies and Gorbachev’s leadership, Soviet communism collapsed in the Eastern Bloc and internally the various republics began seeking autonomy. Irritated at how Gorbachev was dissolving the Soviet Union, conservatives amongst the party led a coup that failed. Boris Yeltsin seized power after the failed coup and formally dissolved the Soviet Union on the 26th December 1991.
Essay – Why did Communism collapse so suddenly in 1991
The sudden collapse of the Soviet Union on the 26th December 1991 coincided with the final collapse of Soviet communism throughout Europe and the end of the Cold War. By March 1985 when Mikhail Gorbachev was appointed General Secretary of the Soviet Union, the economy had become stagnant and corruption had become imbedded in the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU). As a result Gorbachev introduced economic and political reforms that were aimed at stimulating the economy and correcting the political system. However, Gorbachev did not anticipate that these reforms would begin the dismantling of the totalitarian system of communism in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe and largely undermined the authority of the Communist Parties. Gorbachev’s leadership was also a contributing factor to the sudden collapse of Soviet communism. Thus with a combination of Gorbachev’s leadership and reforms they would ‘unleash a chain reaction in the Soviet society that he would not be able to control’ which caused Soviet Communism to collapse suddenly in 1991.
When Gorbachev became General Secretary in 1985, despite his intelligence and political savvy, it appears he was not familiar with a...
Communism collapsed so suddenly in 1991 due to the economic and political reforms introduced by Gorbachev in 1987. His economic reform of perestroika worsened an economy that was already on the verge of economic collapse and his political reform of glasnost allowed people throughout the Soviet Union to question Communist authority. As result of these policies and Gorbachev’s leadership, Soviet communism collapsed in the Eastern Bloc and internally the various republics began seeking autonomy. Irritated at how Gorbachev was dissolving the Soviet Union, conservatives amongst the party led a coup that failed. Boris Yeltsin seized power after the failed coup and formally dissolved the Soviet Union on the 26th December 1991.
Essay – Why did Communism collapse so suddenly in 1991
The sudden collapse of the Soviet Union on the 26th December 1991 coincided with the final collapse of Soviet communism throughout Europe and the end of the Cold War. By March 1985 when Mikhail Gorbachev was appointed General Secretary of the Soviet Union, the economy had become stagnant and corruption had become imbedded in the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU). As a result Gorbachev introduced economic and political reforms that were aimed at stimulating the economy and correcting the political system. However, Gorbachev did not anticipate that these reforms would begin the dismantling of the totalitarian system of communism in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe and largely undermined the authority of the Communist Parties. Gorbachev’s leadership was also a contributing factor to the sudden collapse of Soviet communism. Thus with a combination of Gorbachev’s leadership and reforms they would ‘unleash a chain reaction in the Soviet society that he would not be able to control’ which caused Soviet Communism to collapse suddenly in 1991.
When Gorbachev became General Secretary in 1985, despite his intelligence and political savvy, it appears he was not familiar with a...