Question

Analyse any four political developments that eventually led to the disintegration of the USSR.

Answer 1

In December 1991, the USSR split into fifteen nations. Four significant political developments are as follows:

1. Gorbachev’s reforms: Perestroika and Glasnost (1985 onwards). Mikhail Gorbachev took office in 1985. Free expression and criticism were made possible by glasnost, or openness. The goal of perestroika, or restructuring, was to improve politics and the economy. However, it reduced the power of the Communist Party. Republics called for greater rights, and people spoke out against the government.
2. Rise of nationalism in republics: Glasnost allowed ethnic groups to vent their anger. The Baltic states, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, were the first to demonstrate for independence. Georgia and Ukraine were among the several republics that followed. They desired independence from Moscow as well as their own flags and languages. This shattered the USSR’s unity.
3. Failed August 1991 coup: On August 19, 1991, hardline communists (KGB, army commanders) attempted to overthrow Gorbachev. They opposed the new Union Treaty, which would have given republics more authority. In Crimea, Gorbachev was placed under house arrest. The head of the Russian Republic, Boris Yeltsin, declared it unlawful while standing atop a tank in Moscow. People revolted. In three days, the coup failed. Yeltsin became strong and Gorbachev weak as a result. The Communist Party was no longer trusted.
4. Belovezha Accords and end of USSR (December 1991): Following a coup, republics proclaimed their independence. The Belovezha Accords, which declared the dissolution of the USSR and created a loose Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), were signed by the leaders of Russia (Yeltsin), Ukraine, and Belarus on December 8, 1991. On December 25, 1991, Gorbachev offered his resignation. The Soviet flag was lowered from the Kremlin.