The End of Ussr
How important was the rivalry between Gorbachev and Yeltsin in bringing about the end of USSR?
The end of USSR did not happen overnight but rather in stages namely politically and economically, specifically the end of the command economy, the discrediting of soviet/ communist ideology, the decline of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU), and the disintegration of USSR into the 15 states which occurred on 25 December 1991. The implementation of glasnost and perestroika, the collapse of Soviet hegemony in Eastern Europe, Reagan’s Arms Race, the rise of nationalist movement in USSR all contributed to the collapse of USSR by hastening the speed in swhich the USSR collapsed. However, the rivalry between Gorbachev and Yeltsin was the most important as it nailed the final nail into the coffin of USSR, ensuring the collapse of the USSR as a political entity, dissolving it into the 15 states on 25 December 1991.
Reagan’s Arms Race (RAR) hastened the collapse of the command economy and therefore the collapse of the economic aspect of the USSR. RAR was basically the intensification of the USA’s military build up, which had begun in the final years of the Carter Administration. The most ambitious program was the 1983 Strategic Defence Initiative (SDI), which was an outer space missile defence program that could destroy missiles in flight. This prompted Gorbachev to take less confrontational foreign policy that would allow him to decrease expenditure on defence and allow him to focus on reviving USSR’s economy. He did this by withdrawing troops from Eastern Europe which hastened the collapse of Soviet hegemony in Eastern Europe. RAR had hastened the collapse of the command economy as it had drove Gorbachev to quickly implement perestroika to revive and attempt to strengthen USSR’s economy.
The implementation of perestroika hastened the collapse of the command economy, which was a key part of the USSR. It must be noted that the command economy was flawed and
The end of USSR did not happen overnight but rather in stages namely politically and economically, specifically the end of the command economy, the discrediting of soviet/ communist ideology, the decline of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU), and the disintegration of USSR into the 15 states which occurred on 25 December 1991. The implementation of glasnost and perestroika, the collapse of Soviet hegemony in Eastern Europe, Reagan’s Arms Race, the rise of nationalist movement in USSR all contributed to the collapse of USSR by hastening the speed in swhich the USSR collapsed. However, the rivalry between Gorbachev and Yeltsin was the most important as it nailed the final nail into the coffin of USSR, ensuring the collapse of the USSR as a political entity, dissolving it into the 15 states on 25 December 1991.
Reagan’s Arms Race (RAR) hastened the collapse of the command economy and therefore the collapse of the economic aspect of the USSR. RAR was basically the intensification of the USA’s military build up, which had begun in the final years of the Carter Administration. The most ambitious program was the 1983 Strategic Defence Initiative (SDI), which was an outer space missile defence program that could destroy missiles in flight. This prompted Gorbachev to take less confrontational foreign policy that would allow him to decrease expenditure on defence and allow him to focus on reviving USSR’s economy. He did this by withdrawing troops from Eastern Europe which hastened the collapse of Soviet hegemony in Eastern Europe. RAR had hastened the collapse of the command economy as it had drove Gorbachev to quickly implement perestroika to revive and attempt to strengthen USSR’s economy.
The implementation of perestroika hastened the collapse of the command economy, which was a key part of the USSR. It must be noted that the command economy was flawed and