To what extent did the collapse of the USSR contribute to the fall of the Derg?
Abstract
The Soviet Union had a huge impact on many different countries, ranging from neighbouring east European states, to as far as Africa. This extended essay discusses the effects the Soviet Union had on Ethiopia (located in the Horn of Africa) from 1977 – 1991, and the extent in which the collapse of the USSR influenced the fall of Mengistu Haile Mariam’s military regime. Therefore, answering the question “To what extent did the collapse of the Soviet Union contribute to the fall of Mengistu Haile Mariam and the Derg regime?”
This essay also looks at other factors such as the collapse of the Ethiopian economy and the infamous drought of 1985, which also led to the demise of Mengistu, and weighs out each factor to see which carried the bulk of the impact.
The content of this essay was written using information from various sources. They include both primary and secondary sources, such as government reports, books, Internet sites, newspaper articles, interviews conducted on people who were directly involved in the events leading to the fall of the Derg and personal knowledge gained from watching documentaries and reading numerous books.
The essay concludes that although internal problems faced by the regime were crucial in weakening the government and its reign, it’s the collapse of the Soviet Union that had the biggest and most significant impact on the downfall of the military regime. The collapse of Soviet Union meant that Mengistu Haile Mariam lost his most powerful patron, and was no longer going to receive any form of military assistance. The military had sustained absolute power due to the Soviet Union’s donation of large sums of matériel.
Acknowledgements
I would like to express my gratitude to the many people that have supported me in writing this Extended Essay. As important as anyone is my grandfather, who offered much information and insight into such a broad
The Soviet Union had a huge impact on many different countries, ranging from neighbouring east European states, to as far as Africa. This extended essay discusses the effects the Soviet Union had on Ethiopia (located in the Horn of Africa) from 1977 – 1991, and the extent in which the collapse of the USSR influenced the fall of Mengistu Haile Mariam’s military regime. Therefore, answering the question “To what extent did the collapse of the Soviet Union contribute to the fall of Mengistu Haile Mariam and the Derg regime?”
This essay also looks at other factors such as the collapse of the Ethiopian economy and the infamous drought of 1985, which also led to the demise of Mengistu, and weighs out each factor to see which carried the bulk of the impact.
The content of this essay was written using information from various sources. They include both primary and secondary sources, such as government reports, books, Internet sites, newspaper articles, interviews conducted on people who were directly involved in the events leading to the fall of the Derg and personal knowledge gained from watching documentaries and reading numerous books.
The essay concludes that although internal problems faced by the regime were crucial in weakening the government and its reign, it’s the collapse of the Soviet Union that had the biggest and most significant impact on the downfall of the military regime. The collapse of Soviet Union meant that Mengistu Haile Mariam lost his most powerful patron, and was no longer going to receive any form of military assistance. The military had sustained absolute power due to the Soviet Union’s donation of large sums of matériel.
Acknowledgements
I would like to express my gratitude to the many people that have supported me in writing this Extended Essay. As important as anyone is my grandfather, who offered much information and insight into such a broad
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