Details the various reasons behind the collapse of the Soviet Union, including pre-existing economic malaise in the face of perpetual pressure from the USA (especially, economically and militarily) and the failure of Gorbachev's policies to reform the broken state which he had inherited as leader.
• The USSR was suffering an economic crisis following four decades of the Cold War
• Economic collapse was exacerbated by Reagan’s Star Wars programme (aBer the period of ‘detente’ in
the 70s)
• USA was able to service the cost of spending in arms race, whereas the USSR were unable — heavily
damaged the economy
• AKempts to counter the West (i.e in proxy wars, in nuclear arms race) had massive financial implicaNons
for the USSR’s economy
• 1985: Gorbachev aKempted to revitalise the USSR through certain reforms, unintenNonally leading to
the collapse of the Soviet Union
• However, Gorbachev’s reforms were not the only factor leading to the collapse of the USSR
Signs of Impending Collapse
• The military cost of compeNng with the USA in arms race was terribly high
• The USSR were consistently developing more sophisNcated weaponry for mass destrucNon, though they
were simply used as a nuclear war deterrent
• Could not stop producNon of arms, otherwise the USA would have an opportunity to aKack without a
USSR response
• Reagan’s Strategic Defence IniNaNve (SDI) saw to greater military funding in the USA, thus placing
greater pressure on the USSR to do the same
• The USSR, despite their efforts, were less advanced arms, technology, industry and agriculture
• The system of centralised state planning was in crisis with wide-spread inefficiency and corrupNon
• ProducNon of consumer goods was stagnaNng which was demoralising for ciNzens, as was the
inadequate housing and poor public health care
• Massive shortage of consumer goods, leaving people desperate for the most basic commodiNes
• Inadequate housing and health care - supposed to be provided by the state
• People were restless, dissaNsfied and losing faith in the state
• The mounNng financial, military and human costs of fighNng an unpopular and “un-winnable” war in
Afghanistan was highly detrimental to the USSR economy — became a massive drain on Soviet
manpower and funds
• Over 15 000 Soviet troops died, 50 000 were wounded
• The Soviet public became increasingly opposed to the war
• The war damaged the USSR’s internaNonal image and presNge as a superpower
• The US enforced a boycoK on exports of grain and technology to the USSR - mulNple other countries
followed suit imposing their own embargoes on USSR trade
• Organised boycoKs of the Olympics in Moscow 1980, with some countries refusing to parNcipate to
‘voice’ their distaste
• There was huge loss of faith in the government across the 15-republic USSR
, Gorbachev’s Reforms
Gorbachev’s New Thinking
• March 1985: Gorbachev is elected as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
(CPSU)
• Despite not being his intenNon, his reforms do not save the USSR but rather parNally lead to its collapse
• Was intent on addressing criNcal economic, poliNcal and foreign affairs
• Part of it was re-thinking Soviet prioriNes and not having Marxist-Leninist ideology determine Soviet
foreign policy
• In hopes of doing so, he wanted to sever Nes with Cuba, the USSR’s satellite states, SA’s communist
party
• He intended to rethink foreign policy with absolutely no intenNon of ending communism
• Hoped to end the Cold War through this rethinking of foreign policy
• Gorbachev’s reforms acknowledged that the Soviet system has crucial weaknesses — chose to ‘look’ at
the West and see what they could adopt to help advance communism in the Soviet Union
• A very clear shiB is seen as he looks to find the value in his compeNNon i.e the West
Perestroika
• The economy is stagnant and corrupt, suffering agriculturally and industrially = food shortages,
inadequate housing, raNoning, poor public health care systems
• Was a plan to restructure the economy
• Gorbachev’s primary objecNve was revitalise the USSR economy
• He realised the financial burden of keeping up with the SDI was damaging the USSR economy
• Gorbachev planned to enter into arms-reducNon discourse with Reagan
• Wanted Reagan to pull back on the USA’s SDI given the negaNve effects it was having on the USSR’s
economy
• The aims of Perestroika:
- to speed up economic growth
- to improve economy efficiency
- to modernise the USSR economy operated
- to aKract much needed foreign investment
- to improve economic deficiency
- to target corrupNon that cost the economy
- to provide people with the incenNve to build the economy
• Gorbachev was open to new ideas but was not interested in moving away from communism
• In this way, he was primarily moving from state-planning/centralised-planning/state control so that
there was more local autonomy in how enterprises are run
• He understood that he could not improve the standard of living without restructuring the economy
• In the iniNal process, the economy became worse because people were not certain of how to operate
without state control
• He called for a major cut in military spending, which required an end to the arms race
• Opened dialogue with Reagan regarding arms-reducNon measures, claiming that the USSR was not fit to
compete with the USA by any means
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