09 Collapse of the USSR

Question 1

Did the USSR collapse because of long term economic problems? - Failed to create incentives for hard work

Answer 1

-Soviet Union was becoming increasingly egalitarian from 1945 to 1980 and followed an ideology of communism which was fundamentally against inequality

-The richest 10% were only 3x richer than Russia’s poorest 10% whereas in the US the richest 10% were 7x richer than the poorest 10%

Therefore, less incentive for workers to improve

Question 2

Did the USSR collapse because of long term economic problems? - Waste

Answer 2

-Although large amounts of goods were produced, they were often wasted

-This was because Gosplan only measured and rewarded production, regardless of the quality or the proportion being used

-e.g. By early 1980s Gosplan demanded the production of 400,000 tractors every year, however, at least 20% were never used, due to a shortage of tractor drivers

Question 3

Did the USSR collapse because of long term economic problems? - Economy was never fully modernised

Answer 3

-Particularly problems in agriculture as while there were too many tractors, there was a lack of more sophisticated machinery

-This meant that Soviet agriculture required far more labour than American farming e.g. Under Khrushchev at least 25% of the population of the USSR worked on farms, compared to just 5% in the US, despite the US producing 2x as much food

Question 4

Did the USSR collapse because of long term economic problems? - Arms race

Answer 4

-The Soviet economy also struggled due to the arms race with the US and the west

-From 1945, the USSR produced ever more expensive missiles, nuclear bombs, tanks, and fighter planes

-By 1980, the USSR was spending more on defence than the USA, despite the fact that its economy was 1/3 the size

-This starved other areas of the economy from much needed funds and economic growth would be faster were it not for the burden of defence expenditure which was generally maintained above 10% of GDP

Question 5

Did the USSR collapse because of long term economic problems? - Centralisation

Answer 5

-The economy was controlled by government administrators e.g. In farming the government set the timetable for planting and harvesting meaning farmers could not use their expertise to adjust the timetable to local weather conditions

-Central planners set the schedules for the delivery of fertilisers on farms, however, fertilisers often arrived at the wrong time or were for the wrong crops grown

-This centralisation was a significant issue as it meant production could not be maximised

Question 6

Did the USSR collapse because of short-term economic failures? - Initial economic reform - Acceleration

Answer 6

-Acceleration 1985-86

-Aimed to improve the command economy through government investment

-Acceleration actually created a huge economic crisis as by 1986 the debt of the USSR was over 80 billion rubles

Question 7

Did the USSR collapse because of short-term economic failures? - Initial economic reform - Anti-Alcohol Campaign

Answer 7

-Beginning 1985

-Aimed to improve the productivity of the Soviet workforce

-The number of outlets, distilleries, and vineyards was reduced, the cost of vodka tripled

-The campaign saw some benefits, but vodka production was a large part of the Soviet economy, and it dropped by almost 10% causing a shortfall in the government budget

Question 8

Did the USSR collapse because of short-term economic failures? - Partial market reform - date & list of laws

Answer 8

-1986-90

-Law on Individual Economic Activity 1986 individuals are allowed to earn money through individual enterprise

-Law on State Enterprises 1987 which allowed factories to sell to free market if the production was beyond quota (failed because Gosplan maintains control in other ways)

-Law on Co-operatives 1988 let collectives set up big private businesses in the USSR

-Gosplan finally abolished in 1990 so no longer a centrally controlled economy

Question 9

Did the USSR collapse because of short-term economic failures? - Partial market reform - problems

Answer 9

-Uncertainty over supplies encouraged a wave of hoarding and shops were quickly emptied, in 1988 meat was rationed in half of the regions of Russia

-The electing of managers led to a steep rise in wages, urban wages rose by 10% in 1988

Question 10

Did the USSR collapse because of short-term economic failures? - Full market reform

Answer 10

-1990-91

-Aimed to dismantle the command economy and introduce a market economy

-Privatization of Land and property in January 1991

-Trading in stocks and shares allowed in April 1991

-By the summer of 1991 the Soviet Government was bankrupt

-Situation made worse by the fall in the price of oil as the USSR had become more reliant on oil exports as a source of income, by 1984 oil and gas accounted for 50% of Soviet exports

Question 11

Did the USSR collapse because of short-term economic failures? - Full market reform - What did the 500 day programme propose to do and why did Gorbachev not adopt it?

Answer 11

-Stanislav Shatalin and Grigorii Iavlinskii propose the 500-day program, transition from the planned economy to the market economy within two years, but this is rejected by hardliners

-Gorbachev wanted to maintain unity in the Party Leadership

-The plan was rejected by the Soviet government but accepted by the Russian Parliament causing the economy to collapse into chaos

Question 12

Did the Soviet Union collapse because of Gorbachev’s political reforms? - Glasnost

Answer 12

-Easing restrictions on information around the party

-Started as a method of getting new ideas to revitalise the Communist Party and to re-engage the people with the Party but it descended into an open attack on its corrupt practices

-Freedom of Speech was attained in 1989

Question 13

Did the Soviet Union collapse because of Gorbachev’s political reforms? - Issues caused by Glasnost

Answer 13

-The April 1986 Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster provided anti-Party sentiment as the Soviet government delayed admission of the incident, therefore delaying evacuations and increasing the number of cases of leukaemia

-Revelations about the economic problems facing the USSR meant that many Soviet citizens lost faith in the Communist system

-Revelations about the extent of Stalin’s terror, especially towards minorities, encouraged nationalist sentiment

-A freer media undermined Communism by publishing criticism, even Marx and Lenin were criticised

-Being able to read foreign papers and listen to foreign radio made people aware of the higher living standards in the West, which undermined support for Communism

Question 14

Did the Soviet Union collapse because of Gorbachev’s political reforms? - Multi-Candidate Elections - Multi-candidate Elections for the Congress of People’s Deputies of the Soviet Union

Answer 14

-1989

-New Parliament of the Soviet Union known as the Congress of People’s Deputies which signified rapid change as it was first proposed in 1988

-The people had a choice of candidates in the elections (all were Communist but they could pick between reformers, conservatives, moderates, etc.

-Gorbachev hoped to create a separate power base with himself as the chairman, giving himself more democratic legitimacy, however, this dramatically weakens the power of the Party, as it publicly displays divisions within the Party

Question 15

Did the Soviet Union collapse because of Gorbachev’s political reforms? - Multi-Candidate Elections - Parliamentary election for each Soviet Republic

Answer 15

-1990

-Different parties are allowed to stand in these elections, undermines the concept of a one-party state

-Naturally encourages republics to break away with different parties being elected in the republics

-Impact in Lithuania - Re-established the State of Lithuania and abolished the Soviet constitution, essentially declaring independence

-Impact in Russia - Yeltsin was elected chairman of the Russian Parliament, even though Gorbachev pleaded with the Russian deputies not to, and then the Russian Parliament declared sovereignty of Russian laws over Soviet laws

Question 16

Did the Soviet Union collapse because of Gorbachev’s political reforms? - Creation of the Presidency (of the USSR)

Answer 16

-1990

-The president was initially elected by the Congress of People’s Deputies, but all future elections were to have been by popular vote

-Therefore meant that while Gorbachev was bringing democratising reforms, he appeared hypocritical by getting himself appointed as the president, meaning he lacked democratic legitimacy

-Gorbachev derived an increasingly greater share of his power from his position as president until he finally resigned as General Secretary after the 1991 coup d’état attempt.

Question 17

Did the Soviet Union collapse because of the forces of nationalism? - Gorbachev Removed local leaders and replaced them with Russians

Answer 17

-In the Republics Brezhnev followed a policy of placing local people in positions of power, Many of the local leaders were corrupt

-On taking power Gorbachev removed them from power. Put in place loyal supporters, but these tended to be Russian. Inflamed nationalist opinion who saw it as a Russian takeover

Question 18

Did the Soviet Union collapse because of the forces of nationalism? - Gorbachev Allowed Nationalist leaders to be elected

Answer 18

-Gorbachev’s policy of democratisation allowed nationalist groups to organise, campaign, and then win elections

-In the 1990 elections nationalist groups did well in many of the Republics and they now had a platform to challenge the USSR.

-The newly elected Parliament of Lithuania declared Lithuanian independence from the USSR in March 1990

-Yeltsin stated that laws made in the Russian Parliament were superior to Soviet laws.

Question 19

Did the Soviet Union collapse because of the forces of nationalism? - Emergence of Nationalism in the Republics

Answer 19

1988 Riots in Karabakh, Azerbaijan, between Armenian nationalist and Azerbaijani nationalists

1989 Meskhetian Turks attacked by Uzbek nationalist, leaving 100 dead

-‘Baltic Chain’- August 1989, 2 million people across all three Baltic states formed a human chain almost 700km long to demand their independence

-In 1990 Popular Fronts won a majority in all 3 Baltic States

-Lithuania first declared independence from the USSR in March 1990.

Question 20

Did the Soviet Union collapse because of the forces of nationalism? - Emergence of Nationalism in the Eastern Bloc

Answer 20

-Consequence of the repeal of the Brezhnev Doctrine under Gorbachev

-Eastern European leaders who resisted reform could not rely on Soviet intervention form the USSR

-The anti-authoritarian Solidarity movement led to the Polish Communist Party being disbanded in January 1990

-Hungary – Communist Party removed from leadership in May 1990 and replaced by a centre-right party following democratic elections

-Czechoslovakia – Vaclav Havel of the Civil Forum was elected as president in 1989 in democratic election

-Romania – Communist leader Ceacsescu opens fire on protesters, He arrested and executed on Christmas Day 1989

-The Warsaw Pact later collapsed in July 1991

Question 21

Did the Soviet Union collapse because of the forces of nationalism? - Limitations to nationalism as a reason for the collapse of the USSR

Answer 21

-In an unprecedented referendum held in March 1991 75% of people voted to preserve the multinational union, Only 9 months before the Union’s abolition#

-Although the USSR was composed of different ethnic groups, nearly 1/3rd of the population (75 million citizens) lived outside their prescribed ethnic territories

-More than 60% of non-Russians spoke Russian fluently and most of the other had assimilated some of Russia’s language and culture

Question 22

Did the USSR collapse because of the mistakes of Gorbachev and the actions of Yeltsin - Gorbachev attempted economic and political reform at the same time

Answer 22

-Compare the reforms of Gorbachev to Deng Xiaoping (leader of China)

-In the early 1980s Communist China faced many of the same problems as the USSR.

-In response the Chinese leaders introduced economic reforms without allowing political freedom.

-The lack of political change meant that China continued to be politically stable during the reform process

-When perestroika led to economic chaos, the Soviet people were able to protest and vote for new leaders, which led to the breakup of the Soviet Union.

Question 23

Did the USSR collapse because of the mistakes of Gorbachev and the actions of Yeltsin - Gorbachev was naive

Answer 23

-He thought he could keep Yeltsin out of power completely and By the time Gorbachev realised he had no alternative but to deal seriously with Yeltsin, the task was severely hindered by mutual antipathy and distrust

-He failed to anticipate the effects of glasnost or the extent to which revelations about the past would undermine the Communist Party.

-He believed the Communists’ own propaganda that Communism had created a new Soviet people who no longer felt the pull of nationalism, He failed to see how thin peoples support for the USSR actually was.

-He failed to see that, having embraced democracy, his own refusal to stand for election for President in 1990 would discredit him.

-He kept faith with the Communist Party, even after the 1991 coup attempt. This lost him public support

Question 24

Did the USSR collapse because of the mistakes of Gorbachev and the actions of Yeltsin - Yeltsin and the coup

Answer 24

-Yeltsin played a significant role in the destruction of the USSR due to his handling of the coup.

-Yeltsin became the centre of opposition to the coup. He used the coup as a pretext to ban the Communist Party in Russia and seized Communist Party assets, undermining the Party’s ability to control the Union

-Yeltsin emerged from the coup as a hero, whereas Gorbachev’s reputation was further damaged.

-Following the coup, in December 1991, Yeltsin organised a secret meeting with the leaders of Ukraine and Belarus. The three leaders agreed to destroy Gorbachev’s New Union Treaty by forming the Commonwealth of Independent States.  

-Following the meeting, he persuaded the leaders of the Soviet military to abandon the USSR and form the new Russian Army. Without an army Gorbachev had no way of holding the Union together

Question 25

Did the USSR collapse because of the mistakes of Gorbachev and the actions of Yeltsin - Yeltsin and the Communist Party

Answer 25

-Yeltsin hastened the collapse of the USSR by damaging the authority of the Communist Party.

-In the 1980s Yeltsin developed a reputation for attacking the corruption and the privileges of the Communist Party.

-Following his victory in the 1989 election, he used his democratic mandate to step up his criticism of Gorbachev and the Communist Party, undermining it further

-In July 1990 he resigned from the Communist Party. Yeltsin had been a popular member of the Party, and therefore when he left, the Party’s popularity declined to a mere 20% approval rating

-Yeltsin’s resignation was part of a mass exodus of the Party. During 1990 Party membership dropped from 19 million members to 16.5 million

Question 26

Did the USSR collapse because of the mistakes of Gorbachev and the actions of Yeltsin - Yeltsin and Gorbachev

Answer 26

-Yeltsin also helped bring about the collapse of the USSR by undermining the authority of Gorbachev

-By 1990 Yeltsin was Gorbachev’s most high-profile and popular opponent. In June 1990 opinion polls showed that Yeltsin was more popular than Gorbachev among Russian voters.

-Not only did Yeltsin set out a rival and more radical programme to Gorbachev, Yeltsin presented himself as a rival leader, who could lead a non-Communist government.

-Yeltsin successfully questioned Gorbachev’s right to rule. Yeltsin had democratic legitimacy as he had been elected. Gorbachev had never stood for election, and therefore Yeltsin argued that Gorbachev’s power was illegitimate.

Question 27

Did the USSR collapse because of the mistakes of Gorbachev and the actions of Yeltsin - Yeltsin and Nationalism

Answer 27

-Yeltsin greatly weakened the USSR because he advocated nationalism.

-He continually emphasised the rights and autonomy of Russia over the USSR.

-Yeltsin also supported the growth of nationalism in other Soviet Republics. During the summer of 1990 he visited several Soviet Republics advising their leaders to ‘take as much sovereignty as you can swallow.’

-In 1991 Yeltsin supported the Baltic states declarations of independence from the USSR. In so doing, he supported the creation of national governments, which rivalled and undermined the power of the USSR.