Collapse USSR Flashcards
- Long term economic problems of the USSR
Central planning.
atmosphere of fear under St, failed reforms Khrushchev, stagnation under Brezhnev
Lack of failure & investment
Huge military expenditure (18% GDP during 1980s)
Low productivity (social contract)
Inefficient agriculture
- Rationalisation policies 1985-86
Attempt to make Soviet economy more efficient
No large scale reform
Appointed economic advisors & like minded reformers eg. Yeltsin
campaign against alcoholism
12th FYP focusing on investment & production through central planning
- Early failures/problems?
‘Superministries’ resisted by Bolshevik Old Guard & military
Increase in budget deficit: over 6% GDP by 1986
War in Afghanistan + Star Wars Programme= higher expenditure
Decline in oil price
- Perestroika 1987-1990
Law on individual economic activity, undermining central planning
Encouragement of joint ventures
Law on State enterprises
Legalisation of co-operatives
- Failures of market reform
Undermined central planning
Shortages, hoarding & rationing
Products diverted from state shops to co-operatives
- Transformation 1990-1991
Tried to introduce a market economy in 500 days
Allowed & aimed for privatisation of economy
Eventually slowed down reforms
- Problems of Transformation
Market economy was an unattainable goal for such short period of time
Decline in economy due to bankruptcy in government
- Glasnost, 1986-88
‘Openness’
Liberalisation of media; increased criticism as a result
Archives opened 1991: Stalin Purges, Katyn massacre, Gulag
More intellectual freedom
- Political effects of Glasnost
Allowed increase of nationalism in satellite states
Opened up debate in Party; freedom of speech
- Democratisation reforms
Shift power from Party to State
Republic elections 1990
Reforms of 19th Party Conference led to multi party elections where radicals like Yeltsin gained positions
- Problems caused by democratisation
After 1990 elections, Democratic groups did well in Moscow & Leningrad
Therefore weakening of CP
Nationalists used elections to campaign for more independence
Formation of opposition (Inter-Regional Deputies Group led by Yeltsin)
- Examples of growing nationalist unrest
Nagorno-Karabakh in Azerbaijan organised an illegal referendum to join Armenia 1988
Baltic states: Mass democratisation in 1989 & popular fronts winning majorities in elections 1990
Tibilisi Massacre Georgia 1989: Soviet troops kill 19 people
- Consequences of Nationalism in EE
Democratisation: Nationalists able to organise + hold elections
Repeal of Brezhnev Doctrine 1989: gave nationalists freedom to act
When was the Brezhnev Doctrine abandoned?
1989
- Reasons for the Coup
4
Led by Party hardliners who didn’t support G’s Union Treaty (9+1 agreement)
Emergency committee headed by 8 senior communists
Wanted to stop the breakup of USSR & restore law & order
Way to remove Gorbachev from power
- Consequences of the Coup
Failure of the Emergency Committee: coup collapsed 21st August due to lack of military support
Yeltsin called general strike & headed resistance to coup
Enhanced authority of Yeltsin: seen as defender of democracy
Gorbachev’s power undermined
- Role of Yeltsin
Chair of Russia’s parliament: “War of Laws”
Clear & popular advocate for reform
Used Russian nationalism to undermine USSR
Promoted middle-ranking reformist officials
- Gorbachev’s misjudgments
Inconsistencies in his objectives, especially economic reform
Political & economic reform at same time & fast caused instability
Pushed democratisation yet remained unelected
Failed to anticipate effects of Glasnost: undermined CP
Failed to win over CP: no solid support base
Loss of personal authority: little support + Yeltsin undermined him
Outmanouvred by Yeltsin after Coup
When did Yeltsin denounce the privileges of Party leaders & advocated a renewed focus on equality?
27th Party Congress 1986
When did Yeltsin become Russian president?
1991
What effect did Yeltsin’s resignation have on Party membership?
During 1990 Party membership dropped from 19.2M to 16.5M
When was Gorbachev’s new Union Treaty, which guaranteed more autonomy to soviet republics, supposed to be signed?
August 1991
When did Estonia declare itself a sovereign state?
1988
What was the impact of the Sinatra Doctrine?
Made USSR powerless to intervene against rising nationalism in satellites & soviets republics
In which year did Gorbachev introduce his ‘Sinatra Doctrine’?
1989
Which occurrence nearly caused civil war in January 1991?
Red Army’s occupation of Vilnius
The growth of nationalism in which area posed the greatest threat to the USSR?
Baltic States
Why did the nationalist protests in Tbilisi in 1989 damage Gorbachev & the USSR?
Gorbachev sent Red Army &
19 killed
Which territory held an unofficial referendum to join Armenia in 1988, resulting in nationalist tension?
Nagorno-Karabakh
Most pressing reason for resurgence in nationalism?
Glasnost
When was the fall of the Berlin Wall?
Nov. 1989
Which satellite state was the first to have a non-communist prime minister?
Poland
1988 Glasnost extended to criticise Marx & ?
LENIN
1989 Yeltsin won what % of votes for Moscow?
85%
In the 1989 election, what percentage of the seats did the communists win?
80% of seats
By 1985, how much of the Soviet GDP was allocated to defence?
17% of GDP
How many joint economic venues were there by the end of 1990?
3,000
How many informal protest groups & clubs were there by 1989?
60,000
meetings for political reform
1986 Gosplan estimated that … % of machinery was never used?
12% !
ECONOMIC WASTE
American farms employing a fraction of pop compared to USSR were … times more productive than Soviet fairs?
x6
Enterprises were still subject to state interference…
state decided on the allocation of materials
Foreign companies keen to invest in USSR were faced with…
endless bureaucracy that made progress slow
By 1984 oil & gas exports accounted to…
54% of Soviet exports
When was Article 6 repealed?
1990
