Fall of the USSR Flashcards
What was the August Coup of 1991?
A group of hardline Communists tried to take control of the Soviet government from its leader, Mikhail Gorbachev. This attempt failed, and it showed that the Soviet Union was falling apart.
What role did Baltic Independence Movements play in the fall of the USSR?
Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, three countries controlled by the Soviet Union, wanted to become independent. Their efforts helped break up the Soviet Union.
What was the significance of the August Putsch?
This was another word for the August Coup. It’s called a “putsch” because it means an attempt to overthrow a government.
Who was Mikhail Gorbachev, and what were his policies?
He was the leader of the Soviet Union and tried to change things with new policies. But these changes ended up causing the Soviet Union to break apart.
Who was Boris Yeltsin, and how did he contribute to the fall of the USSR?
He was a leader in Russia who fought against the August Coup. Later, he became the first president of Russia after the Soviet Union ended.
What role did Ronald Reagan play in the collapse of the Soviet Union?
He was the president of the United States and was tough on the Soviet Union, which helped speed up it’s collapse.
What were the economic challenges faced by the USSR?
The Soviet Union had a lot of problems with money and the economy. People weren’t happy because they didn’t have enough of what they needed.
How did nationalist movements contribute to the fall of the USSR?
People in different parts of the Soviet Union wanted to have their own countries instead of being part of the Soviet Union. This made the country fall apart.
What were Gorbachev’s policies of glasnost and perestroika, and how did they impact the Soviet Union?
Gorbachev tried to make things better by allowing more freedom and change. But this made people want even more change, and it ended up breaking the Soviet Union.
When did the Soviet Union formally dissolve, and what were the consequences?
The Soviet Union officially ended on December 26, 1991. This made a lot of new countries appear on the map, changing the world.
How did the fall of the USSR contribute to the end of the Cold War?
With the Soviet Union gone, the tension between the United States and the Soviet Union ended. This was a big deal because it had lasted for so many years.
What were some challenges faced by former Soviet states in transitioning to market economies?
After the Soviet Union ended, countries had to change how they ran their economies. This was hard for many people because it meant big changes in how they lived.
Who is Vladimir Putin, and how did he come to power?
After the Soviet Union ended, a new leader named Vladimir Putin came into power in Russia. He made Russia strong again, but he also made it more like how it was during the Soviet Union.
What are some ongoing conflicts in former Soviet Republics?
When the Soviet Union ended, some places had fights and wars because they wanted to be independent. This caused a lot of problems.
How do historians interpret the fall of the USSR?
Different people have different ideas about why the Soviet Union ended. Some say it was because of money problems, some say it was because people wanted more freedom, and some say it was because of other countries’ actions.
