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History - Russia > Fall of the USSR > Flashcards

Fall of the USSR Flashcards

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1
Q

What are the 4 main reasons for the fall of the USSR?

A
  1. Economic Weakness
  2. Gorbachev’s reform
  3. Nationalism of the republics
  4. Role of Yeltsin
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2
Q

What were the 4 long-term economic problems in the Soviet Union?

A
  1. Centralisation = wasteful
  2. Decline in production and productivity in industry + agriculture
  3. Degradation of soviet infrastructure
  4. High military expenditure
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3
Q

Give evidence of the Soviet Union’s slowing economic growth.

A

Annual economic growth slowed from 7.1% in the 1950s to 0.6% by 1980.

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4
Q

Give evidence of high military spending

A
  • war in Afghanistan + Arms Race

= military spending was 17% of GDP from 1965-1985

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5
Q

When did the Soviet Government go bankrupt?

A

Summer of 1991

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6
Q

Give evidence of Gorbachev losing control of the union.

A

USSR lost control of Azerbaijan by 1989

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7
Q

Give evidence that Gorbachev’s economic reforms failed to rejuvenate the economy.

A

In 1991, steel production declined by 12%

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8
Q

What are two potential argument aspects for economic weakness being the primary cause of the fall of the USSR.

A
  1. Economic weakness = lower standards of living = popular discontent
  2. Nature of economy (inflexible and unproductive) made reforms destined to fail. It could not adapt to perestroika reforms and problems exposed by glasnost could not be solved.
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9
Q

Give an example of low productivity in the Soviet Union.

A

Soviet farms were 6 times less productive than farms in the USA.

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10
Q

Give an example of the centralised economy being un-coordinated and inefficient.

A

Fertilisers arrived at the wrong time, hampering crop growth.

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11
Q

Give an example of poor infrastructure resulting in poor distribution and waste.

A

In 1990, 218 million tonnes of grain was produced, but there were still shortages due to poor distribution.

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12
Q

Give 2 examples of how Gorbachev tried to reform the soviet economy.

A
  • June 1987 = Law on State Enterprise

- May 1988 = Law on Co-operatives

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13
Q

Give 3 points evidencing nationalism.

A
  1. Ethnic dissent and clashes
  2. Election of Nationalist Candidates
  3. Political unrest and Declarations of Independence
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14
Q

Give an example of ethnic clashes in the republics.

A

1989 - Uzbeks massacred the muslim minority of Meskhetian Turks.

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15
Q

Give an example of the clash between Soviet and Nationalist identity.

A

1986 - protests in Kazakhstan after the Kazakh Secretary of the Communist Party was replaced with a Russian.

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16
Q

Give an example of a republic where a nationalist candidate won, and gained a majority in the Republic’s parliament.

A

Lithuania

17
Q

Give 3 examples of political unrest and declarations of independence.

A
  1. Unrest in the Eastern Bloc - solidarity movement, Poland
  2. Fight for Baltic Independence - rise of popular fronts which later became mass organisations
  3. 1991 - Moldova, Ukraine and Azerbaijan declare independence
18
Q

Nationalism was both a cause and a consequence of the fall of the USSR.
Give 4 reasons for growing nationalism.

A
  1. Present Sentiment
  2. Reform
  3. Events and Momentum
  4. August Coup
19
Q

Causes of Nationalism -

Present Sentiment

A
  • Living memory = many of the Baltic States only joined the USSR in the 1940s, so members of the population could still remember independence.
    Soviet nationalism failed to be created as was strongly based on Russian values.
20
Q

Causes of Nationalism -

Reform

A
  1. Political re-structuring + renewal (purges)
  2. Glasnost
  3. The Sinatra Doctrine
21
Q

Causes of Nationalism -

Events and Momentum

A
  • Revolutions in Eastern Europe were successful. Nationalists in the non-Russian hoped they could do the same. Eg. Poland 1988/1989
  • Soviet violence against Georgian Nationalists + the inability to restore peace in Azerbaijan led to a loss of faith in government and increased ethnic tensions. Soviet forces were blamed failing to prevent violence in some areas, and being to harsh in others.
22
Q

Causes of Nationalism -

Coup of August 1990

A
  • Coup of August 1990 = example of Russian Nationalism

- hard-liners in the party wanted Gorbachev’s radical reforms to the USSR to be separate from Russia.

23
Q

Causes of Nationalism - Gorbachev’s Reform

Purges

A

Purges = Gorbachev introduced a largely Russian leadership across the whole of the USSR when he tried to purge the party of Brezhnev’s supporters who he believed to be corrupt.

  • this sparked resentment in the Republics as they felt they weren’t properly represented. The appointment of Russian leaders also co-incided with further economic decline, so they blamed the Russians for their declining standards of living.
24
Q

Causes of Nationalism - Gorbachev’s Reform

Glasnost

A

Glasnost = policy of openness + transparency

  • exposed the ways in which Stalin had persecuted the USSR’s ethnic minorities, which heightened ethnic tensions
  • allowed people to see the higher standards of living in the West, undermining the perception that the USSR had benefitted people in the Republics
  • the release of political prisoners and greater media freedoms allowed nationalist groups to publish material that demanded greater autonomy. This demonstrated that the Communist Party had little popular support and helped independence movements to gather momentum.
25
Q

Causes of Nationalism - Gorbachev’s Reform

The Sinatra Doctrine

A
  • Sinatra Doctrine = 1989 = Gorbachevs renounced the USSR’s ‘right’ to intervene in other socialist countries
  • without the threat of soviet oppression and violence, revolutions against Communist rule ignited across Europe (eg. Falling of Berlin Wall)
26
Q

What are the 5 argument aspects for Yeltsin being the primary cause of collapse.

A
  1. Popular radical
  2. Rival to Gorbachev
  3. Yeltsin + Nationalism
  4. Yeltsin + the Coup
  5. Yeltsin + the Union
27
Q

Yeltsin -

Popular Radical

A
  • Yeltsin emerged as a popular radical at the very time when Gorbachev was becoming increasingly unpopular and conservative
  • He drove a strong reform agenda, publicly attacking Communists that opposed reform
  • This radical reform agenda won him 89% of the vote in Moscow in the 1990 elections
28
Q

Yeltsin -

Rival to Gorbachev

A
  1. Distancing himself from the Communist Party
  2. Undermining the Communist Party
  3. Building up his own powerbase
29
Q

Yeltsin -

Yeltsin + Nationalism

A
  • He advocated nationalism in Soviet republics, supporting the creation of national governments, which rivalled and undermined the power of the USSR.
  • 1990 = advised leaders of several soviet republics to become independent
  • 1991 = Yeltsin supported the Baltic States declarations of independence from the USSR
30
Q

Yeltsin -

Yeltsin + the Coup

A
  • Coup = 18 August 1991 = hard-liners who opposed Gorbachev’s reforms took over government by establishing and Emergency Committee. Yeltsin contributed to the fall of the USSR through his handling of the coup.
  • Yeltsin became the centre of the opposition to the coup, making a speech standing on top of a tank.
  • He seized Communist Party assets undermining the Party’s ability to control the union
  • Yeltsin emerged from the coup a hero, whereas Gorbachev’s reputation was further damaged.
31
Q

Yeltsin -

Yeltsin + the Union

A
  1. Formation of the CIS
    - following the coup, Yeltsin met the leaders of Ukraine and Belarus. The three leaders agreed to destroy Gorbachev’s Union Treaty by forming the CIS.
  2. Formation of Russian Army
    - Yeltsin persuaded the leaders of the Soviet military to abandon the USSR and form a new Russian Army. Without an army, Gorbachev had no way of controlling the Union
32
Q

How did Yelstin present himself as a rival leader by distancing himself from the communist party?

A
  • reputation for attacking the corruption and privileges of the Communist Party
  • resigned from the Communist Party in July 1990. This made party popularity drop
33
Q

How did Yelstin present himself as a rival leader by undermining the Communist Party?

A
  • attacked corruption and privileges

- used his democratic mandate from the 1990 elections to highlight Gorbachev’s illegitimacy

34
Q

How did Yelstin present himself as a rival leader by building up his own power base?

A
  • he helped for the IRDG. In this sense, he formed an organised opposition group within the Congress of People’s Deputies
  • established a new power base winning elections to the Russian Parliament and Russian presidency
35
Q

What were the 3 phases of Gorbachev’s economic reforms?

A
  1. Rationalisation (85-87)
  2. Reform (87-90)
  3. Transformation (90-91)
36
Q

Describe Rationalisation (85-87)

A

‘acceleration’ = programme of investment to modernise the economy

37
Q

Describe Reform (87-90)

A

increase of market forces

  • law on State Enterprises (87)
  • law on Co-operatives (88)
38
Q

Describe Transformation (90-91)

A

‘500 Day Programme’ = widespread privatisation and complete marketisation

History - Russia (6 decks)

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