Political Weaknesses Responsible for USSR collapse

Question 1

Features of the political system

Answer 1

The commie party was centralised with the politburo making key decisions

Regional parties had to obey the commie party

Question 2

Split in the party

Answer 2

Reformists who wanted freedom of expression and hardline ex brezhnev-ites

Question 3

Why did Gorby invite intellectuals to criticise hardliners?

Answer 3

He had limited support within the party so he looked for support outside of the party, thinking that the intellectuals were his allies

Question 4

27th party congress

Answer 4

Announced democratisation for all soviets

Question 5

Why did Gorby liberalise the media?

Answer 5

To create an alliance between commies, reformers and intellectuals

Question 6

Yakovlev

Answer 6

Responsible for Soviet media, appointed by Gorby

Newspapers began to publish accounts of Stalin’s atrocities, economic failings and previously banned media

Question 7

Tsipko and admission of gov failings

Answer 7

He publically criticised lenin and marx which was an attack on the foundation of communism

The scale of the admissions of failure shook the public’s faith in commie rule

Question 8

Consequences of communism

Answer 8

Did allow intellectuals to criticise Gorby’s enemies in the party
Gorby criticised for reforming too slowly
Republics demanded independence
Destablisied the USSR

Question 9

1988 reforms

Answer 9

Multi candidate elections only allowed people to vote for people from the commie party

Question 10

Consequences of 1989 elections

Answer 10

Nationalists used it to campaign for independence.e.g. in georgia there was violence

Yeltsin emerged as a popular rival to Gorby

Question 11

1990 republic elections

Answer 11

In moscow, ‘democratic Russia’ won 85% of seats

In leningrad, ‘democratic elections 90’ won 80% of seats