The collapse of the USSR Flashcards
Was Lithuania a part of the Soviet Union?
Yes
What happened with Lithuania in March, 1990?
- When Gorbachev visited Lithuania, its leaders put their views to him
- They wanted INDEPENDENCE
- Didn’t want to be part of the USSR
- Gorbachev was uncompromising on this
- However, in March they did it anyway
What happened with Azerbaijan also in March, 1990?
- Gorbachev received a similar demand from Azerbaijan
- He send troops to end rioting there and also to Lithuania
Who did the Russian Republic (the largest within the USSR) elect as its president in May 1990?
Yeltsin
What did Yeltsin believe?
- There was no future in a Soviet Union
- He said that many republics that made up the USSR should become independent states
When did Ukraine declare its independence?
July 1990 and other republics followed
When did Gorbachev receive a nobel peace prize?
October 1990 for his contribution in ending the Cold War - he was an international superstar!
When did the Republic of Georgia declare its independence?
April 1991
What is a coup?
A sudden, violent, and unlawful seizure of power from a government.
What happened in August 1991?
- Hardline Communist Party members + leading military officers attempted a coup to take over the USSR
- Plotters included Gorbachev’s prime minister, Pavlov, and the head of the armed forces, Yazov
- They held Gorbachev prisoner in his holiday home in Crimea
- They sent tanks and troops onto the streets on Moscow
- It was an old Soviet way to keep control
What was the response of the public?
- Huge crowds gathered in Moscow
- They strongly oppose this military coup
- The Russian president, Yeltsin, emerged as the leader of the popular opposition!
- Faced by this resistance, the conspirators lost faith in themselves and the coup collapsed
- Gorbachev returned to Moscow a few days later
When did Gorbachev resign?
25th December 1991 (Christmas day!)
