The collapse of the Soviet Union was accompanied by processes of systemic disintegration in the national economic complex, social structure, political and public spheres of the country. When the USSR collapsed, 15 republics gained independence. This process was accompanied by a "parade of sovereignties." MS Gorbachev (General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU) announced the termination of his activities in his post. He explained his decision by "principled considerations." The Council of the Republics adopted a corresponding declaration. This document officially approved the demise of the USSR (1991, December 26).
Reasons for the collapse
Until now, historians cannot come to a consensus about what specifically provoked this process, whether it was possible to prevent a critical situation and internal destruction of the country. During the years of the USSR, the degradation of power structures was actively going on, and a sharp aging of the members of the highest apparatus was also noted. It should be said that the average age of people in the Politburo was already 75 years old by the 80s. This first led to the "age of the funeral". Then he entered the higher apparatusGorbachev. Mikhail Sergeevich began to quickly gain power and spread his influence due to his relatively young age at that time. At the time of his election as the fifth Secretary General, he was 54. In the years of the USSR, there was an exceptional monocentrism in the adoption of any decisions. Only the "union center" - Moscow - had this right. In most cases, this resulted in wasted time and inefficient implementation of solutions on the ground. Accordingly, this situation caused sharp criticism in the regions. A number of authors believe that the nationalist tendencies that took place in the country became the driving force. When the USSR collapsed, interethnic contradictions reached their peak. Individual nations categorically declared their intention to independently develop their own economy and culture. Among the reasons for the collapse are also the incompetence of the leadership. The leaders of the republics sought to get rid of the control coming from the central government and use the democratic reforms that Mikhail Sergeevich Gorbachev proposed. With their help, it was supposed to destroy the unified system of statehood, to decentralize society.
Economic instability
In the USSR under Gorbachev, as, in fact, before him, there were disproportions in the extensive economic system. The result was:
- Permanent shortage of consumer goods.
- Increasing technical lag in all areas of the manufacturing industry.
Compensate for the latter could be extremely costlymobilization mechanisms. In 1987, a set of such measures was adopted. It was called "Acceleration". However, it was no longer possible to implement it in practice, due to the lack of economic opportunities.
Quantitative plan
When the USSR collapsed, the credibility of the economic system was in critical condition. In 1960-70s. The main method of dealing with the lack of consumer products in the conditions of a planned economy was a bet on the mass character, cheapness and simplicity of materials. Most of the enterprises worked in three shifts. They produced similar goods from low quality raw materials. The quantitative plan was used as the only way to assess the performance of enterprises. As a result, the quality of products manufactured in the USSR dropped sharply.
Discontent of the population
He was caused by regular food shortages. The situation was especially acute in the era of stagnation and perestroika. There was also a shortage in other essential and durable goods (toilet paper, refrigerators, etc.). Restrictions and prohibitions were strictly enforced in the country, which also had a negative impact on the mood of the masses. The standard of living of citizens constantly lagged behind the Western powers. The administrative apparatus made attempts to catch up with foreign countries, but in such economic conditions they were unsuccessful.
Artificial state closure
By the 80s. it became clear to the entire population of the country. The USSR introducedthe procedure for the mandatory issuance of visas for travel abroad. Documents were also needed for trips to the states of the socialist camp. The state had the most severe prohibitions on listening to the voices of enemies, many facts about domestic political problems and a higher quality of life in other countries were hushed up. There was censorship on television and in the press. A number of objectionable works and unknown events in the history of the country were published, the fact of the prohibition of publications was revealed. As a result, mass repressions followed, the Novocherkassk execution, the Anti-Soviet rebellion in the city of Krasnodar.
Crisis
When the USSR collapsed, the chronic shortage of goods reached its maximum. Since 1985, the administrative apparatus began to restructure. As a result, the political activity of the population sharply increased. Mass, nationalist and radical organizations and movements, including organizations and movements, began to take shape. In 1898, it was officially announced that the country was in crisis. By 1991, almost all goods had disappeared from free sale, except for bread. In almost all regions, rationed supply in the form of coupons was introduced. In 1991, the death rate exceeded the birth rate. It was the first officially recorded demographic crisis.
Cold War
During the last years of the existence of the USSR, there was an active destabilization activity of Western countries. It was an integral part of the Cold War. Subversive activities were accompanied by "intelligence" within the leadership apparatuscountries. This opinion is expressed in some of the analyzes made, in particular, by a number of former leaders of the KGB and communist movements.
Boris Yeltsin
Gorbachev tried to save the USSR with all his might. However, Yeltsin, who was elected on May 29, 1990 to the post of Chairman of the Supreme Council of the RFSR, prevented him from doing this. Russia was part of the USSR as one of the republics. She represented the majority of the population of the Union. The central organs of the Russian Republic, as well as the all-Union ones, were in Moscow. But they were perceived as secondary. After the election of Yeltsin, the RFSR began to focus on declaring its sovereignty in the Union, as well as recognizing the independence of other union and autonomous republics. Being in the post of Chairman of the Supreme Court, he also achieved the establishment of the post of President of the RFSR. On June 12, 1991, he became the winner of the popular elections. So he became the first president of Russia.
GKChP
USSR has reached the deepest crisis in all spheres of life. In order to preserve the Union and bring it out of this situation, the State Committee for the State of Emergency was formed. This body lasted from 18 to 21 August 1991. The GKChP included government officials and government officials who opposed the Perestroika reforms carried out by the current president of the Union. Members of the committee opposed the transformation of the country into a new confederation. The forces, led by Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin, refused to obey the formed body, calling their activitiesunconstitutional. The task of the GKChP was to remove Gorbachev from the presidency, preserve the integrity of the USSR, and prevent the sovereignty of the republics. The events that took place these days are referred to as the "August Putsch". As a result, the activities of the State Emergency Committee were suppressed, and its members were arrested.
Conclusion
During the collapse of the USSR, the problems of Soviet society were first denied, and then sharply recognized. Alcoholism, drug addiction, and prostitution have spread to a catastrophic scale. The society has become sharply criminalized, the shadow economy has sharply increased. This period was also marked by a number of man-made disasters (the Chernobyl accident, gas explosions, and others). There were also problems in the foreign policy arena. Refusal to participate in the internal affairs of other states led to the massive fall of the pro-Soviet communist systems in Eastern Europe in 1989. So, in Poland, Lech Walesa (former head of the Solidarity trade union) takes power, in Czechoslovakia - Vaclav Havel (former dissident). In Romania, the removal of the communists took place with the use of force. According to the verdict of the tribunal, President Ceausescu, along with his wife, was shot. As a result, there was a collapse of the Soviet system that developed after World War II.
