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Apr 15, 2024 · Collapse of the Soviet Union, sequence of events that led to the dissolution of the U.S.S.R. on December 31, 1991. The reforms implemented by President Mikhail Gorbachev and the backlash against them hastened the demise of the Soviet state. Learn more about one of the key events of the 20th century in this article.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
The Soviet Union collapsed with dramatic speed in the last quarter of 1991. Between August and December, 10 republics seceded from the union, largely out of fear of another coup. By the end of September, Gorbachev no longer had the ability to influence events outside of Moscow.
- 16 November 1988 – 26 December 1991, (3 years, 1 month, and 10 days)
Sep 1, 2017 · The Cold War power struggle—waged on political, economic and propaganda fronts between the Eastern and Western blocs—would persist in various forms until the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.
The unsuccessful August 1991 coup against Gorbachev sealed the fate of the Soviet Union. Planned by hard-line Communists, the coup diminished Gorbachev’s power and propelled Yeltsin and the democratic forces to the forefront of Soviet and Russian politics.
Apr 17, 2018 · Was the Soviet Union’s Collapse Inevitable? Some blame Mikhail Gorbachev for the collapse of the Soviet Union. But the economy and political structure were already in deep decay. By:...
- 6 min
This section explains the fall of the Soviet Union and the end of communism, and the resulting political, economic and societal shifts which brought about major conflict and change both in former Soviet states and in Western Europe.
