History of the Soviet Union
(1985–1991)
History of Russia
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Volga Bulgaria (7th–13th)
Khazars (7th–10th)
Rus’ Khaganate (8th–9th)
Kievan Rus’ (9th–12th)
Vladimir-Suzdal (12th–14th)
Novgorod Republic (12th–15th)
Mongol invasion (1220s–1240s)
Tatar Yoke (13th–15th)
Grand Duchy of Moscow (1340–1547)
Tsardom of Russia (1547–1721)
Russian Empire (1721–1917)
Soviet Russia / USSR (1917–1991)
Russian Federation (1991-present)
Russia Portal
The Soviet Union’s collapse into independ-
ent nations began early in 1985. After years
of Soviet military buildup at the expense of
domestic development, economic growth was
at a standstill. Failed attempts at reform, a
stagnant economy, and war in Afghanistan
led to a general feeling of discontent, espe-
cially in the Baltic republics and Eastern
Europe.
Greater
political
and
social
freedoms, instituted by the last Soviet leader,
Mikhail Gorbachev, created an atmosphere of
open criticism of the Moscow regime. The
dramatic drop of the price of oil in 1985 and
1986, and consequent lack of foreign ex-
change reserves in following years to pur-
chase grain profoundly influenced actions of
the Soviet leadership.[1]
Several Soviet Socialist Republics began
resisting central control, and increasing
democratization led to a weakening of the
central government. The USSR’s trade gap
progressively emptied the coffers of the uni-
on,
leading to eventual bankruptcy. The
Soviet Union finally collapsed in 1991 when
Boris Yeltsin seized power in the aftermath of
a failed coup that had attempted to topple
reform-minded Gorbachev.
The rise of Gorbachev
Although reform in the Soviet Union stalled
between 1969 and 1987, a generational shift
gave new momentum for reform. The war in
Afghanistan, often referred to as the Soviet
Union’s "Vietnam," led to increased public
dissatisfaction with the Moscow regime. Also,
the Chernobyl disaster in 1986 added im-
petus to Gorbachev’s glasnost and peres-
troika reforms, which eventually spiraled out
of control and caused the Soviet sy