What were the reasons for the fall of the Soviet Union?

1. 60

   abdullahkhan5posted 14 years ago

   What were the reasons for the fall of the Soviet Union?
   
   Their indulgence in Afghan war is one reason that appeals to reason since immediately after that they collapsed. But their fall was not the result of a single event since they could have handled this as they were a superpower. What caused their decline?

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2. 59

   the duce 88posted 14 years ago

   There aer a few. The success of the Democracies, A sinking Soviet Economy, satelite states sirring trouble and clamoring for independence, and also the personality and charachter of Mikhail Gorbachev.
   
   Good quesion! You should take my WWII Quiz and see what you score!

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3. 60

   nextstopjupiterposted 14 years ago

   One of the main reasons for the collapse of the Soviet Union was the pressure which came from the Baltic countries Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, fighting for the restoration of their independence from the empire. Other countries of the empire followed their example, even Russia. But there were other reasons as well, the declining economy, the Afghanistan war, the breakdown of the dictatorships in the satellite countries of Eastern and Central Europe.

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   H P Roychoudhuryposted 14 years ago

   There was continuous decline in the economic condition of the country but still Russia remain united as the country was fighting war in the South in Afghanistan as well as in the West in Europe. But the huge loss of Russian soldiers in Afghanistan created dissatisfaction in the different regions of Russia in an atmosphere of economic distress arousing the sentiment of regional independence. The cohesive force of unity against the aggression of foreign country had vanished in the event of the decision of withdrawing troops from Afghanistan and the regionalism had taken the upper hand in the atmosphere of scarcity and agony of losing the near and drear one in the war.

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5. 60

   RebelFollowerposted 13 years ago

   Basically it was the Soviet Union was so bent on massive military build up it effected the economy in a major way. Sanctions against them played a big role in hurting their economy too

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6. 60

   Daniel J. Neumannposted 13 years ago

   North Korea says it's all because of their revolution. (Let's take a moment to smile at that notion. Okay.)
   
   I think the Soviet Union fell because they were neck-and-neck with us in a never-ending weapons race. You see, Nixon dropped the Gold Standard. The Russians did not. Thus, they had a liquidity short-coming.
   
   So, they dissolved and many of their nukes went missing. I hope terrorists don't get them.
   
   Any who, that's why I think the USSR fell: they went bankrupt.

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7. 58

   ReviewEnvelopeposted 13 years ago

   Below are the main reasons
   Economic Stagnation: by the 1980s, there was zero economic growth, development of the black market for consumer goods, could not produce enough grain, rationing of food, consumer goods were inferior, poor use of resources (Pipeline)
   
   Military Spending: 15-25% of GNP, Americans spent only 5-7%, too much on guns, not enough on butter.
   Political Stagnation and Corruption: Party officials lived a privileged life, they did not want reform when it was most needed.
   
   Ideology: Command economy, complete centralized planning, individual initiative is replaced by quotas and threats.
   
   Nationalism: 50% of the population was not Russian, the non-Russian ethnic groups would fuel the break-up in combination with economic problems and the unwillingness of the new Russian gov’t to turn guns on its own people, like they had before.

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8. 68

   Comrade Joeposted 12 years ago

   If you want an answer based on Objective indicators, rather than the subjective opinions others have given you (Which have no basis in reality) then please read my article here:
   
   http://comradejoe.hubpages.com/hub/Cons … -a-Comrade

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