...Why factor that cause the collapse of the USSR? On Christmas Day on 1991,Mikhail Gorbachev resigned as the president of USSR and announced that USSR from then on was not going to existed anymore. Except the US president Reagan, very few people predict the collapse would happened. Evidences prove that the break-up of the USSR was intended and also out of Gorbachev’s expectations. After Brezhnev died. There were lots of problems left to Gorbachev. There were mainly two problems: Economy crippling and severe relationship with the US and eastern European countries.Gorbachev actually had a specific goal to improve USSR’s development by using Perestroika and Glasnost.However, those two police actually accelerated the coming of the fall. with an unintended consequences.However,there are also historian argues conversely that actually it is an intended result that the long-term economics crippling and stagnation caused the financial sustainability of USSR which directly influence people’s life situation and the USSR development. One of the Gorbachev’s policy Perestroika which was reconstruction on economy was one of the factor leads to fall of USSR which wasn't seen as a stimulant of the collapse by Gorbachev. By that time USSR saw its economic crippling. Gorbachev set up goals for ending the economic stagnation and improving the economy in USSR.Perestroika allowed more independent actions from various ministries and introduced market autonomy reforms.The goal of the...
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...Which did more to cause the collapse of the Soviet Communism by 1991, developments inside or outside the USSR? 1991 marks the end of Soviet Communism. Leading to 1991, USSR started to lose support from the Eastern European as USSR was in a situation that provided them with undesirable economic situations, low living standards, political instability and lack of freedom. As a whole, the cause for these situations, thereby leading to the fall of Soviet Communism, can be categorized in two main reasons – developments inside of USSR, and developments outside the USSR. While the external developments such as role of Ronald Reagan & his policies, the Pope’s involvement, rise of non communist movements in Eastern Europe and price of oil and effects on USSR did played a significant role in breaking the Soviet Communism, it is still undeniable that the internal developments, mainly the USSR leaders’ (Brezhnev and Gorbachev) policies, made larger and more tangible impacts that raises the resentment and opposition to Soviet domination, causing it to fall apart. The developments inside the USSR therefore did more to cause the collapse of the Soviet Communism. To begin with, one of the early causes of the fall of communism is due to the stagnation period under Brezhnev where economy did not improve, or rather, declined (which can be seen from USSR’s continuous importing of grain from US). This stagnation was due to expanded military and neglected domestic economy. As a whole, this period...
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...end of USSR's autocratic control of Eastern Europe, and certainly marked the climax of revolutionary changes in Eastern Europe. Resistance to the Soviet Government's reign over its Eastern-European satellite states had increased dramatically after Gorbachev's transition into power and the end of the Cold War, until the 'coup de grace' which was the fall of the Wall signified what was to be the end of the USSR's communist control over Eastern Europe. Events across Eastern Europe, such as the formation of Solidarity in Poland, the dismantling of the Iron Curtain and mass demonstrations across Eastern Europe had all lead up to the final and most significant event of resistance in Europe: the fall of the Berlin Wall. After the end of the Cold War, the USSR along with its satellite states was going down a negative spiral: its resources were drained by the arms race with the USA and by the USSR's involvement in the war in Afghanistan, agricultural production and public services were poor and the people were consequently demoralized. These flaws in the USSR had parallel effects to its satellite states in Eastern Europe. The people in the USSR and Eastern Europe were increasingly frustrated and critical of the communist government in place. This frustration sparked the rising resistance to the communist control in Eastern Europe. The resistance in the Eastern Bloc had started early in the Cold War after Stalin had annexed these countries in Eastern Europe. However, this resistance, no...
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...During the Second World War, the USSR and the USA, the two great nations in the 1940s united each other to defeat their common enemy, Nazi Germany. Their alliance was however ‘unnatural’ as both countries had conflicting ideologies, capitalism vs. communism and both wanted to spread their power and control in the world. Their incompatible ideologies from the start together with their troubled relationship since 1918 when the west intervened on the Russian civil war on behalf of the White Army, created an uneasy alliance in 1941 that that was most certainly ‘bound to fall apart’ when the common enemy was defeated in 1945. In order to come to a conclusion on the extent to which “An unnatural alliance that was bound to fall apart after the defeat of the common enemy” explains the origin of the cold war the essay will be divided into four parts: the opposed ideologies, events from 1919 to 1945, the Yalta and Potsdam conferences, and events subsequent to the conferences until 1949. The Bolsheviks seized power in 1917 leading to the establishment of the world’s first socialist state whose guiding ideas were those of communism. For the leaders of the western countries these ideas threatened the very basis of their societies, economically and politically, as they followed an ideology of Capitalism. For the USSR, capitalism which revolves around private enterprise was seen as creating divisions between rich and poor and thus the communists believed that all goods should be taken over...
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...To what extent was the fall of the Berlin Wall a result rather than a cause of the end of the Cold war? The dismantling of the Berlin Wall in Nov 1989 was one of the most symbolic acts of the Cold War. It was a symbol of the changes that had swept through Europe in 1989 and of the end of the divisions that had marked the essential character of the CW: the ideological split between capitalism and communism. In 1989, the DDR was 4o years old and the East German leadership was prepared to celerbraite its anniversary. At what should have been an event to consolidate the country, the tide was turning against the regime. Gorbachevs reforms had important consequences for the existence of E germany as a separate country. The DDR was a product of Cold War tensions, which had prevented the unification of Germany after WW2. Without these tensions there seemed little reason for Germany to remain divided. Honecker recognized that the DDR could still have a reason to exist if it remained socialist and therefore different from W Germany. Honecker was not in favour of any reform, but the E german population could not be isolated from events in the rest of euope. Large numbers of East Germans had fled from the counrty via Hungary during the summer of 1989, but even more serious for the government were those who were staying put. Gorbys reforms of communism in the Usr had encouraged many E Germanys to push for change. Political groups were formed with huge crowds of demonstrators shouting...
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...1. With reference to the arms challenge by USSR, US responded by developing new military weapons and building more armaments. • After the Second World War, Stalin was determined to make his country into a super power with nuclear capacity to compete with US. In 1949, the USSR exploded her first atomic bomb and became a nuclear power. In 1957, the USSR developed Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM) which could be fired from thousands miles away. • In response to the arms challenges by USSR, US responded by developing more advanced weapons than USSR and building a huge amount of them e.g. after USSR exploded the atomic bomb, US made the first hydrogen bomb. Also, after the USSR developed (ICBM) in 1957, US developed more ICBMS and warheads during 1958 -61. • To conclude, it was USSR started the arm race and this made US response by building more armaments. 2. With reference to the spread of communism in the Eastern Europe by USSR, US responded by adopting the policy of containment. • A civil war between the Greek government and the communist rebels broke out in Greece in 1946. The Soviet Satellites soon came to the aid of the rebels. Also, when Britain withdrew her troop from Greece, it left a power vacuum in the eastern Mediterranean and made Stalin turn his eye to Turkey. He even demanded a base in Dardanelles. • In response to the spread of communism the eastern Europe, the US government gave up her traditional isolation policy and made a firm stand to check...
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...Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan The Invasion of Afghanistan marked the beginning one of the darkest decades in Soviet political action. One of the most decisive event in the latter half of the Cold War, it raised tensions once again and put the two superpowers butting heads once again. A 10 year war that pitted the Soviets against the Mujahedeen backed by many western and fellow Arab nations. Countries had different reasons to support the fight against the Soviets such as the Americans who saw it as another Cold War struggle, to Egypt and other fellow Muslim nations it was to assist a fellow Muslim population fight back against the atheist invaders. This invasion of Afghanistan was met with a worldwide outcry for the USSR to immediately pull out and stop the fighting. The Soviet equivalent of Vietnam, this was a conflict that they realized was unwinnable far too late into the endeavor. This event brought the world to the end of Détente and created high tensions through much of the 1980’s. When the Soviet paratroopers landed over Kabul on Christmas of 1979 the time for current Prime Minister Hazifullah Amin was quickly running out. He was a very unpopular leader with many ideals that did line up with Moscow, however they decided that his time leading the nation was up. On December 27th Soviet troops stormed his palace and murdered him with most of his family. He was almost immediately replaced by Babrak Kamal, a politician who depended very heavily on the Soviet forces to stay...
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...triggering a response from USSR. However, it was not the primary cause as political and military rivalry also contributed to the division of Europe. The introduction of the Marshall Plan by the Americans signified the move from the second stage of the recognition of incompatibility between the two superpowers to the final stage of initiation of action, and hence was significant in showing how the change in relations from co-operation to rivalry eventually led the the separation of Europe into two spheres of influence. Another factor that played a major role in the separation of Europe was the difference in security aims of the Americans and Soviets. Military rivalry, ultimately, is to be primarily blamed for the complete separation of Europe as the arms race that broke out contributed to the severing of friendly and diplomatic ties between the Soviet Union and United States of America. Politically, containment also led to the division of Europe. It influenced American foreign policy towards USSR in a long run. Its objective was to contain the power influence of USSR. One example is the implement of Truman doctrine which clearly showed USA’s political commitment to take over seemingly democratic countries and intervene parts of the world that would fall into Communism. Another example is the Berlin Blockade which was seen by the west as evidence of USSR aggression. And USA response to Berlin Blockade also showed their firm stand in containing USSR. Thus as the political...
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...extent that the arms race did restrain the actions of the USA and the USSR due to the fact that both leaders had mutual understanding of the impact that nuclear weapons would have on both nations, therefore, they couldn't condemn their nations to that sort of destruction.The establishment of MAD was an attempt of both nations to restrain the use of arms race. However, the fact that nuclear weapons were been produced at a rapid pace means that there was still underlying fear that one nation would use the weapon against the other which highlights that arms race did little to restrain the arm to a partial extent. On one hand, it can seem that both leaders, Khrushchev and Eisenhower felt that the prospect of nuclear war was too terrifying, thus, we can argue that nuclear weapons played as a deterrence as both nations could not condemn their nations to nuclear annihilation. For example, the USA detonated their first hydrogen bomb on the first of November 1952 on Enwetak and this created a cloud of 100 miles and 25 miles high, killing every species near it, this highlights the destructive force of a weapon. The fact that the USA did not intervene during the Hungary crisis in 1956, even though, it would have been an beneficial for them as they would have had a democratic nation in a soviet sphere of influence, this strongly shows the willingness of the USA to not enter a war which uses nuclear weapons with the USSR, thus, demonstrating the USA restraint. However, this argument can be...
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...broke out it was more prepared for it than both Britain and Frances. This economic progress was due to the first two five year plans. The Nazi’s were unable to produce as much on a big enough scale to defeat the USSR. Other reasons also played a part in victory for the USSR during WW2. Such as the German tactical mistakes and the alliances the USSR had. The Soviet economy used similar methods to fight the war as it had during the Five-Year plans. There were some innovations though. In the early days of war, Stalin initiated a new policy of relocating the industry so that it would not fall into enemy hands. By November 1941 1523 factories had been taken apart and moved in Eastern regions of Russia. Central planning was also effective during WW2 as by 1942, 56% of the USSR’s national income was devoted to the war; this was a much high figure in comparison than Britain, Germany and America. The production of armament almost doubled between the year of 1941 and 1944, this was remarkable achievement to say a large amount of Russian territory was in German hands already. At the start of the war, Germany looked like an unstoppable force. Hitler’s ability to actually guide the war seemed inadequate as he rose to power and this led to failures. His decision to declare war on the USSR whilst already fighting a war against Britain was risky. Germany also launched an offence called Operation Barbarossa, which was launched later than anticipated which resulted in Germany being unable to reach...
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...Khrushchev tried introducing a few reforms, and led the destalinization movement, trying to return to Lenin’s ideals of Communism. He was also an agriculturist, and was expected to increase the agriculture output in Russia by making it more efficient and streamlined. Brezhnev loosens control, and under him the Soviet Union begins to fall, he allows all dissidents to leave, and the Soviet Union is begins losing its power under him. Gorbachev ended the Soviet Union, and its power by allowing states to disband from the Warsaw pact, and free elections to take place. Stalin’s policy of absolute power caused the USSR to thrive while the people living in it to become unhappy, hungry, and have widespread famines. He used a secret police, and wanted to have everything under Government control, while the rest of the world saw him as erratic leader, domestically he was seen as a man to be feared. People being sent to Gulag’s became common, to such an extent it was hard to find someone who did not know anyone in a Gulag. Stalin had all his political opponents killed, and develops the first nuclear bomb for Russia, and has a giant arms race with the US. Under Stalin, the USSR become the first people to send a machine to space, and take over many colonies under the Warsaw Pact. While Stalin had many successful things, he did many things that people domestically hated. He had the Berlin Wall built so no one could leave. He had widespread famines due to wanting to collectivize farming and killing all...
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...Barbarossa; an offence led by The Axis that forced its way into USSR soil. What had become a major power within Europe had taken aggressive military action towards one of the biggest existing nations of the time – one that was considered extremely backwards socio-economically. On the 23rd of August 1942 the USSR launched a major counterattack against the Nazi-German forces trapping them within the city of Stalingrad and thus initiating the controversial battle of Stalingrad. This action, Operation Uranus – approved by Stalin, would mark the retreat from the Nazi invasion of Europe that would not end until Berlins fall on May 1945. Thus this battle catalysed the conclusion to one of the most horrifying wars of our time. Few events have been up for as much analysis of historical importance as this military action. This due to how it had the ability to cause such an immense war loss and the eventual retreat of Nazi-Germany - particularly after Nazi-Germany´s consecutive military triumphs since the dawn of World War Two. Few, including...
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...immediately stopped trading with Cuba so Castro looked for help from Kruschev. The Bay of Pigs 1961: The new young president Kennedy decided to launch a CIA plan to contain communism. He sent 1,500 cuban exiles into Cuba hoping to spark a revolt against the new communist regime. This was a fiasco as Kennedy had underestimated the popularity of Castro as well as the strength of the Cuban armed forces, he wanted to contain communism. Castro then asked Kruschev to help him with defend Cuba from any other attacks. The US had missiles in Turkey facing towards the USSR so Kruschev wanted threatening missiles as well. Kennedy sent U2 spy planes in which it was confirmed that the USSR were sending missiles to Cuba and the bases were being made towards the US. Kennedy called upon the committee of the National Security to help him decide how to deal with the situation. A naval blockade was then sent around Cuba to prevent the USSR ships containing the missiles to reach Cuba. The ships turned away when they met the American navy, however the missiles already on Cuba carried on being made. Kruschev sent a letter to Kennedy admitting there were missiles on Cuba but only for defence. Before Kennedy could respond another letter was sent from Kruschev stating that he would have them removed if Kennedy removed the US missiles in Turkey. At this point the Soviets had shot down a U2 plane and the driver was killed so many suggested him to start war, however Robert Kennedy then hinted to Kruschev...
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...2015 A-Level paper. Received high level 4 How successful were the economic policies of the USSR from 1953-82? The economic policies of the USSR from 1953-82 were quite unsuccessful. The agricultural policies were unsuccessful, but the industrial policies were successful. This essay will measure success by the impact on the economy, for example whether the industrial change met or succeeded their targets. In 1953, Stalin died and Khrushchev succeeded him as leader of the Soviet Union. Between then and his fall from power, he had to legitimise his leadership, as well as introduce his policy of de-Stalinisation. In addition, Khrushchev wanted to reform failing policies, while still keeping to his successful policies. Brezhnev then succeeded Khrushchev as leader of the Soviet Union and then died in 1982. He wanted to move away from Khrushchev and consolidate his position as leader of the Soviet Union. To measure the success of these policies, this essay will focus on Khrushchev's Seven-Year plan, sovnarkozy and the Virgin Lands Scheme. In addition, this essay will also study Brezhnev's reforms of agriculture, his ninth Five-Year Plan and the Kosygin reforms. It can be argued that the economic policies of the USSR from 1953-82 were not successful under Khrushchev because of the failure of the Virgin Lands Scheme and the agricultural policies under Brezhnev. Under the Virgin Lands Scheme, 6 million hectares of new land was farmed, mostly by the Komsomol, expecting an output...
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...Treaty of Friendship that seemed to confirm US perceptions that China was ready to do Stalin’s bidding in struggle against forces of capitalism and imperialism * Reality was to show much more complex relationship between 2 com powers * Treaty heavily favorable to USSR, reflection of relationship between 2 countries at time * USSR treated China as a junior partner in com alliance * 1 way China could improve standing in relationship was by proving loyalty to cause of world com. In this context it was to take active role in attempting to advance world com * Not easy relationship between S/M * S always cautious in providing help to CCP during civil war. To him Guomindang seemed to offer better bulwark against Jap expansion in China that occurred during 30s and WW2. As a result gave them aid * Only after CCP had taken over in Oct 49 that Stalin was prepared to place relations with M on firmer footing * Alliance with USSR was to be cornerstone of M fp. believed it was only though assistance of USSR that com CH could receive protection it needed against attack from USA and anti-com forces in CH. Also wanted help of Sov experts to ensure socialist society was developed within CH. * USSR agreed to help and Liu Shaoqi (2nd in command) visited Moscow summer 49 to start negotiations * Report to S, sov com party “main headquarters” of com movement. CH is just a “battle-front headquarters” “CCP submits to decisions of Sov com party” even in differences...
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