The collapse of the Soviet Union is generally considered to have been the event of 26 December 1991. On this day, the Supreme Soviet of the USSR adopted a resolution officially declaring the cessation of the existence of the USSR, marking the dissolution of the USSR.
The reasons for the collapse of the Soviet Union were complex and multifaceted. Here is a detailed analysis of the reasons for the collapse of the USSR:
1. Economic issues:
Inefficient production: According to statistics, the industrial production efficiency of the USSR was only 1 4 of that of the United States, and the number of goods produced per worker was only 1 5 of that of American workers. This inefficient production leads to shortages and inflation.
Shortage of materials: The Soviet Union often faced shortages of materials due to inefficient production. For example, in 1989, the Soviet Union produced only 3 million television sets a year, compared to 50 million in the United States.
Inflation: The USSR faced severe inflation at the end of the 80s due to material shortages and inefficient production. In 1989, inflation in the USSR was as high as 20%, while in the United States it was only 4%.
High unemployment: Unemployment remained high in the Soviet Union due to the rigidity and inefficiency of the planned economic system. In 1989, unemployment in the Soviet Union was as high as 10%, twice as high as in the United States.
2. Political issues:
Bureaucracy: It is estimated that at the end of the 70s, there were about 2 million bureaucratic civil servants in the Soviet Union, each of whom processed an average of more than 10,000 documents per year. This bureaucracy has led to slow policy formulation and implementation.
Corruption: The high-ranking ** used their power for personal gain, and it is estimated that at the end of the 80s, the Soviet Union ** lost about 10% of its GDP to corruption every year.
Privileged Class: The existence of the privileged class has caused ordinary people to lose confidence in the political system. It is estimated that at the end of the 80s, the number of the privileged class was about 500,000, and they accounted for the bulk of the wealth of society.
3. Social issues:
Human rights issues: It is estimated that at the end of the 80s, more than 2 million people in the Soviet Union were imprisoned in prisons or ** camps for political reasons. The human rights of these individuals have been seriously violated.
The issue of freedom of speech: At the end of the 80s, the freedom of the press in the USSR was lower than in most Western countries. Journalists are often arrested or fired for making critical remarks.
4. External factors:
End of the Cold War: With the upheavals in Eastern Europe and the end of the Cold War, the Soviet Union lost its main external support and strategic ally. This made the economic and political problems of the USSR even more prominent. During the Cold War, the USSR received a lot of economic aid and opportunities from Western countries. The loss of these aids and opportunities exacerbated the economic difficulties of the Soviet Union.
U.S. influence: The United States and other Western countries carried out long-term political, economic, and ideological infiltration of the Soviet Union in an attempt to break the Soviet rule. They offered a large amount of economic aid and a program of democratic reforms to induce the Soviet Union to go along the Western course. These aids and programs gave rise to illusions among some people within the Soviet Union about the Western countries that could improve the economic and political situation of the Soviet Union through cooperation with them.
International sanctions: As a result of the actions and policies of the Soviet Union during the Cold War, many countries imposed economic sanctions and embargoes on it. These sanctions exacerbated the economic woes and social unrest of the Soviet Union. For example, in 1983, the United States imposed an embargo on the Soviet Union, which caused the Soviet Union to lose about $1 billion in export revenues.
5. Historical background:
The Stalin model: The Stalin model was the cornerstone of the Soviet political and economic system, but it had many problems, such as bureaucracy, lack of democracy, etc. These problems laid the groundwork for the subsequent collapse of the Soviet Union. The rigid and centralized nature of the Stalinist model led to the corruption of the political system and the rigidity of society. This model restricts the freedom and rights of the people, and makes the people lose trust in the people.
Post-World War II developments: After World War II, the Soviet Union became a great power, but it had a lot of problems economically, politically, and socially. Over time, these problems gradually accumulated and intensified, which eventually led to the collapse of the Soviet Union. In the course of development after World War II, the economic and political system of the Soviet Union gradually became rigid and centralized, the standard of living of the people gradually declined, and social discontent gradually accumulated. The accumulation of these problems eventually led to the collapse of the Soviet Union.