Collapse of the USSR
The causes and reasons for the decline and ultimate collapse of the Soviet Union are many and of a vastly varying nature. Yet, despite the various schools of thought on this issue, these causes can generally be placed into two differing scopes, those being the domestic and international arenas. Much emphasis is placed on the role that international factors played in the demise of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). But particular domestic factors that the Soviet Empire was faced with during its relatively brief historical existence, were possibly the most damaging elements when speaking in relation to the long-term endurance of the USSR. There is no doubt what so ever that international factors - such as the Cold War, or the US Government's policy of 'containment' - played a role in the dissolution of the USSR. But at the same time the Soviet Union faced huge domestic problems such as a rapidly failing economy and a one party political system that was not very adaptable to the political and social conditions that the country existed in. These elements, which placed a huge amount of internal pressure on the Soviet system, combined with these international factors and created a mixture of external and internal pressur
Subsequently, decisions made pertaining to the direction of the country's economy were made under circumstances that distorted realistic economic views and would prove harmful to the longevity of the USSR. But even after the death of Stalin in 1953 the economy continued to suffer from inherent trends of the previous era. Solidarity in Poland provides another excellent example of the Soviet satellite states' objection to being members of the USSR. At the same time that the Soviet economy was failing the superpower was involved in an extremely expensive ideological conflict known as the Cold War. Both of these uprisings were eventually crushed by the Soviet military and in the struggle for control in these potentially damaging situations (from a Soviet perspective) both Hungarians and Czechoslovakians were killed. Heavy industry was created in the Stalinist system by the devotion of all available resources, regardless of costs. The USSR entered Afghanistan in 1979 in what has been described as, an attempt to expand the Soviet Empire by direct force. For the most part there was very little incentive and limited material reward for these workers, who toiled tirelessly to go home to houses in which approximately 25 percent were without hot water and about 15 percent were without baths. In attempting to identify the main reasons behind the collapse of the Soviet Union, this essay will show that it was not a result of clear cut and definitive elements. The USSR suffered heavy losses in this war and as was the case in the Vietnam War, the superpower was defeated. This hindrance became a burden on the society the economy and the system. This essay has given an overview of the key factors that brought about the collapse of the USSR. e that ultimately saw the USSR collapse under it's own weight. This is undoubtedly due to the previously discussed inherent troubles and problems of the Stalinist style economy. This particular model put an end to the market mechanism of prices fluctuating according to demand .
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