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CAUSES OF COLLAPSE OF USSR - Coggle Diagram
CAUSES OF COLLAPSE OF USSR
SOCIAL ISSUES
low standard of living in most satellite states
popular protest against USSR restrictions and/or economic issues
tempting Western prosperity
high levels of apathy and alcoholism
STATES
Poland
Solidarity capitalised on anti-USSR sentiment, economic issues e.g. debt to West
Free elections in 1990 in which Socialists got around 10% of vote
Hungary
Miklos Nemeth enacted reforms after election - multi-party elections, human rights
Czechoslovakia
Havel Civic Forum didn't allow for Communist Party in new govt
Velvet Revolution led to resignation of Communist leadership
GDR
Reunification and entrance into NATO = loss of key bastion of USSR power
GORBACHEV NEW THINKING
GLASNOST
openness allowed criticism of Communism to come to light
Andrei Sakharov and Chernobyl = more openness about negative aspects of USSR
easing of censorship and opening up to Western media boosted wishes for linkage i.e. Germany
PERESTROIKA
End of Brezhnev Doctrine
'Congress of People's Deputies' - democratisation = distance from Communist USSR
Economic restructuring made it impossible to keep up military spending with US
Cancellation of Article 6 - fundamental Communist ideology removed
ECONOMIC ISSUES
most USSR states experiencing economic downturn
inability to maintain arms race and domestic affairs
Perestroika caused great inflation - USSR 13% budget deficit in 1988
Inability of USSR to support the satellite states