Soviet Union Failure

The end of the Cold War is a new beginning towards a more peaceful world, today. The rivalry between the two most powerful countries in the world came to an end when the Soviet Union collapsed. A number of events led up to the collapse of the Soviet Union such as its failing economy. After the fall of the Soviet Union, Communism fell along-side it. Ultimately, new democratic countries faced several obstacles as they fought for control in Eastern Europe. The fall of the Soviet Union can be traced back to multiple events. The declining economy set the Soviet Union back a couple of steps. For instance, under Leonid Brezhnev's control, the Soviet Union focused their spendings on the military. "Heavy military spending stifles growth in other sectors of the economy. Soviet workers had to make do …show more content…
The Cold War separated West and East Germany, with the U.S. supporting one side while the USSR controlling the other. However, East Germany rebelled when the Soviet Union stopped aiding them because they were at war in Afghanistan. “The reunification of Germany on October 3, 1990, was a powerful symbol of the end of the Cold War” (Spielvogel, 2010). In Romania, the Communist leader, Nicolae Ceausescu bulldozed an entire village for rapid urbanization. He was eventually executed when he sent his secret police to murder thousands of people. Czechoslovakia was divided into the Czech Republic and Slovakia when the Communist government collapsed due to ethnic groups conflicting. The fall of Communism resulted in many challenges in the new democratic countries in Europe. Some countries became better while others became worst. France and the Soviet Union's economy further deteriorated as Yugoslavia and Poland was free from Communism. Moreover, in Great Britain, Thatcherism made South Britain thrive while North Britain was at a high unemployment