When the hammer and sickle flag that resembled the Soviet Union was lowered on December 25, 1991, historians, lay people and everyone in between have debated what caused the collapse of the Soviet Union. Ideas ranging from a flawed ideology to start with to Reagan’s administration and the continual push of the West.Over the years, the Soviet Union saw massive amount of change from the collectivization and industrialization during Stalin that brought it to world power status to the crippling economic times of the early 1980’s. One could argue that most significant argument would be the unanticipated consequences of Gorbachev's reform (as well as the longer running need to reform the system).
Due to the then current economic situation, it can clearly be seen that reform, not only in economics was very much needed. Mikhail Gorbachev, General Secretary of the party, had many crises to deal with; massive amount of corruption, oil crisis, arms race, and how to have a peaceful existence. Two of the major reforms that were put in place to help ease off some of the pressure that the Soviet Union was facing were “Perestroika” (restructuring) and “Glasnost” (openness) these policies opened the door to a completely new way of life.
Perestroika had rapid effects. It changed the political structure in a major way, it allowed for a different type …show more content…
Many things had changed in a short amount of time. From the economic trouble, and corruption to the ethnic upheaval across the Soviet Satellite States, the reforms went too far, too fast and spun out of control before anyone in the government wanted to or could even control. Perestroika and Glasnost were just the names of the pieces of paper that would eventually lead to the downfall of the Soviet
Due to the then current economic situation, it can clearly be seen that reform, not only in economics was very much needed. Mikhail Gorbachev, General Secretary of the party, had many crises to deal with; massive amount of corruption, oil crisis, arms race, and how to have a peaceful existence. Two of the major reforms that were put in place to help ease off some of the pressure that the Soviet Union was facing were “Perestroika” (restructuring) and “Glasnost” (openness) these policies opened the door to a completely new way of life.
Perestroika had rapid effects. It changed the political structure in a major way, it allowed for a different type …show more content…
Many things had changed in a short amount of time. From the economic trouble, and corruption to the ethnic upheaval across the Soviet Satellite States, the reforms went too far, too fast and spun out of control before anyone in the government wanted to or could even control. Perestroika and Glasnost were just the names of the pieces of paper that would eventually lead to the downfall of the Soviet