The USSR was one of the world's superpowers. The collapse of this country caused serious geopolitical changes and a redistribution of spheres of influence between states. It can be said that the disappearance of the USSR as a world player in the political arena had an impact on almost all states of the world.
The significance of the collapse of the USSR for the socialist camp
Even before the beginning of perestroika in the USSR, some socialist states, for example China, embarked on the path of economic and political reforms. But still, the massive changes in the socialist camp took place precisely during the Gorbachev period in the USSR. Even before the collapse of the USSR, Germany was united, liberal reforms began in Poland and Vietnam. The collapse of the USSR also accelerated the collapse of the socialist camp. Czechoslovakia was divided into Czech Republic and Slovakia, democratic elections and political changes took place in the European socialist countries.
The socialist system in one form or another after the collapse of the USSR was preserved only in Cuba and North Korea. Both of these states suffered from the collapse of the socialist camp, but to varying degrees. The Cuban economy was in crisis from 1991-1994 - government revenues fell by 30%.
This happened due to the lack of financial assistance from the USSR, as well as due to the disruption of the traditional trade relations that existed in the socialist camp. Over time, however, the Cuban economy recovered. This became possible due to the initially rather mild communist regime with the country.
Further economic reforms in Cuba show the gradual departure of this country from the socialist model.
North Korea had a much harder time. It simultaneously lost Soviet and Chinese aid, as well as energy supplies - the Soviet Union monopolistically sold oil to the country. This caused a deep crisis in the transport and production sector, and subsequently in agriculture. According to various estimates, from 500 thousand to one and a half million Koreans starved to death during the nineties.
Nevertheless, by the 2000s, the situation in the country had improved somewhat, largely due to the resumption of Chinese aid and the addition of humanitarian aid from the United States. At the same time, spontaneous private entrepreneurship has developed and remains in North Korea under the external severity of the communist regime.
The collapse of the USSR and capitalist countries
For the United States, the collapse of the USSR was the beginning of the history of a unipolar world - the United States became the only superpower in the political arena. Nevertheless, some political contradictions were replaced by others - with radical Islam, which had not previously played a decisive role in the world arena.
For European countries, the collapse of the USSR and the socialist camp became an additional opportunity to strengthen European integration. The former Soviet republics of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia joined the European Union, like most other former socialist countries.
Some of the countries that emerged after the collapse of socialist Yugoslavia still remain outside the European Union.
Some African countries with a pro-Soviet regime lost Soviet support and subsidies. Also, the Arab countries have lost an ally in the conflict with Israel. Nevertheless, the world has not become completely unipolar - China is beginning to play an increasing role in the political arena, which often opposes US decisions on various geopolitical issues.
