The collapse of the USSR at the end of 1991 became a dramatic event of the 20th century. Could this event have been prevented or was this outcome inevitable? Experts still have not come to a consensus.
The reasons for the collapse
In December 1991, the heads of the republics of Belarus, Ukraine and Russia signed an agreement in Belovezhskaya Pushcha on the creation of the SSG. This document actually meant the collapse of the Soviet Union. The political map of the world began to look different.
First, you need to decide on what caused the global catastrophe in order to try to objectively assess the situation. There are many such reasons. This is the degradation of the ruling elites of the “funeral era”, which turned a powerful state into a not very powerful one, and problems in the economy that have long demanded effective reforms. This also includes harsh censorship, deep internal crises, including increased nationalism in the republics.
It is naive to believe that the stars were formed this way and the state disintegrated due to coincidental events. The main political opponent of the Soviet Union was not dozing either, imposing an arms race in which the USSR, given all the existing problems, had no opportunity to succeed. We must pay tribute to the intelligence and insight of Western geopoliticians, who managed to shake and destroy the seemingly unshakable "Soviet machine".
The USSR broke up into 15 states. In 1991, the following appeared on the world map: Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan.
The Cold War, which resulted in the collapse of the USSR, was by no means limited to indirect clashes on all sorts of fronts in countries such as Korea, Vietnam, and Afghanistan. The Cold War took place in the minds and hearts of the citizens of the USSR and the United States. Western propaganda was more sophisticated. The United States and its allies turned all their massive riots and discontent into a show. Hippies could preach love instead of war and the authorities calmly allowed them to state their point of view, nevertheless continuing to bend their policies. In the Soviet Union, dissent was brutally suppressed. And when they were allowed to think “otherwise”, it was too late. The wave of discontent fueled from the outside (and the fifth column took an active part) could not be stopped.
There were a lot of reasons for the collapse, but if you simplify everything, you can come to the conclusion that the USSR collapsed because of jeans, gum and Coca-Cola. There were too many "forbidden fruits", which in fact turned out to be a dummy.
Options for resolving the situation
Probably, the collapse of the USSR could have been prevented. It is difficult to say which solution would be ideal for the state, for the country, for the people, without knowing all the unknown factors. As an example, consider the People's Republic of China, which, thanks to the flexible actions of the authorities, managed to avoid the crisis of the socialist system.
However, the national component should not be underestimated. Although both the Soviet Union and the PRC are multinational states, the peoples of China and the Soviet Union are by no means identical. The difference between culture and history makes itself felt.
I needed an idea for the people. It was necessary to come up with an alternative to the "American dream", which teased Soviet citizens from across the ocean. In the 1930s, when the inhabitants of the USSR believed in the ideals of communism, the country turned from an agrarian into an industrial one in record time. In the 40s. not without faith in a just cause, the USSR defeated the enemy, which at that time was stronger in terms of military power. In the 50s. people were ready for the common good to raise virgin soil on sheer enthusiasm. In the 60s. The Soviet Union was the first to send a man into space. Soviet people conquered mountain peaks, made scientific discoveries, broke world records. All this happened largely because of the belief in a bright future and for the good of our people.
For more than 20 years, in terms of most economic and social indicators, the newly formed countries have significantly rolled back.
Then the situation gradually began to deteriorate. The people began to understand the utopian nature of the ideals of the past. The country's government blindly continued to bend its line, not thinking about possible development alternatives. The aging leaders of the USSR reacted primitively to the provocations of the West, getting involved in unnecessary military conflicts. The ugly growing bureaucracy thought mainly about its own good rather than about the needs of the people, for whom all these "people's" bodies were originally created.
There was no need to "tighten the screws" where the situation did not require it. Then the "forbidden fruits" would not have become so desirable, and the intriguers of the West would have lost their main weapon. Instead of thoughtlessly following the obviously utopian ideals, it was necessary to pay attention to the needs of the people in time even at that time. And under no circumstances should one alternate "thaws" and other liberalities with strict prohibitions. Domestic and foreign policy had to be carried out reasonably tough for the benefit of national interests, but without excesses.
