Introduction:
The Soviet Union was created at the end of World War II with the Communist Russian government as the controlling many of the Axis Eastern European Nations. This created an unwieldy government that could not be managed centrally. The seat of power was in Russia and it claimed the majority of the resources. This caused more and more conflicts with the satellite nations and the Union failed mainly because of economic reasons.
Context:
The Russian Revolution started in 1917 before the start of World War II. The revolution succeeded and monarchy failed for many of the same reasons that the Soviet Union failed. The people were tired, hungry and no longer felt that the government was working for them. Many of the member nations did not join of their own free will but because of political alliances forged during World War II. At the start of the war, Germany and Russia signed a non-aggression pact that divided Poland between them. From then until 1941 the pact held and Russia even helped the Nazis by providing support. Russia itself did not enter the war until the Nazis invaded in 1941. At first, the Nazis were winning but they could not endure the Russian winter and the invasion failed before they reached Moscow. This brought Russia into the war on the side of the Allies, but more in terms of “my enemy’s enemy is my friend rather than the more friendly relationship enjoyed by the other Allied Countries. Although historians have different causes for why this happened, the events remain the same. .
Conclusion:
While many causes contributed to the Soviet Union’s Collapse, most of them are based on economic factors. When the Soviet Union fell the economy had stagnated, the economic reforms attempted in Perestroika had failed and there were not enough economic incentives to encourage innovation, motivate people to do their best and become more productive. . At the same time the Soviet Union was trying to keep up with the United States’ military expansion at the cost of their own infrastructure. Many of the member countries had a greater individual national identity than they felt towards the Soviet Union. These internal problems, along with the added stress of the Cold War was too much for the centralized Soviet Union to solve so the satellite nations broke away. . If the people and the member nations were thriving under the Soviet Union’s governance there would have been no reason for them to separate. However they were not. The economic climate did not allow them to have that kind of success so the Soviet Union, under the duel pressure of internal economic failure and the external pressure to maintain costly military readiness caused the Soviet Union to fail.
Referenc
Russia in World War 2. (2013). Retrieved 08 02, 2013, from World War 2 Insightful Essays: http://www.2worldwar2.com/russia.htm
World-ology. (2013). Causes of Soviet Collapse. Retrieved 08 02, 2013, from World-ology: http://www.worldology.com/Europe/Europe_Articles/causes_soviet_collapse.htm
