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The End of Bipolarity 3 In the arms race, the Soviet Gorbachev, did not intervene Union managed to match the US when the disturbances occurred, from time to time, but at great and the communist regimes cost. The Soviet Union lagged collapsed one after another. behind the West in technology, LEADERS OF THE infrastructure (e.g., transport, These developments were SOVIET UNION accompanied by a rapidly power), and most importantly, in escalating crisis within the USSR fulfilling the political or economic aspirations of citizens. The Soviet that hastened its disintegration. Gorbachev initiated the policies invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 of economic and political reform weakenedthesystemevenfurther. and democratisation within Though wages continued to grow, the country. The reforms were productivity and technology fell opposed by leaders within the considerably behind that of the Joseph Stalin Communist Party. (1879-1953) West. This led to shortages in all consumer goods. Food imports A coup took place in 1991 that Successor to Lenin increased every year. The Soviet was encouraged by Communist and led the Soviet Party hardliners. The people had Union during its economy was faltering in the late consolidation 1970s and became stagnant. tasted freedom by then and did (1924-53); not want the old-style rule of the began rapid Communist Party. Boris Yeltsin industrialisation G orbachev and the emerged as a national hero in and forcible opposing this coup. The Russian collectivisation D isintegration Republic, where Yeltsin won a of agriculture; Mikhail Gorbachev, who had popular election, began to shake credited with Soviet victory become General Secretary of off centralised control. Power in the Second the Communist Party of the began to shift from the Soviet World War; held Soviet Union in 1985, sought centre to the republics, especially responsible for to reform this system. Reforms in the more Europeanised part the Great Terror were necessary to keep the USSR of the Soviet Union, which saw of the 1930s, abreast of the information and themselves as sovereign states. authoritarian functioning and technological revolutions taking The Central Asian republics elimination of place in the West. However, did not ask for independence rivals within the Gorbachev’sdecisionto normalise and wanted to remain with the party. relations with the West and Soviet Federation. In December democratise and reform the 1991, under the leadership of Soviet Union had some other Yeltsin, Russia, Ukraine and effects that neither he nor anyone Belarus, three major republics else intended or anticipated. The of the USSR, declared that the people in the East European Soviet Union was disbanded. The countries which were part of the Communist Party of the Soviet Soviet bloc started to protest Union was banned. Capitalism against their own governments and democracy were adopted and Soviet control. Unlike in the as the bases for the post-Soviet past, the Soviet Union, under republics. Reprint 2026-27