The Soviet Union was dissolved December 26, 1991. This was announced in Declaration No. 142-N issued by the Supreme Council of the Soviet Union. The Declaration recognized the independence of the former Soviet republics and created the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), although five of its signatories ratified it much later or did not do so at all.
The day before, Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev resigned and transferred his powers, including control over Soviet launch codes nuclear missiles, President of Russia - Boris Yeltsin. That same evening at 7:32 the Soviet flag was replaced by the pre-revolutionary Russian flag.
A week before the official termination Union of 11 republics signed the Alma-Ata Protocol, which formally created the CIS. The collapse of the USSR also marked end cold war .
Some of the republics have maintained close ties with the Russian Federation and have created multilateral organizations, such as:
- Eurasian Economic Community;
- Union State;
- Eurasian Customs Union and the Eurasian Economic Union.
On the other hand, the Baltic countries have joined NATO and the European Union.
Spring 1989 The people of the Soviet Union, in a democratic choice, albeit limited, for the first time since 1917, elected a new Congress of People's Deputies. This example prompted the events that began to occur in Poland. The communist government in Warsaw was overthrown, which in turn sparked coups that overthrew communism in the other five countries Warsaw Pact until the end of 1989. The Berlin Wall was torn down.
These events showed that people of Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union did not support Gorbachev’s desire to modernize the communist system.
October 25, 1989 The Supreme Council voted to expand the power of the republics in local elections, allowing them to decide for themselves how to organize voting. Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia have already proposed laws on direct presidential elections. Local elections in all republics were scheduled for the period from December to March 1990.
In December 1989 The Congress of People's Deputies took place and Gorbachev signed the report of the Yakovlev Commission condemning the secret protocols of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.
The constituent republics of the union began to declare their national sovereignty and “war of laws” with the central government of Moscow; they rejected national legislation that conflicted with local laws, asserted control over the local economy, and refused to pay taxes. These processes began to occur everywhere and simultaneously.
Rivalry between the USSR and the RSFSR
March 4, 1990 The RSFSR Republic held relatively free elections. Boris Yeltsin was elected representing Sverdlovsk with 72 percent of the vote. On May 29, 1990, Yeltsin was elected chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR, despite the fact that Gorbachev asked Russian deputies not to vote for him.
Yeltsin was supported by democratic and conservative members of the Supreme Soviet, who were seeking power in the evolving political situation. A new struggle for power arose between the RSFSR and the Soviet Union. On July 12, 1990, Yeltsin resigned from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation in a dramatic speech at the 28th Congress.
Lithuania
11th of March The newly elected parliament of the Lithuanian SSR proclaimed the Law on the Restoration of Lithuania, making it the first republic to separate from the USSR.
Estonia
March 30, 1990 Estonia declared the Soviet occupation of Estonia after World War II illegal and began to restore Estonia as an independent state.
Latvia
Latvia announced the restoration of independence May 4, 1990 with a declaration providing for a transition period for full independence.
Ukraine
July 16, 1990 Parliament overwhelmingly approved the Declaration of Sovereignty of Ukraine - 355 votes and four against. MPs voted 339–5 to declare July 16 a national holiday in Ukraine.
March 17, 1991 In the All-Union referendum, 76.4 percent of people were in favor of preserving the Soviet Union. Boycotted the referendum:
- Baltic republics;
- Armenia;
- Georgia;
- Moldova;
- Checheno-Ingushetia.
In each of the remaining nine republics, a majority of voters supported maintaining the reformed Soviet Union.
Russian President Boris Yeltsin and the attempted coup
June 12, 1991 Boris Yeltsin won democratic elections, defeating Gorbachev's preferred candidate, Nikolai Ryzhkov. After Yeltsin's election to the presidency, Russia declared itself independent.
Faced with growing separatism, Gorbachev sought to rebuild the Soviet Union into a less centralized state. On August 20, 1991, the Russian SSR was supposed to sign a union treaty that would turn the Soviet Union into a federation. This was strongly supported by the Central Asian republics, who needed the economic benefits of a common market to prosper. However, this would mean some degree of continuation of the Communist Party over the economic and social life.
More radical reformists increasingly convinced of the need for a rapid transition to a market economy, even if the end result meant the collapse of the Soviet Union into several independent states. Independence also suited Yeltsin's desires for regional and local governments to be freed from Moscow's large-scale control.
In contrast to the warm reaction of the reformers to the treaty, the conservatives, "patriots" and Russian nationalists of the USSR, still strong within the CPSU and the military, opposed the weakening of the Soviet state and its centralized power structure.
August 19, 1991 years, high-ranking officials of the USSR formed the “General Committee for Emergency Situations”. The leaders of the coup issued an emergency decree suspending political activity and banning most newspapers.
The coup organizers expected public support, but found that public opinion V major cities and the republics were mostly against them. This manifested itself in public demonstrations, especially in Moscow. RSFSR President Yeltsin condemned the coup and received popular support.
After three days, August 21, 1991, the coup collapsed. The organizers were detained, and Gorbachev was restored as president, although his power was greatly shaken.
August 24, 1991 Gorbachev dissolved the Central Committee of the CPSU, resigned as the party's general secretary and dissolved all party units in the government. Five days later, the Supreme Council indefinitely suspended all activities of the CPSU on Soviet territory, effectively ending communist rule in the Soviet Union and destroying the only remaining unifying force in the country.
In what year did the USSR collapse
Between August and December, 10 republics declared their independence, largely out of fear of another coup. By the end of September, Gorbachev no longer had the authority to influence events outside Moscow.
September 17, 1991 General Assembly resolutions 46/4, 46/5 and 46/6 recognized Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania as members of the United Nations in accordance with Security Council resolutions No. 709, 710 and 711, adopted on 12 September without a vote.
The final round of the collapse of the Soviet Union began with a popular referendum in Ukraine on December 1, 1991, in which 90 percent of voters chose independence. The events that took place in Ukraine destroyed any real chance for Gorbachev to preserve the USSR, even on a limited scale. The leaders of the three main Slavic republics: Russia, Ukraine and Belarus agreed to discuss possible alternatives to the USSR.
December 8 the leaders of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus met secretly in Belovezhskaya Pushcha, in the west of Belarus, and signed a document in which it was said that the USSR ceased to exist and announced the creation of the CIS. They also invited other republics to join the CIS. Gorbachev called it an unconstitutional coup.
Doubts remained as to whether the Bialowieza Agreement was legal, since it was signed by only three republics. However, on December 21, 1991, representatives of 11 of the 12 remaining republics, except Georgia, signed a protocol that confirmed the dissolution of the Union and officially formed the CIS.
On the night of December 25, at 19:32 Moscow time, after Gorbachev left the Kremlin, the Soviet flag was lowered into last time and in its place the Russian tricolor was raised, symbolically signifying the end of the Soviet Union.
That same day, United States President George W. Bush made a short televised speech officially recognizing the independence of the 11 remaining republics.
Alma-Ata Protocol also touched on other issues, including UN membership. It is noteworthy that Russia was authorized to accept membership in the Soviet Union, including its permanent place in the Security Council. The Soviet Ambassador to the UN sent a letter to the UN Secretary General dated December 24, 1991, signed by Russian President Yeltsin, informing him that by virtue of the Alma-Ata Protocol, Russia had become the successor state of the USSR.
After being circulated to other UN member states without objection, the statement was declared accepted on the last day of the year, December 31, 1991.
Additional Information
According to a 2014 survey, 57 percent of Russian citizens regretted the collapse of the Soviet Union. Fifty percent of respondents in Ukraine in a February 2005 survey said they also regretted the collapse of the USSR.
The collapse of economic ties that occurred during the collapse of the Soviet Union led to a serious economic crisis and a rapid decline in living standards in the post-Soviet states and the former Eastern Bloc.
Membership in the United Nations
In a letter dated December 24, 1991 The president Russian Federation Boris Yeltsin informed Secretary General United Nations that the Russian Federation continues its membership in UN bodies with the support of 11 member countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States.
Belarus and Ukraine by this time were already members of the UN.
Other twelve independent states, created from former Soviet republics, were also admitted to the UN:
- 17 September 1991: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania;
- March 2, 1992: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan;
- July 31, 1992: Georgia.
Video
From the video you will learn about the reasons for the collapse of the USSR.
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In the mid-80s, the USSR included 15 union republics. the inconsistency of national policy has given rise to numerous
contradictions in interethnic relations. In conditions of publicity, these contradictions
developed into open conflicts. The economic crisis that has engulfed the entire
national economic complex, aggravated interethnic tensions. The inability of the central authorities to cope with economic difficulties caused
growing discontent in the republics.
Since the late 80s, the movement for their secession from the USSR has intensified.
state sovereignty was approved by the Supreme Council of the Estonian SSR. Identical
documents were adopted by Lithuania, Latvia, Azerbaijan SSR (1989) and Moldavian SSR
(1990). On June 12, 1990, the First Congress of People's Deputies of the RSFSR adopted the Declaration on State
sovereignty of Russia. It legislated the priority of republican laws
over the allies. B.N. Yeltsin became the first president of the Russian Federation, and A.V. Rutskaya became the vice-president. Declarations of sovereignty by the union republics were placed at the center of political life
the question of the continued existence of the Soviet Union. IV Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR
(December 1990) spoke in favor of preserving the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics And
its transformation into a democratic federal state.
In April - May 1991 in Novo-Ogarevo (Moscow region
residence of the President of the USSR) negotiations took place between M. S. Gorbachev and the leaders
nine union republics on the issue of a new union treaty. All negotiators
supported the idea of creating a renewed Union and signing such an agreement. His project
provided for the creation of the Union of Sovereign States (USS). The signing of the agreement was scheduled for August 20, 1991.
statesmen declared the impossibility of M. S. Gorbachev due to his condition
health to perform presidential duties. A state of emergency was declared in the country
for a period of 6 months, rallies and strikes were prohibited. The creation of the State Emergency Committee was announced -
State Committee for the State of Emergency in the USSR. Moscow became the center of the August events. Troops were brought into the city.
A curfew was established. Broad sections of the population, including many workers
party apparatus, did not provide support to members of the State Emergency Committee. President of Russia B. N. Yeltsin
called on citizens to support the legally elected authorities. The actions of the State Emergency Committee were assessed by him
as an unconstitutional coup. It was announced that it would be transferred to the jurisdiction of the Russian
President of all all-Union bodies located on the territory of the republic
executive power.
government structure. The events of August 19-22 brought the collapse of the Soviet Union closer. At the end of August they announced
the creation of independent states in Ukraine, and then other republics.
In December 1991, a meeting of the leaders of three
sovereign states - Russia (B. N. Yeltsin), Ukraine (L. M. Kravchuk) and Belarus (S. S.
Shushkevich). On December 8, they announced the termination of the Union Treaty of 1922. At the same time, an agreement was reached
agreement on the creation of the CIS - Commonwealth of Independent States. Union of Soviets
The Socialist Republics ceased to exist. In December of the same year, to the Commonwealth
Eight more former republics joined the Independent States (Alma-Ata
agreement).
№50. Russia in the 1990s. - beginning XXI V.
Russia after the collapse of the USSR.
Russia inherited from the USSR the status of a great nuclear power, about 60% of its economic, scientific and technical potential, most of the territory rich natural resources. At the same time, the Russian Federation also inherited serious problems, such as debt obligations former USSR(about 70 billion dollars), depreciation of fixed assets of industry (about 70%). The country's economy in the early 1990s. was in a difficult situation. There was an increasing shortage of essential goods, including food. Heavy industry and defense enterprises were left without government orders. This threatened to cause a rapid rise in unemployment. After the collapse of the CMEA (council for mutual economic assistance) and the collapse of the USSR, the country's external economic relations came into complete disarray.
Under these conditions, President B.N. Yeltsin formed a government in which key positions were occupied by young supporters of reforms - the acting prime minister E.T. Gaidar(b. 1956), deputy prime ministers A.N. Shokhin(b. 1951) and A.B. Chubais(b. 1955). They set a course for improving the economy through its rapid transition to a market economy. The way they proposed to get the country out of the crisis began to be called shock therapy .
The reforms began with price liberalization. those. refusal of their state regulation. Restrictions on private business activities, including in the field of trade, were lifted. began to be implemented privatization.
Privatization is the transfer (or sale) of part of state property into private hands. Since October 1, 1992, citizens of the country were issued privatization checks - vouchers . They gave the right to purchase shares of enterprises. The privatization of housing has begun. Russian citizens received the right to transfer the apartments they occupied into personal property, which they could dispose of at their own discretion. A housing market has emerged in the country .
The degree of openness of society has increased. Russian citizens have received greater access than ever before to the achievements of science and culture of foreign countries, the acquisition of imported goods, and tourism.
Political development of Russia in 1991-1999.
was renamed the Russian Federation - Russia. The lack of a clear delineation of powers between the President, on the one hand, and the Supreme Council and the Congress of People's Deputies, on the other, caused acute 330
opposition between two branches state power- legislative and executive. The relationship between them became especially aggravated during the development of the constitutional
project of the Russian state. Anti-presidential sentiment has intensified among parliamentarians
moods. IN
In December 1992, under pressure from the legislative branch, the government of E.T. resigned.
Gaidar. V.S. Chernomyrdin became the new Prime Minister of the Cabinet of Ministers, but this did not relieve tension in society and in
relations between President B.N. Yeltsin and parliament.
In April 1993, on the initiative of the Congress of People's Deputies, a referendum was held on
confidence in the president, early elections of the president and people's deputies. over half supported the president and his
socio-economic policy. The confrontation between the branches of government intensified in the fall of 1993. September 21, 1993 B.N.
Yeltsin announced the dissolution of representative bodies of power - the Supreme Council of the Russian Federation and
deputies refused to recognize the legality of the president’s actions and announced his removal from
authorities. The new president, A.V. Rutskoy, was sworn in. The confrontation between the two forces caused armed clashes in Moscow on October 3-4, during which over a hundred people were killed. Having gained the upper hand, the President began to liquidate councils throughout the country. At the same time, a referendum on the new Constitution and the election of a new parliament were scheduled for December 1993.
The Constitution of the Russian Federation was adopted. Russia was declared democratic
a federal legal state with a republican form of government. Head
The state was a president elected by popular vote. The independence of the organs of the three branches was emphasized
powers - legislative, executive and judicial. Legislatively
the bicameral structure of the Federal Assembly was consolidated - a permanent
legislative body of the Russian Federation. Political multi-party system, the right to freedom of labor and the right to
private property.
Political parties in the State Duma. In December 1993, elections were held in
a new body of government - the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation,
consisting of two chambers: the Federation Council and the State Duma. As a result of elections held on a multi-party basis, parliament included
representatives of 8 parties. Largest number seats were received by “Choice of Russia”, LDPR, Agrarian
party and the Communist Party of the Russian Federation. State Duma headed by I.P. Rybkin.
In June-July 1996, presidential elections took place - the first elections of the President of sovereign Russia. In the second round of the presidential elections (July 3, 1996), Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin won. On December 31, 1999, the first President of the Russian Federation B.N. announced his early resignation.
Yeltsin. He appointed V.V. Putin, head of the
Federation.
Socio-economic development 1992-2003
Rising unemployment. The growth of crime and the criminalization of the economy was becoming increasingly widespread. Bribery and racketeering by officials and criminal organizations flourished. The number of homeless children living by begging and doing small jobs has sharply increased.
On August 17, 1998, the head of the Cabinet announced default- the government’s refusal to repay the country’s external and internal debts. The ruble was redenominated. denomination is the reduction of zeros in a monetary unit, for example, there were 10,000 old rubles, now there are 10 new rubles.
Foreign policy of Russia in the 20th - early 21st centuries
Russia's accession to the Partnership for Peace program proposed by NATO (1994). In May 1997, controversial issues between Russia and Ukraine were resolved by signing an agreement on friendship, cooperation and partnership. In 1996, in the Moscow Kremlin, in a solemn ceremony, the Presidents of Russia and Belarus Boris Yeltsin and Lukashenko signed the “Treaty on the Formation of the Community of Belarus and Russia ". With the election of V.V. Putin as president, Russian diplomacy took new steps to overcome the consequences of the Cold War. Russia unilaterally liquidated military bases in Vietnam and Cuba. Bilateral trade and economic cooperation between Russia and India and the countries of the Islamic world developed successfully. International cooperation in the fight against terrorism has expanded. Cooperation in the peaceful exploration of outer space and the fight against the negative effects of pollution is becoming increasingly widespread. environment on human life.
The collapse of the USSR occurred in 1991, and the history of Russia began. Many states that had recently called themselves “brothers forever” now fiercely defended the right to sovereignty, and even fought with each other.
Meanwhile reasons for the collapse of the USSR lie on the surface, moreover, the collapse of the Soviet empire was inevitable.
Reasons for the collapse of the USSR: why did the Union collapse?
Historians, sociologists and political scientists identify several main reasons collapse of the USSR:
- Totalitarian regime. A country where any dissent is punishable by death, imprisonment or a certificate of incapacity is doomed to destruction, so only the “capture” will be at least slightly weakened and citizens will be able to raise their heads.
- Interethnic conflicts. Despite the declared “brotherhood of peoples,” in reality, the Soviet state simply turned a blind eye to interethnic strife and preferred not to notice and hush up the problem. Therefore, at the end of the 80s, a long-gestating explosion occurred in several places at once - Georgia, Chechnya, Karabakh, and Tatarstan.
- Economic recession. After the global fall in oil prices, the Union had a hard time - many still remember the total shortage of all products and huge queues.
- "Iron Curtain" and "Cold War". The Soviet Union artificially whipped up anti-Western hysteria, convincing its citizens that there were only enemies everywhere, spent huge amounts of money on defense and the arms race, and ridiculed and banned any trends from the rest of the world. The forbidden fruit is sweet, and in time soviet people began to feel much more trust in both the things and ideas of the Western world.
From the USSR to the CIS.
1991 became the year of the collapse of the USSR, and Mikhail Gorbachev resigned as president. A new state emerged - Russia, and a new “union” of free independent countries - the CIS. This association included all the former republics of the Soviet Union - but now each of them lived according to its own laws, maintaining only neighborly relations with others.
In March 1990, at an all-Union referendum, the majority of citizens spoke in favor of preserving the USSR and the need to reform it. By the summer of 1991, a new Union Treaty was prepared, which gave a chance to renew the federal state. But it was not possible to maintain unity.
Currently, there is no single point of view among historians on what was the main cause of the collapse of the USSR, and also on whether it was possible to prevent or at least stop the process of collapse of the USSR. Among possible reasons are called the following:
· The USSR was created in 1922. as a federal state. However, over time, it increasingly turned into a state controlled from the center and leveling out the differences between the republics and subjects of federal relations. The problems of inter-republican and interethnic relations have been ignored for many years. During the years of perestroika, when interethnic conflicts became explosive and extremely dangerous, decision-making was postponed until 1990-1991. The accumulation of contradictions made disintegration inevitable;
· The USSR was created on the basis of recognition of the right of nations to self-determination, The federation was built not on a territorial, but on a national-territorial principle. In the Constitutions of 1924, 1936 and 1977. contained norms on the sovereignty of the republics that were part of the USSR. In the context of a growing crisis, these norms became a catalyst for centrifugal processes;
· the unified national economic complex that developed in the USSR ensured the economic integration of the republics. However As economic difficulties grew, economic ties began to break down, the republics showed tendencies towards self-isolation, and the center was not ready for such a development of events;
· Soviet politic system was based on strict centralization of power, the real bearer of which was not so much the state as the Communist Party. The crisis of the CPSU, its loss of its leadership role, its collapse inevitably led to the collapse of the country;
· the unity and integrity of the Union was largely ensured by its ideological unity. The crisis of the communist value system created a spiritual vacuum that was filled with nationalist ideas;
· political, economic, ideological crisis , which outlasted the USSR in last years of its existence , led to the weakening of the center and the strengthening of the republics and their political elites. For economic, political, and personal reasons, the national elites were interested not so much in preserving the USSR as in its collapse. The “Parade of Sovereignties” of 1990 clearly showed the mood and intentions of the national party-state elites.
Consequences:
· the collapse of the USSR led to the emergence of independent sovereign states;
· the geopolitical situation in Europe and throughout the world has radically changed;
· the breakdown of economic ties has become one of the main reasons for the deep economic crisis in Russia and other countries - successors of the USSR;
· serious problems have arisen related to the fate of Russians who remained outside Russia, and national minorities in general (the problem of refugees and migrants).
1. Political liberalization has led to an increase in the numberinformal groups, since 1988, involved in political activities. Unions, associations and popular fronts became the prototypes of future political parties. different directions(nationalist, patriotic, liberal, democratic, etc.). In the spring of 1988, the Democratic Bloc was formed, which included Eurocommunists, Social Democrats, and liberal groups.
An opposition Interregional Deputy Group was formed in the Supreme Council. In January 1990, an opposition democratic platform emerged within the CPSU, whose members began to leave the party.
Political parties began to form. The CPSU monopoly on power was lost, and from mid-1990 a rapid transition to a multi-party system began.
2. The collapse of the socialist camp (“Velvet Revolution” in Czechoslovakia (1989), events in Romania (1989), the unification of Germany and the disappearance of the GDR (1990), reforms in Hungary, Poland and Bulgaria.)
3. The growth of the nationalist movement, Its causes were the deterioration economic situation in national regions, conflict between local authorities and the “center”). Clashes began on ethnic grounds; since 1987, national movements have acquired an organized character (the Crimean Tatar movement, the movement for the reunification of Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia, the movement for the independence of the Baltic states, etc.)
In the same time a new project was developedUnion Treaty, significantly expanding the rights of republics.
The idea of a union treaty was put forward by the popular fronts of the Baltic republics back in 1988. The center adopted the idea of a treaty later, when centrifugal tendencies were gaining strength and there was a “parade of sovereignties.” The question of Russian sovereignty was raised in June 1990 at the First Congress of People's Deputies of the Russian Federation. Was Declaration on State Sovereignty of the Russian Federation was adopted. This meant that the Soviet Union public education loses its main support.
The Declaration formally delimited the powers of the center and the republic, which did not contradict the Constitution. In practice, it established dual power in the country.
The example of Russia strengthened separatist tendencies in the union republics.
However, the indecisive and inconsistent actions of the country's central leadership did not lead to success. In April 1991, the Union Center and nine republics (with the exception of the Baltic, Georgia, Armenia and Moldova) signed documents declaring the provisions of the new union treaty. However, the situation was complicated by the ongoing struggle between the parliaments of the USSR and Russia, which turned into war of laws.
At the beginning of April 1990, the Law was adopted On strengthening responsibility for attacks on the national equality of citizens and violent violation of the unity of the territory of the USSR, which established criminal liability for public calls for the violent overthrow or change of the Soviet social and state system.
But almost simultaneously it was adopted Law Oprocedure for resolving issues related Withthe exit of the union republic from the USSR, regulating order and proceduresecession from the USSR throughreferendum. A legal way to leave the Union was opened.
The Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR in December 1990 voted to preserve the USSR.
However, the collapse of the USSR was already underway full swing. In October 1990, at the congress of the Ukrainian Popular Front, the struggle for the independence of Ukraine was proclaimed; The Georgian parliament, in which nationalists received a majority, adopted a program for the transition to a sovereign Georgia. Political tension remained in the Baltic states.
In November 1990, the republics were offered new option union treaty, which instead of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics mentionedUnion of Soviet Sovereign Republics.
But at the same time, bilateral agreements were signed between Russia and Ukraine, mutually recognizing each other’s sovereignty regardless of the Center, between Russia and Kazakhstan. A parallel model of the union of republics was created.
4. In January 1991, it was held currency reform aimed at combating shadow economy, but which caused additional tension in society. The population expressed dissatisfaction deficit food and necessary goods.
B.N. Yeltsin demanded the resignation of the President of the USSR and the dissolution of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.
Was scheduled for March referendum on the issue of preserving the USSR(opponents of the Union questioned its legitimacy, calling for the transfer of power to the Federation Council, consisting of the top officials of the republics). The majority of voters were in favor of preserving the USSR.
5. At the beginning of March, miners of Donbass, Kuzbass and Vorkuta began a strike, demanding the resignation of the President of the USSR, the dissolution of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, a multi-party system, and the nationalization of the property of the CPSU. The official authorities could not stop the process that had begun.
The referendum on March 17, 1991 confirmed the political split in society; in addition, a sharp increase in prices increased social tension and swelled the ranks of strikers.
In June 1991, elections for the President of the RSFSR were held. B.N. was elected Yeltsin.
Discussion of drafts of the new Union Treaty continued: some participants at the meeting in Novo-Ogarevo insisted on confederal principles, others on federal ones. It was supposed to sign the agreement in July - August 1991.
During the negotiations, the republics managed to defend many of their demands: the Russian language ceased to be the state language, the heads of the republican governments participated in the work of the Union Cabinet of Ministers with the right to a decisive vote, enterprises of the military-industrial complex were transferred to the joint jurisdiction of the Union and the republics.
Many questions about both the international and intra-Union status of the republics remained unresolved. Questions about union taxes and the management of natural resources, as well as the status of the six republics that did not sign the agreement, remained unclear. At the same time, the Central Asian republics concluded bilateral agreements with each other, and Ukraine refrained from signing an agreement until the adoption of its Constitution.
In July 1991, the President of Russia signed Decree on departition, prohibited the activities of party organizations in enterprises and institutions.
6. Created on August 19, 1991 State Committee for the State of Emergency in the USSR (GKChP) , declaring his intention to restore order in the country and prevent the collapse of the USSR. A state of emergency was established and censorship was introduced. Armored vehicles appeared on the streets of the capital.
In what year did the USSR collapse? Who led the powerful state to collapse? What are the reasons for this collapse? The authorities had to answer these and many other questions in the early 90s of the last century. For Russia, this century was extremely contradictory: the beginning and end marked the collapse of the previous regime, and the middle - the prosperity and glory of the new one.
Collapse of the USSR: background and date
In what year did the USSR collapse? Officially, this date is considered to be December 1991, but we can safely say that this phenomenon began with the new course of the next Secretary General. Mikhail Gorbachev boldly introduced his reforms in the country, and did so completely inconsistently. This can be said based on his actions: he sought to introduce new methods of governing the country in various sectors of life, but at the same time preserved the system of power of the old regime. The collapse was also influenced by a deep political crisis, which was intensified by economic instability. Height national movements in the republics also led to the acceleration of the collapse of the once great union. The central government was already losing all its strength, and the ambitions of many political leaders made it possible to talk about the emergence of a multi-party system. Thus, Mikhail Gorbachev only encouraged all these phenomena and, when the USSR collapsed, did not pay much attention to the new state - unstable and weak. All these actions marked the beginning of a new era, which would later be referred to as the “dashing 90s.”
Collapse of the USSR: date, reason, characters
The collapse of the USSR, as noted above, began to be “prepared” by new reforms from the very beginning of perestroika. All the actions of the authorities indicated that the time had come for the end. Soviet Union: withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, the end of the Cold War and, as a consequence, defeat in it, worship of the West - Gorbachev’s entire policy was aimed at weakening the role of the Union in Europe. The reason for the collapse was the attempted coup of the State Emergency Committee. In August 1991, this body tried to cut Gorbachev off from information and seize power into its own hands. However, Boris Yeltsin played a big role here, of course, not without protecting his interests. The organizers of the State Emergency Committee were arrested, and the attempt to overthrow Mikhail Sergeevich failed. Despite this, the USSR continued to exist. Moreover, a referendum was even held in which the people expressed their opinion on the preservation of the Soviet Union. It is worth noting that the majority voted “for preservation”. In what year did the USSR collapse? The opinion of the people was not taken into account, and already in December 1991, the Supreme Soviet of the USSR announced that the Declaration on the termination of the existence of the Union had been signed. This is how the history of a great, powerful state ended ingloriously. This is how the entire era of the Union was brought to naught.
In what year did the USSR collapse?
Who played the main role in this? Now you know the answers to these questions. What did the collapse lead to? Firstly, to the formation of 15 new independent republics. Secondly, to the aggravation of interethnic conflicts and to the deterioration of economic ties between regions. Thirdly, to weaken the defense capability of each new country. It took a lot of hard work and time to solve these problems.