The Collapse of USSR Information Sheet 1
GRADE 12 HISTORY
IF 1. THE COLLAPSE OF THE USSR
INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
In the 1970s the Cold War still dominated international politics and world attention.
Richard Nixon, president of the USA, was a staunch anti-communist who had to remove
the USA from its involvement in Vietnam. Due to internal pressures and the mounting cost
of the war the last US troops left SE Asia in 1972. The USA had failed to achieve its
objectives in this Cold War conflict. Nixon and the new Soviet Premier, Leonid Brezhnev,
were bitter rivals but they both realized that a nuclear war would destroy both nations and
so they entered a period known as detente. During this period of détente, the Strategic
Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT) was negotiated whereby both countries agreed to limit their
nuclear weapons and the USA also sold 750million dollars worth of grain to the USSR.
This demonstrated co-operative relations and thus, a shift away from the Cold War.
DETENTE: it is the relaxing or easing of tensions between nations. In this instance, it
refers to the easing of tension between the two major Cold war rivals, the USA and the
USSR. After the Cuban missile crisis there was a major period of détente.
Whilst huge amounts were still being spent, especially in the arms race, peace between
the two nations existed in varying levels through most of the 1970s. Konstantin Chernenko
replaced Brezhnev as Soviet premier, who in turn was replaced by Yuri Andropov when he
died. When Andropov died suddenly, the Politburo (the most powerful ruling boy of the
Communist Party) turned to the young Mikhail Gorbachev to fulfil the role of Premier.
Gorbachev was not a hard liner like the other communist leaders and he had new ideas
that would change world politics.
INTERNALLY IN THE USSR: when Gorbachev became leader of the Soviet Union in
1985, the country was in a crisis. Its resources were being drained by an ongoing war in
Afghanistan and by the continued weapons production required by the Cold War arms
race. Relations with the west were strained. The Soviet economy was stagnant and on the
brink of collapse. Industrial and agricultural production had declined and people were
demoralized by the shortages of essential consumer goods, inadequate housing, poor
public healthcare, dilapidated infrastructure and widespread alcoholism and substance
abuse. The standard of living was extremely low and people were very poor. There was a
sense that the government could not find solutions to any of these problems. Those in
power had many privileges, but showed little interest in improving the lives of ordinary
citizens. Gorbachev decided to address these issues in his internal reform policies which
included the introduction of ‘glasnost’ and ‘perestroika’.
Page 1
GRADE 12 HISTORY
IF 1. THE COLLAPSE OF THE USSR
INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
In the 1970s the Cold War still dominated international politics and world attention.
Richard Nixon, president of the USA, was a staunch anti-communist who had to remove
the USA from its involvement in Vietnam. Due to internal pressures and the mounting cost
of the war the last US troops left SE Asia in 1972. The USA had failed to achieve its
objectives in this Cold War conflict. Nixon and the new Soviet Premier, Leonid Brezhnev,
were bitter rivals but they both realized that a nuclear war would destroy both nations and
so they entered a period known as detente. During this period of détente, the Strategic
Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT) was negotiated whereby both countries agreed to limit their
nuclear weapons and the USA also sold 750million dollars worth of grain to the USSR.
This demonstrated co-operative relations and thus, a shift away from the Cold War.
DETENTE: it is the relaxing or easing of tensions between nations. In this instance, it
refers to the easing of tension between the two major Cold war rivals, the USA and the
USSR. After the Cuban missile crisis there was a major period of détente.
Whilst huge amounts were still being spent, especially in the arms race, peace between
the two nations existed in varying levels through most of the 1970s. Konstantin Chernenko
replaced Brezhnev as Soviet premier, who in turn was replaced by Yuri Andropov when he
died. When Andropov died suddenly, the Politburo (the most powerful ruling boy of the
Communist Party) turned to the young Mikhail Gorbachev to fulfil the role of Premier.
Gorbachev was not a hard liner like the other communist leaders and he had new ideas
that would change world politics.
INTERNALLY IN THE USSR: when Gorbachev became leader of the Soviet Union in
1985, the country was in a crisis. Its resources were being drained by an ongoing war in
Afghanistan and by the continued weapons production required by the Cold War arms
race. Relations with the west were strained. The Soviet economy was stagnant and on the
brink of collapse. Industrial and agricultural production had declined and people were
demoralized by the shortages of essential consumer goods, inadequate housing, poor
public healthcare, dilapidated infrastructure and widespread alcoholism and substance
abuse. The standard of living was extremely low and people were very poor. There was a
sense that the government could not find solutions to any of these problems. Those in
power had many privileges, but showed little interest in improving the lives of ordinary
citizens. Gorbachev decided to address these issues in his internal reform policies which
included the introduction of ‘glasnost’ and ‘perestroika’.
Page 1
