The Collapse of the Soviet Union and the End of the Cold War

Define glasnost and perestroika, and identify the Soviet leader who introduced both policies in the mid-1980s.

Mikhail Gorbachev introduced both policies. Glasnost means political openness and freedom of information; perestroika means economic and political restructuring.

Explain how the Soviet command economy's structure contributed to long-term decline by the 1980s.

The state-run economy focused heavily on defense spending and industrial output rather than consumer goods, leading to shortages, inefficiencies, and reliance on oil exports that collapsed in 1986.

Contrast how communist rule ended in Poland with how it ended in Romania in 1989.

Poland's transition was peaceful, achieved through negotiations between the communist government and the Solidarity union leading to June 1989 elections; Romania's transition involved violent clashes and the execution of dictator Nicolae Ceausescu in December 1989.

Describe what happened during the August 1991 coup attempt in Moscow and how it accelerated the end of the USSR.

Hardline communists attempted to seize control to stop decentralization, but civil resistance and Boris Yeltsin defeated the coup in three days, discrediting the Communist Party and leaving central institutions powerless.

Historians debate whether the Soviet collapse was primarily caused by internal decay or external Western pressure. Briefly outline one piece of evidence supporting each perspective.

Internal decay is supported by systemic economic shortages, nationalist independence movements, and political fallout from glasnost. External pressure is supported by the U.S. military buildup and technological competition under Ronald Reagan that strained the Soviet defense budget.