When Gorbachev became leader of the USSR in 1985 the collapse of the USSR 6 years later would have been considered highly unlikely by most commentators. The Soviet economy had shrunk during the Brezhnev years and the divide between the standard of living in USSR and the West had become wider and wider. Nevertheless, the Communist Party appeared to have as tight a political hold as ever over the countries which made up the USSR in 1985.
The USSR collapsed in 1991 due to three shortterm factors. Gorbachev’s attempted economic reforms loosened the control of the party, his relaxation of political control and the adoption of glasnost led to increased political opposition, and the Soviet republics saw a rise in nationalism which had not been anticipated by Moscow.
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