Collapse: The Fall of the Soviet Union

Vladislav Zubok's "Collapse" is a major study of the collapse of the Soviet Union, showing how Gorbachevs misguided reforms led to its demise. It refutes the notion that the breakup was inevitable and reveals how Gorbachevs misguided reforms deprived the government of resources and empowered separatism.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 576 pages
Publication date: 05 July 2022
Publisher: Yale University Press

The Soviet Union, a dominant force in Europe and a founding member of the United Nations, held immense power in 1945. With an army of four million, equipped with five thousand nuclear-tipped missiles, and as the second-largest oil producer globally, it seemed unstoppable. However, a series of events led to its downfall.

In the late 1980s, the Soviet Union faced an economic crisis, which was exacerbated by misguided reforms implemented by Mikhail Gorbachev. These reforms aimed to modernize and democratize the Soviet Union but inadvertently deprived the government of resources and empowered separatism.

As a result, the Soviet Union began to unravel, with nationalist movements gaining strength in various regions. The collapse of the Soviet Union was a seismic shift in the twentieth century, with far-reaching consequences for Europe, Russia, and the world.

Thirty years after the collapse, Vladislav Zubok offers a significant reinterpretation of the final years of the USSR. He challenges the notion that the breakup of the Soviet order was inevitable and instead reveals how Gorbachevs misguided reforms played a crucial role in its demise.

Zubok's book "Collapse" sheds new light on various aspects of the collapse, including Russian democratic populism, the Baltic struggle for independence, the crisis of Soviet finances, and the fragility of authoritarian state power. The book provides a detailed account of the events that led to the collapse and offers insights into the political, economic, and social factors that contributed to it.

In conclusion, the collapse of the Soviet Union was a significant event in world history, with far-reaching consequences. Vladislav Zubok's "Collapse" provides a valuable reinterpretation of the final years of the USSR, challenging the notion of inevitability and shedding new light on the complex factors that led to its demise.

Dimension: 197 x 127 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780300268171