THE FALL OF THE U.S.S.R.

On December 25, 1991, the Soviet Union ceased to exist as a sovereign state.

The Soviet Union was once the largest country in the world, covering more than 22 million square kilometers. It consisted of 15 Soviet socialist republics but was highly centralized for most of its history. Although the U.S.S.R.'s official language was Russian, more than 200 other languages and dialects were spoken, and it was home to more than 290 million people of various ethnicities.

These are some of the main events that gradually led to the collapse of the Soviet Union. After Mikhail Gorbachev became leader in 1985, he introduced progressive reforms. He also presided over a détente in the U.S.S.R.'s relations with other countries and increasing democratization, which eventually saw the rule of the Communist Party come to an end.

1985

On March 11, 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev is elected general secretary of the Communist Party after his predecessor, Konstantin Chernenko, dies. He is the youngest leader of the Soviet Union since Josef Stalin. Even though the Soviet Union is nominally one of the largest economies in the world, the country has to contend with declining living standards, shortages of goods, and an overall economic downturn. As a result, Gorbachev decides to implement several reforms.

1986

The policy of "glasnost" (openness and transparency) is announced on February 25, 1986. It is supposed to democratize the political system, push for more transparency in government, and give people more freedom. Gorbachev also encourages debate on topics that had previously been taboo, such as certain aspects of Soviet history and the serious challenges the country was facing. A reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, located near the city of Pripyat in Ukraine, explodes on April 26, 1986. It's considered to be the biggest nuclear disaster in history. Despite the policy of glasnost, the Soviet Union stays silent about the extent of the catastrophe. On December 19, 1986, Gorbachev calls Andrei Sakharov, one of the most prominent Soviet dissidents, to tell him he can return to Moscow from internal exile.

1987

Gorbachev announces the policy of "perestroika" (restructuring) on January 27, 1987. Its aim is to revive a long-suffering economy, move away from a centrally planned system, and allow more private enterprise. On December 8, 1987, Gorbachev and U.S. President Ronald Reagan agree to eliminate their stocks of certain types of nuclear missiles and sign the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty.

1988-1989

Gorbachev's reforms don't work as quickly as expected. The country is still dealing with economic hardship. Independence movements gather momentum.

Gorbachev announces reforms that reduce Communist Party control. A new Soviet legislature is established in December 1988 -- the Congress of People's Deputies of the Soviet Union. The first partially free nationwide elections to this assembly are held in spring 1989.

In December 1988, Gorbachev announces that the Soviet Union will relax its military control over its satellite states.

After almost 10 years of conflict, the Soviet Union withdraws its forces from Afghanistan and the Soviet-Afghan War ends. More than four decades of geopolitical tension between the Soviet Union and the United States also comes to an end.

1990

On February 7, 1990, Article 6 of the Soviet Constitution, referring to the leading role of the Communist Party, is abolished. Throughout 1990, all the Soviet republics hold parliamentary elections. The Communist Party loses in six of them. The republics eventually start to declare sovereignty.

Gorbachev is elected president of the U.S.S.R. by the Congress of People's Deputies in March 1990. It is a newly established post. Before that, the chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet was considered the nominal leader of the Soviet Union.

Protest movements continue across the Soviet Union

Two out of 15 Soviet republics declare independence. The other republics follow their example the following year. Lithuania becomes the first Soviet republic to declare its independence on March 11, 1990. On May 4, 1990, Latvia declares independence.

1991

On March 17, 1991, a referendum on the future of the Soviet Union is held. The idea is to transform the country into a federation of independent republics with broad autonomy. The proposal is approved, but six republics (Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania) refuse to participate.

The New Union Treaty, allowing the transformation, is scheduled to be signed on August 20, 1991. However, a group of Soviet hard-liners decides to keep the Soviet Union together by force and Gorbachev is detained at his dacha on August 18, 1991. Throughout the year, the rest of the Soviet republics declare independence, many of them right after the coup attempt. All of the republics have declared independence. Gorbachev resigns as president of the U.S.S.R. on December 25 and cedes power to Yeltsin.

Independence of Soviet Republics

1. Lithuania March 11, 1990
2. Latvia May 4, 1990
3. Estonia May 8, 1990
4. Georgia April 9, 1991
5. Ukraine August 24, 1991
6. Moldova August 27, 1991
7. Azerbaijan August 30, 1991
8. Uzbekistan August 31, 1991
9. Kyrgyztan August 31, 1991
10. Takikistan September 9, 1991
11. Armenia September 21, 1991
12. Turkmenistan October 27, 1991
13. Belarus December 10, 1991
14. Russian Federation December 12, 1991
15. Kazakhstan December 16, 1991