collapse of the USSR

economically vulnerable

lack of external capital

references

external cause

internal cause

questioning of goverment

ecomic strain / low morale

external cause

internal cause

collapse of the USSR

1991

calls for independence

external cause

economic isolation

internal cause

internal cause

economic imbalance

internal weaknesses

external cause

external cause

internal cause

Dissent

trust chattered / lives lost

click on the cause to see explanation and consequence*

Photograph analysis

What symbols appear? The photograph depicts a large crowd gathered around the Berlin Wall, and tearing it apart. The wall on its own is covered in graffiti and phrases; it is a reflection of what the division between East and West Berlin was causing in its citizens. The fight between capitalism and socialism mostly affected the people; this hurt caused by the division was almost artistically represented by the division in Berlin. In the photo, we can visualize the crowd rioting against the concrete that dramatically separated Berlin, and the soldiers who make a last stand trying to protect this wall, they look insignificant against the damage the people made. This image represents the tension and excitement that were felt during this historical event What emotions does it convey? The emotions felt from this picture are greatly varied. In some of the citizens' faces, you can recognize happiness and relief, probably from the realization that the wall dividing their city and families has finally come down. They are now free to move through Berlin without any fear. In others, you can see anger; the people were tired of the separation and longed to see their family on the other side of the wall. They took revenge on this piece of concrete and the remnants of this anger in their faces. Others show curiosity or disbelief, reflecting the uncertainty of a world that was rapidly changing. The act of removing a concrete piece of the wall is symbolic of breaking down barriers. You can also see the soldiers' faces, who are both amazed and scared of the power the people had over the suppressive wall. Why do you think this image is historical? What does it tell us about the context of that moment? This image is deeply historical because it captures the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, an event that marked the end of the Cold War and the beginning of a reunified Germany. It represented the start of world peace and the shift toward democracy and freedom. This scene represents the great change the world faced with the fall of the Berlin war, and demonstrated that it wasn't only a political event, but a humane one filled with emotion and the collective sense of regaining lost unity and freedom.

War in Afghanistan

The USSR got involved in a prolonged and expensive war with Afghanistan, which emptied resources and led to widespread discontent within the Soviet Union

Focus on military

the Soviet military budget had been trending upward in fact it was estimated that the oviet military spending ranged between 10 and 20 percent of GDP. This lead to insufficient resources for consumer goods and industry

Shortages

The economic failures lead to consumer shortages and a general decline in the way of living. This undermined the argument for the superiority of the Soviet system

The nuclear factor

The downfall of the URSS was mainly caused by the nuclear incident on Chernobyl, Pryp’yat. On April 26, 1986, the Unit 4 reactor at the Chernobyl power station exploded. The communist party decided to suppress the information about the incident risking lives due to the redioactivity.

Growing nationalism

The USSR consisted of a multi-ethnic, in some of these state,s a desire of sovereignty grew. Central control started to loosen which lead to nationalist sentiments

Economic stagnation

For starterss it was estimated that the Soviet black market economy was the equivalent of more than 10 percent of the country’s official GDP. Economic estagnation retarded the country. Wage hikes were supported by printing money, fueling an inflationary spiral.

Economic isolation

The US made everything of its power to isolate the Soviet market and therefore weakening it.

capitalism

It was clear that the Western capitalist system was thriving, and there was a clear contrast with the Soviet Union's economic stagnation. This made the flaws in their own system more visible.

references

Exploring 5 reasons for the collapse of the Soviet Union. (n.d.). https://www.exploros.com/summary/Exploring-5-Reasons-for-the-Collapse-of-the-Soviet-Union Ray, & Michael. (2025, June 13). Why did the Soviet Union collapse? Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/story/why-did-the-soviet-union-collapse Huasheng, Z. (n.d.). The “Non-Deep” Causes of the Disintegration of the Soviet Union. https://russiancouncil.ru/en/analytics-and-comments/analytics/the-non-deep-causes-of-the-disintegration-of-the-soviet-union/ Collapse of the Soviet Union - (AP US History) - Vocab, definition, Explanations | Fiveable. (n.d.). https://fiveable.me/key-terms/apush/collapse-of-the-soviet-union Tonkin, B. (2014, October 28). Fall of the Berlin Wall: 25 years on, we remember the day the world fell apart | The Independent. The Independent. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/world-history/fall-of-the-berlin-wall-25-years-on-we-remember-the-day-the-world-fell-apart-9821977.html

western media

Western countries promoted democratic ideas and human rights, which again highlighted the internal weaknesses of their system and encouraged discontent and rebelions

price of oil

During the 1970s and ’80s the soviet union was one of the greatests producers of energy resources such as oil and natural gas, therefore when oil plunged from $120 a barrel in 1980 to $24 a barrel in March 1986, the country faced an economc crisis