Notes
- Gorbachev made a couple of major changes in 1990
- First was he introduced ‘rule of law’
- He felt that socialism could be achieved within a democratic state
- Second was the ‘500 day plan’ dealing with the financial deficit
- Finally, the Union Treaty giving the republics more autonomy
- An attempted coup d’etat takes place in Aug. 1991
- He is saved by Boris Yeltsin who became the effective leader of the country
- Gorbachev became a lame duck leader and Yeltsin made the final step to outlaw the Communist party in the Russian Republic
- Dec. 1, 1991 an independence vote is held in the Ukraine which voted in favour of independence
- This led to the formation of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the end of the USSR
Summary
Since Gorbachev failed to recover the financial deficit and instilled more freedom in the communist states of the world the people of the USSR were given the option to vote for the political system they desired. Boris Yeltsin advocates for the extinction of the communist party and succeeds resulting in the end of the USSR.
Quotes
The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other peoples' money.
Margaret Thatcher
Subjunctive Question
Would communism have survived if Gorbachev had recovered the economic deficit?
Since Gorbachev failed to recover the financial deficit and instilled more freedom in the communist states of the world the people of the USSR were given the option to vote for the political system they desired. Boris Yeltsin advocates for the extinction of the communist party and succeeds resulting in the end of the USSR.
Quotes
The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other peoples' money.
Margaret Thatcher
Subjunctive Question
Would communism have survived if Gorbachev had recovered the economic deficit?