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Soviet Republics Declaring Independence Cheat Sheet (DRAFT) by

Soviet Republics Declaring Independence notes

This is a draft cheat sheet. It is a work in progress and is not finished yet.

Overview

Backgr­ound: The Soviet Union was a federal socialist state composed of multiple republics, dominated by the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR).
Collapse of the USSR: A series of political, economic, and social pressures in the late 1980s led to the eventual dissol­ution of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Causes of Indepe­ndence Movements

Gorbac­hev’s Reforms
Perest­roika (Restr­uct­uring): Economic reforms aimed at decent­ral­izing the economy, leading to increased autonomy for republics.
 
Glasnost (Openn­ess): A policy promoting transp­arency and freedom of expres­sion, which allowed suppressed nation­alist sentiments to resurface.
 
Democr­ati­zation: Introd­uction of compet­itive elections, which gave rise to nation­alist and indepe­ndence movements in various republics.
Economic Decline
Economic Stagna­tion: The Soviet economy was in decline, leading to shortages, ineffi­ciency, and widespread dissat­isf­action.
 
Increased National Debt: Attempts to reform the economy exacer­bated the financial crisis, weakening the central govern­ment’s control.
Nation­alism and Ethnic Tensions
Revival of National Identi­ties: Historical grievances and national pride fueled desires for indepe­ndence, especially in the Baltic States, Caucasus, and Central Asia.
 
Ethnic Conflicts: Disputes between ethnic groups within and between republics intens­ified, further destab­ilizing the region.
Role of Intern­ational Pressure
End of the Cold War: Reduced external support for mainta­ining the Soviet system.
 
Western Influence: Encour­agement from Western countries for the indepe­ndence movements, especially in the Baltic states.
 

The Path to Indepe­ndence

Baltic States Lead the Way
Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania: These republics were the first to declare indepe­ndence, driven by strong national movements and historical grievances against Soviet occupa­tion.
The Role of the Russian Federation
Boris Yeltsin: The Russian leader's push for greater sovere­ignty from the Soviet Union weakened the central authority, setting a precedent for other republics.
 
Russian Declar­ation of Sovere­ignty: On June 12, 1990, Russia declared sovere­ignty, underm­ining the USSR’s unity.
Other Republics Follow
Caucasus: Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan declared indepe­ndence amidst regional conflicts and ethnic tensions.
 
Central Asia: Republics like Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan initially hesitated but eventually declared indepe­ndence as the USSR unraveled.
 
Eastern Europe and Moldova: Ukraine and Belarus played pivotal roles, with Ukraine’s indepe­ndence vote being partic­ularly decisive.

The Final Collapse of the Soviet Union

Failed August Coup (1991)
Hardli­ners’ Attempt: A failed coup by hardline communists to restore the Soviet order accele­rated the disint­egr­ation process.
 
Public and Intern­ational Reaction: The coup's failure discre­dited the Soviet government and emboldened indepe­ndence movements.
Belavezha Accords (December 1991)
Agreement: Leaders of Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus met in Belarus and signed an agreement effect­ively dissolving the Soviet Union.
 
Formation of the CIS: The Common­wealth of Indepe­ndent States (CIS) was created as a loose associ­ation of former Soviet republics.
Official Dissol­ution (December 25, 1991)
Gorbac­hev’s Resign­ation: Mikhail Gorbachev resigned as President of the Soviet Union, marking the official end of the USSR.
 
End of the Cold War: The dissol­ution of the Soviet Union marked the end of the Cold War era, reshaping global geopol­itics.
 

Aftermath and Legacy

Formation of New States
Post-S­oviet States: 15 indepe­ndent republics emerged, each facing challenges related to nation­-bu­ilding, economic transi­tion, and govern­ance.
Economic and Political Transition
Market Reforms: Most former Soviet republics transi­tioned from centrally planned economies to market economies, with varying degrees of success.
 
Political Instab­ility: Many newly indepe­ndent states faced political instab­ility, conflicts, and struggles to establish democratic instit­utions.
Ongoing Regional Conflicts
Ethnic and Territ­orial Disputes: Conflicts persisted in regions like Nagorn­o-K­ara­bakh, Transn­istria, and Chechnya, highli­ghting the legacy of Soviet-era bounda­ries.
 
Influence of Russia: Russia continued to exert influence over the former Soviet republics, leading to tensions in regions like Ukraine and Georgia.
Legacy of Indepe­ndence Movements
National Identity: Indepe­ndence movements solidified national identities and contri­buted to the develo­pment of distinct national cultures and languages.
 
Impact on Global Order: The end of the Soviet Union signif­icantly altered the global balance of power, leading to a unipolar world dominated by the United States, but also setting the stage for new regional powers to emerge.