Syllabus Edition
First teaching 2024
First exams 2026
The End of the Soviet Union (Edexcel GCSE History)
Revision Note
Written by: Zoe Wade
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
Why did the End of the Cold War Cause the End of the Soviet Union? - Summary
The Cold War limited the success of the Soviet Union. The nuclear arms race brought the Soviet economy to the brink of collapse. From 1970, the growth in the Soviet Union's economy slowed down while the USA's economic growth increased. The Soviet Union could not keep up with the USA socially. While Western democracy allowed reform, the Soviet Union fought against it. The Hungarian Uprising and the Prague Spring are examples of this. The Soviet Union could not survive after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Eastern Bloc between 1989 and 1990. Gorbachev's 'new thinking' attempted to reform communism within the Soviet Union. Gorbachev believed that reform could save the Soviet economy and make people happy to live under a communist government. Instead, glasnost and perestroika brought ideas of democracy and capitalism, which could not exist within a communist state. In 1991, the Communist Party attempted to oust Gorbachev. This began the downfall of the Soviet Union and the beginning of the presidency of Boris Yeltsin. |
The Independence of the Satellite States
From May 1989 to December 1990, Eastern Europe removed their communist governments
Popular pressure within the satellite states forced reforms and elections. By December 1990, no Eastern Bloc countries were communist
Reform in Eastern Europe affected the Warsaw Pact
The Soviet Union no longer had influence over Eastern Europe. By early 1990, the Soviet Union had to stop its military cooperation with Eastern Europe
The Soviet Union ended the Warsaw Pact in July 1991
The end of the Warsaw Pact meant that Eastern Europe no longer contained satellite states of the Soviet Union
Eastern Europe's countries could govern themselves
The leaders in Eastern Europe no longer had to follow Soviet policies
The people of Eastern Europe no longer provided for the Soviet Union's economy
As a result, the power of the Soviet Union reduced
The country no longer had the political, military and economic support of satellite states
Gorbachev's Fall from Power
The collapse of the Eastern Bloc placed Gorbachev in a dangerous position in the Soviet Union
Devout communists blamed Gorbachev for weakening the Soviet Union
The Soviet Union lost control of the Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania throughout 1990
In August 1991, a group of Communist Party members called the 'Gang of Eight' attempted a coup against Gorbachev
The coup demanded complete control of the Soviet Union and the declaration of a state of emergency in the country
Gorbachev refused and the 'Gang of Eight' kept him under house arrest
The coup against Gorbachev failed because:
The coup lacked popular support
Prominent communists like Boris Yeltsin spoke out against the coup
Gorbachev was able to continue to govern the Soviet Union
The Communist Party no longer respected Gorbachev
The coup ruined Gorbachev's reputation across the Soviet Union
12 states of the Soviet Union joined together to create the Commonwealth of Independent States
As a result, Gorbachev could no longer rule the Soviet Union
On 25th December 1991, Gorbachev resigned as General Secretary of the Soviet Union
Who was Boris Yeltsin?
Yeltsin was a prominent member of Gorbachev's government
Gorbachev chose Yeltsin as Mayor of Moscow in 1986
Gorbachev forced Yeltsin to resign in 1987 after Yeltsin publicly criticised Gorbachev
Yeltsin rose to power again in 1990
The first public elections in the Soviet Union elected Yeltsin as the president of the Soviet Republic of Russia in May 1990
The coup against Gorbachev gave Yeltsin the opportunity to take ultimate power in Russia
Gorbachev's reputation was ruined in the Soviet Union
Yeltsin became the most influential political leader in Russia
Examiner Tips and Tricks
The Superpower Relations paper does not require an in-depth knowledge of Boris Yeltsin. This is because he falls at the end of the Superpower Relations course. Try to remember that Yeltsin rose to power under the reforms of Gorbachev. His position as President of the Russian Republic made Yeltsin incredibly powerful in Russia. He took notice that the Soviet Union was collapsing and placed himself in a position to benefit.
Yeltsin and the End of the Soviet Union
The resignation of Gorbachev also marked the end of the Soviet Union
In his televised resignation on 25th December 1991, Gorbachev announced
Due to the situation which has evolved as a result of the formation of the Commonwealth of Independent States, I hereby discontinue my activities at the post of president of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
With this statement, Gorbachev passed the leadership of Russia to Yeltsin
As president of the Soviet Republic of Russia, Yeltsin became the leader of Russia
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