The collapse of the Soviet experiment was one of the major turning points in twentieth century history. During the period of 'perestroika' the Soviet Union took the first steps to becoming a civil society and started to re-examine it's Stalinist past. This new text examines the Gorbachev years, asks why the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, and offers a succinct and accessible interpretation of the remarkable events that led to the collapse.

INTRODUCTION PART ONE: BACKGROUND1. GORBACHEV COMES TO POWERPolitical Overview Glasnost Social, Environmental, and Nuclear Power Issues PART TWO: THE YEARS OF PERESTROIKA2. THE ECONOMY AND FOREIGN POLICYThe Economy, 1985-90Acceleration and Anti-Alcohol CampaignsCoal Miners' StrikeEconomic Reform ProgrammesStagnationThe Pavlov Programme Foreign PolicyIdeology and Propaganda Arms ControlArchitects of Soviet Foreign PolicyEastern EuropeEnding the Cold War 3. THE NATIONAL QUESTION The Submerged Dilemma Nagorno-Katabakh The Baltic States Georgia, Ukraine, and Belarus The Plenum on National Policy, September 1989 4. DOMESTIC POLITICS, 1989-MID-AUGUST 1991 The Congress of People's Deputies and New Presidency The 28th Party Congress and Aftermath The Referendum of 17 March 1991 Toward a New Union Treaty 5. THE PUTSCH AND THE COLLAPSE OF THE USSR The Putsch, 18-21 August 1991 Administrative Changes The Failure of the Union Treaty Yeltsin Consolidates His Power The Belavezha Agreement PART THREE: ASSESSMENT6. WHY DID THE SOVIET UNION COLLAPSE? PART FOUR: DOCUMENTSChronologyGlossaryWho's WhoGuide to Further Reading