Fall of the USSR Flashcards
(96 cards)
1
Q
Name the three phases of Perestroika
A
acceleration, reform, transformation
2
Q
How many roubles did the Gov lose from the anti-alcohol campaign
A
67 billion = 9% GDP
3
Q
How much did Gorbachev’s approval rating drop in 1990
A
31% (52 to 21)
4
Q
What was reintroduced in January 1991
A
private property
5
Q
What state declared sovereignty in 1988
A
Estonia
6
Q
Which group represented the first kind of opposition to the Communist Party
A
Inter-regional deputies
7
Q
What does uskorenie mean
A
acceleration
8
Q
In which republic was there unrest in 1988
A
Azerbaijan
9
Q
How many cooperatives were there by 1990
A
200,000
10
Q
How many republics were in the USSR
A
15
11
Q
What were the five key economic problems
A
labour productivity, waste, lack of modernisation, arms race, centralisation
12
Q
Why was labour productivity a problem
A
the rich earnt three times more than the poor, big inequality leading to less work incentive
13
Q
Why was waste a problem
A
overproduction lead to 12% machinery never being used in 1986
14
Q
Why was the lack of modernisation a problem
A
25.4% population lived on farms (compared to 4.6% in the US who were 6 times more productive)
15
Q
Why was the arms race a problem
A
in 1985 17% of the GDP was spent on defence
16
Q
Why was centralisation a problem
A
production was not maximised - fixed schedules, deliveries and timetables for farming
17
Q
What does perestroika mean
A
restructuring
18
Q
What was the aim of rationalisation
A
stimulate economic growth, modernisation and production levels, period of uskorenie (acceleration)
19
Q
What was the aim of reform
A
shift to a market driven economy, increase support for greater economic change through market and political reforms
20
Q
What was the aim of transformation
A
abandon traditional key aspects of the Communist Party
21
Q
What did the anti-alcohol campaign involve
A
reducing alcohol production in state run factories by 50%
22
Q
When did the anti-alcohol campaign end
A
1988
23
Q
Why was the anti-alcohol campaign a failure
A
still 4.5 million registered alcoholics, in 1987 alcohol consumption was still 2x that of 1960
24
Q
Why did the anti-alcohol campaign cause further economic problems
A
illegal alcohol was produced and drunk, big loss for the Government (67 billion roubles)
25
What is the reason why acceleration failed
global price of oil declined so revenues decreased by 2/3 so Gorbachev borrowed money from the West leading to more debt - $27.2 billion in 1988
26
Name the two laws used for partial market reform to save the economy
Law on State Enterprises (1987) and Law on Cooperatives (1988)
27
What did the Law on State Enterprises involve
devolve power from the central Government to factory management
28
Why did the Law on State Enterprises fail (2 reasons)
1 - Gosplan found ways to maintain central control
2 - factory managers charged higher prices, which Government had to pay leading to more debt
29
What is Gosplan
the state (economic) planning committee
30
What did the Law on Cooperatives involve
legalised setting up large scale private companies
31
When was Gosplan abolished
1990
32
How did Gorbachev control Gosplan
restricted its power, devolving it to the Governments of the republics then abolishing it
33
Was the Law on Cooperatives successful, why
yes, turnover increased from 29.9 million roubles to 1.04 billion
34
By how much did the GDP drop 1986-1990
4%
35
What was the 500 day programme
a proposal of widespread privatisation and complete marketisation in less than 2 years
36
Did Gorbachev support the 500 day programme
initially yes but backed down after opposition from senior hardliner communists
37
Why did Gorbachev commission the 500 day programme to be created
to minimise the economic problems expected during a transition to market economy
38
What provides evidence of transformation
Jan 1991 reintroduction of private property
39
What was Gorbachev's first political actions
cadre change - replacing Brezhnevite officials
40
What does Glasnost mean
openness
41
What did Glasnost involve
a commitment from the Government to tell the truth, extended into the allowance of public scrutiny
42
What happened at the 27th Party Congress
a new programme was set out for the party, 'improvement of socialism' and 'genuine democracy'
43
What did Gorbachev liberalise
media - more criticisms of Stalin, Marx, Lenin
1988 - permission of foreign media
44
What happened at the 19th Party Conference
admission of the scale of problems in the USSR eg poverty, education, healthcare
45
What was the impact of the 19th Party Conference
shook the public's faith in communist rule because of the scale of problems
46
What was the consequence of Glasnost
destabilised party rule because permitted profound criticism of the party Gorbachev didn't foresee
47
What did the 19th Party Conference
multi-candidate elections to the Supreme Soviet
48
What is meant by multi-candidate elections
although not being able to chose the party, people could chose the candidate - radical / moderate / independents, 2/3 of the Congress of People's Deputies would be elected
49
What was the result of the 1989 Election
communists won 80% of seats in Congress of People's Deputies but reduction in power - 5 senior communists defeated, Yeltsin won 89% vote in Moscow
50
When was the IDRG created
after the 1989 elections, by a group of newly elected deputies (Yeltsin and Sakharov etc)
51
What did the IDRG believe in
radical anti-communist agenda, greater autonomy for the republics
52
Why was the creation of the IDRG significant
it became an organised opposition group with an official position within the soviet system
53
What was the result of the republic elections in 1990
numerous anti-communist groups did well, especially in Leningrad (80%) and Moscow (85%)
54
What is meant by constitutional change
democratisation had raised questions about the role of the communist party
55
What constitutional change did Yeltsin want
the communist party to be stripped of its leading role
56
What constitutional change did Gorbachev want
a position where he had more control to deal with economic and political problems
57
What did appointing himself President of the USSR involve for Gorbachev
increased his power, creation of the position of President of the Soviet Union (which he won) and getting 'emergency powers' for 18 months to deal with crisis
58
What four things increased nationalism
Cadre change, acceleration, glasnost and the sinatra doctrine
59
Why did cadre change increase nationalism
replacing leaders in non-Russian republics with Russians caused resentment as showed an effective Gov was valued more than a representative one
60
Why did acceleration increase nationalism
the privileges of officials wasn't challenged, the economy got worse
61
Why did Glasnost increase nationalism
people saw the better lives of people in the West, more criticisms of the Government were spread
62
Why did the Sinatra Doctrine increase nationalism
communist rule wasn't being restored, leading to more independence and the breakdown of communist domination
63
What was the Sinatra Doctrine
the Government would no longer interfere with the satellite states, they could have their own political systems
64
What were the events of the Tbilisi Massacre
Georgia protesters were met with a Soviet armed response
65
How many were killed/injured from the Tbilisi Massacre
19 killed, 1000s injured
66
What was the consequence of the Tbilisi Massacre
less trust in the Gov, concern over the level of force, nationalist outrage, alienated Georgians
67
What economic argument was Russian nationalism based on
soviet leaders were blamed for the economic crisis, so 1988 there was a demand to put Russia first
68
What environmental argument was Russian nationalism based on
the 'green movement' following Chernobyl and Glasnost Gov admitted 16% serious land pollution in 1989 - demand to fix this, put Russia first
69
Which two baltic states do I need to know about
Lithuania, Estonia
70
How did Estonia seperate itself from the USSR
1988 declared sovereignty = govern itself
71
How did Lithuania seperate itself from the USSR
- declares independence March 1990
- Gorby refused to accept this so emposed economic sanctions
- sanctions failed to force Lithuanians to accept Soviet rule
- Jan 1991 soviet troops occupied press and TV headquarters, killing 14
72
What was the consequence of Gorbachev's dealing with Lithuania's declaration of independence
outrage at the use of force, Yeltsin ordered soldiers to disobey orders around political protest, Yeltsin sets up a Russian army, sympathy strikes in Ukraine
73
What was the New Union Treaty
1990, proposed reformed union where the republics had more independence
74
Why was the New Union Treaty hard for Gorbachev to propose
his reduced authority, elections meant nationalists were representatives, he was unelected therefore not an equal
75
How many republics backed Gorbachev's proposal of a referendum March 1991
9/15 because they supported the creation of a new union
76
What was the result of Gorbachev's proposed referendum
'9+1' agreement
77
What was the '9+1' agreement
establish a federation of independent states with 1 president
78
Who won the Russian President elections
Yeltsin (57%)
79
What is meant by popular legitimacy
since Yeltsin won 57% of vote and Russians made up 60% of the Soviet pop, he could claim to be the truer representative of the SU
80
When was the new union treaty said to be signed
21 August
81
What was the official name of the new union treaty
Union of Sovereign States
82
How many leaders of republics agreed with the Union of Sovereign States
8
83
What was the Emergency Committee
made of 8 senior communists, replaced Gorbachev's Gov
84
What did the Emergency Committee anounce
that Gorbachev had resigned due to poor health
85
What allowed the 1991 Coup to come about
Gorbachev decided to go on holiday
86
What were the aims of the coup leaders
stop break up of SU, restore law and order
87
How was Yeltsin involved in the coup
headed resistance to it, demanded Gorbachev's return to power
88
What event meant the coup failed
army units were sent to arrest Yeltsin, they disobeyed orders
89
Why did the coup collapse on 21 August
without the army support, the Emergency Committee couldn't continue
90
How did the coup lead to the end of the communist party
Yeltsin suspended it 23rd August 1991, then banned it on the 6th November
91
What replaced the Soviet Union
Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)
92
How many republics joined the CIS
11/15
93
What were the consequences of the coup
- CIS
- Yeltsin gains much authority
- Communist party ended
- more republics gained independence
94
What role did Gorbachev play in the fall of the USSR
creating crisis (Perestroika)
'New thinking' - vocab eg Glasnost
Westernising (human rights)
mistakes - naivety over Glasnost, belief in Perestroika
95
How can the fall of the USSR contrast China - a strong communist power
China introduced economic reforms without political freedom, party was more flexible so reforms had more support
96
What role did Yeltsin play in the fall of the USSR
role in the coup
CIS establishment
'new elite' supported him
focus on equality, putting Russia first
symbol of nationalism
Russian Nationalism : Russian President, Russian Army, Russian sovereignty, Chair of Russian Congress of People's Deputies
