Could Gorbachev's Reforms Have Saved the USSR?
2025-01-02
This article explores whether the collapse of the Soviet Union was inevitable. Historians analyze the USSR's demise from multiple angles: economic struggles, Gorbachev's reforms (perestroika and glasnost), rising nationalism, and the loss of media control. Some argue the Soviet economic model couldn't sustain both military might and a decent standard of living, and that Gorbachev's reforms exacerbated existing tensions, ultimately leading to the USSR's disintegration. Others suggest that had the Communist Party maintained control over the media, the Soviet Union might have survived longer. Ultimately, the USSR's collapse resulted from a confluence of factors, not a single cause.