The ''Dissolution of the Soviet Union'' was the disintegration of the federal political structures and central government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), resulting in the independence of all 15 Republics of the Soviet Union between March 11, 1990 and December 25, 1991
Mikhail Gorbachev was elected General Secretary by the Politburo on March 11,1985 after Konstantin Chernenko's death at the age of 54 and becomes the youngest member of the Politburo.Mikhail Gorbachev's primary goal as General Secretary was to revive the Soviet Econimy after the stagnant Brezhnev years.
To revive the stagnant Soviet Econimy Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev initiated a process of increasing political liberalization -
Glasnost (Openness) was the policy of maximal publicity, openness, and transparency in the activities of all government institutions together with freedom of information(less censorship) and
Perestroika referring to the restructuring of the Soviet political and economic system.
However, this liberalization led to the emergence of long-repressed nationalist movements and ethnic disputes within the diverse republics of the Soviet Union and increased pressure on Gorbachev to introduce greater democracy and autonomy for the Soviet Union's constituent republics.
Under Gorbachev's leadership, the Communist Party of the Soviet Union subsequently introduced direct elections, formed a new central legislature and ended its ban on political parties
One of the first reforms Gorbachev introduced was the anti-alcohol campaign, begun in May 1985, which was designed to fight widespread alcoholism in the Soviet Union. Prices of vodka, wine, and beer were raised, and their sales were restricted.
In Jan'87 Gorbachev announced the new policy of 'democratization' under which future Soviet elections would offer the electorate a choice between multiple candidates per position, although all candidates would continue to be CPSU members.
In Nov'88 Soviet Union ceased to jam all foreign radio stations, allowing Soviet Citizens for the first time to have access to unrestricted news sources beyond Communist control.
The spring of 1989 saw the people of the Soviet Union exercising a democratic choice, albeit limited, for the first time since 1917, when they elected the new Congress of Peoples Deputies.
1989 was also the year that CNN became the first Non-Soviet broadcaster to be allowed to beam its news programmes into Moscow.
On 25 October 1989 the Supreme Soviet voted to eliminate special seats for the Communist Party and other official organizations in national and local elections.
On February 7, 1990, the Central Committee of the CPSU accepted the recommendation of Mikhail Gorbachev's that the party give up its 70-year-long monopoly of political power.During 1990 all fifteen constituent republics of the USSR held their first competitive elections.The constituent republics began to declare their national sovereignty and started a "war of laws" with the Moscow central government, wherein the governments of the constituent republics rejected union-wide legislation where it conflicted with local laws, asserting control over their local economies and refusing to pay tax revenue to the central Moscow government.
In March 1991 a referendum showed a large majority of Soviet citizens voting to retain the Union, its legitimacy was marred by a boycott from the Baltic republics. The legislatures of the Soviet republics began passing laws undermining the control of the central government and endorsing independence.
The increasing political unrest led the conservative establishment of the Soviet Military and the Communist Party to attempt a coup d'etat to oust Gorbachev and re-establish an authoritarian and strong central regime in August 1991which was foiled by popular agitation led by Boris Yelstin , then the President of the Russian SFSR.
On December 22, 1991 the Presidents of the Soviet republics of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus met secretly and agreed to dissolve the Soviet Union, replacing it with a loose, voluntary form of union known as the Commonwealth of Independent States.
Increasingly powerless in the face of events, Gorbachev resigned from his office and the Soviet Union formally ended its existence on December 25, 1991.
Chronology of Independence Declarations
Lithuania,officially the Republic of Lithuania,the largest of the three Baltic States(Estonia & Latvia being the other two) has an estimated population of 3.2 million as of 2011and its capital and largest city is Vilnius
and the official language is Lithuanian.Lithunia's currency is called - Lithuanian Litas
The advent of Perestroika and Glasnost in the late 1980s allowed the establishment of Sajudis , an anti-communist independence movement.
After a landslide victory in elections to the Supreme Soviet members of Sąjūdis(initially known as the 'Reform Movement of Lithuania' is the political organization which led the struggle for Lithuanian independence) proclaimed Lithuania's Independence on March 11,1990 and becomes the first Soviet republic to do so.
In the first general elections after the independence on 25 October 1992, 56.75% of the total number of voters supported the New Constitution.Republic of Lithuania is a parliamentary Republic. The Lithuanian Head of State is the President, elected directly for a five-year term, serving a maximum of two consecutive terms.The president is also the Military Commander-in-Chief . The President, with the approval of the Parliament - Seimas also appoints the Prime Minister and, on the latter's nomination, the rest of the cabinet.
Latvia,officially the Republic of Latvia with 2,229,641 inhabitants and a territory of 64,589 km2 (24,938 sq mi) it is one of the least populous and least densely populated countries of the EU.The capital of Latvia is Riga.
The official language is Latvian and the currency is called Lats
In the second half of 1980s Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev started to introduce political and economic reforms in the Soviet Union, called Glasnost and Perestroika . In the summer of 1987 the first large demonstrations were held in Riga at the Freedom Monument - a symbol of independence. In 1989, the Supreme Soviet of the USSR adopted a resolution on the '' Occupation of the Baltic States'' in which it declared that the occupation was "not in accordance with law," and not the "will of the Soviet people". Pro-independence Popular Front of Latvia candidates gained a two-thirds majority in the Supreme Council in the March 1990 democratic elections. On May 4, 1990, the Supreme Soviet of the Latvian SSR adopted the Declaration on the Restoration of Independence of the Republic of Latvia, Latvian SSR was renamed Republic of Latvia.However, the central power in Moscow continued to regard Latvia as Soviet Republic.In spite of this, 73% of all Latvian residents confirmed their strong support for independence on March 3, 1991, in a nonbinding advisory referendum. A large number of ethnic Russians also voted for the proposition.The Popular Front of Latvia had advocated that all permanent residents be eligible for Latvian citizenship.The Republic of Latvia declared the end of the transitional period and restored full independence on August 21, 1991 in the aftermath of the failed Soviet Coup attempt.
The 100-seat Unicameral Latvian Parliament -Saeima
is elected by direct popular vote every 4 years. The president is elected by the Saeima in a separate election, also held every 4 years. The President appoints the PM who together with his Cabinet forms the the government, which has to receive a confidence vote by the Saeima.
Georgia is a Sovereign State in the Caucasus Region( situated at the border of Europe and Asia between Black and Caspian Sea) of Eurasia.Georgia declared independence on April 9, 1991. Georgia is a democratic Semi-Presidential Republic with the President as the Head of State, and PM as the Head of Government.
Population - 4.7 Million(2010 Estimate)
Parliament of Georgia is Unicameral and has 150 members, known as Deputies, from which 75 members are proportional representatives and 75 are elected through single-member district plurality system, representing their constituencies. Members of parliament are elected for four-year term.
Capital - Tbilisi.
Currency - Lari
Mikhail Gorbachev was elected General Secretary by the Politburo on March 11,1985 after Konstantin Chernenko's death at the age of 54 and becomes the youngest member of the Politburo.Mikhail Gorbachev's primary goal as General Secretary was to revive the Soviet Econimy after the stagnant Brezhnev years.
To revive the stagnant Soviet Econimy Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev initiated a process of increasing political liberalization -
Glasnost (Openness) was the policy of maximal publicity, openness, and transparency in the activities of all government institutions together with freedom of information(less censorship) and
Perestroika referring to the restructuring of the Soviet political and economic system.
However, this liberalization led to the emergence of long-repressed nationalist movements and ethnic disputes within the diverse republics of the Soviet Union and increased pressure on Gorbachev to introduce greater democracy and autonomy for the Soviet Union's constituent republics.
Under Gorbachev's leadership, the Communist Party of the Soviet Union subsequently introduced direct elections, formed a new central legislature and ended its ban on political parties
One of the first reforms Gorbachev introduced was the anti-alcohol campaign, begun in May 1985, which was designed to fight widespread alcoholism in the Soviet Union. Prices of vodka, wine, and beer were raised, and their sales were restricted.
In Jan'87 Gorbachev announced the new policy of 'democratization' under which future Soviet elections would offer the electorate a choice between multiple candidates per position, although all candidates would continue to be CPSU members.
In Nov'88 Soviet Union ceased to jam all foreign radio stations, allowing Soviet Citizens for the first time to have access to unrestricted news sources beyond Communist control.
The spring of 1989 saw the people of the Soviet Union exercising a democratic choice, albeit limited, for the first time since 1917, when they elected the new Congress of Peoples Deputies.
1989 was also the year that CNN became the first Non-Soviet broadcaster to be allowed to beam its news programmes into Moscow.
On 25 October 1989 the Supreme Soviet voted to eliminate special seats for the Communist Party and other official organizations in national and local elections.
On February 7, 1990, the Central Committee of the CPSU accepted the recommendation of Mikhail Gorbachev's that the party give up its 70-year-long monopoly of political power.During 1990 all fifteen constituent republics of the USSR held their first competitive elections.The constituent republics began to declare their national sovereignty and started a "war of laws" with the Moscow central government, wherein the governments of the constituent republics rejected union-wide legislation where it conflicted with local laws, asserting control over their local economies and refusing to pay tax revenue to the central Moscow government.
In March 1991 a referendum showed a large majority of Soviet citizens voting to retain the Union, its legitimacy was marred by a boycott from the Baltic republics. The legislatures of the Soviet republics began passing laws undermining the control of the central government and endorsing independence.
The increasing political unrest led the conservative establishment of the Soviet Military and the Communist Party to attempt a coup d'etat to oust Gorbachev and re-establish an authoritarian and strong central regime in August 1991which was foiled by popular agitation led by Boris Yelstin , then the President of the Russian SFSR.
On December 22, 1991 the Presidents of the Soviet republics of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus met secretly and agreed to dissolve the Soviet Union, replacing it with a loose, voluntary form of union known as the Commonwealth of Independent States.
Increasingly powerless in the face of events, Gorbachev resigned from his office and the Soviet Union formally ended its existence on December 25, 1991.
Chronology of Independence Declarations
S.No | Country | Date of Declaration of Independence |
1 | Lithuania | March 11,1990 |
2 | Latvia | Aug 21,1991 |
3 | Georgia | April 09,1991 |
4 | Estonia | Aug 20,1991 |
5 | Ukraine | Aug 24,1991 |
6 | Belarus | Aug 25,1991 |
7 | Moldova | Aug 27,1991 |
8 | Azerbaijan | Aug 30,1991 |
9 | Kyrgyzstan | Aug 31,1991 |
10 | Uzbekistan | Sep 01,1991 |
11 | Tajikistan | Sep 09,1991 |
12 | Armenia | Sep 21,1991 |
13 | Turkmenistan | Oct 16,1991 |
14 | Kazakhstan | Dec 16,1991 |
15 | Russia | Dec 24,1991 |
Lithuania,officially the Republic of Lithuania,the largest of the three Baltic States(Estonia & Latvia being the other two) has an estimated population of 3.2 million as of 2011and its capital and largest city is Vilnius
and the official language is Lithuanian.Lithunia's currency is called - Lithuanian Litas
The advent of Perestroika and Glasnost in the late 1980s allowed the establishment of Sajudis , an anti-communist independence movement.
After a landslide victory in elections to the Supreme Soviet members of Sąjūdis(initially known as the 'Reform Movement of Lithuania' is the political organization which led the struggle for Lithuanian independence) proclaimed Lithuania's Independence on March 11,1990 and becomes the first Soviet republic to do so.
In the first general elections after the independence on 25 October 1992, 56.75% of the total number of voters supported the New Constitution.Republic of Lithuania is a parliamentary Republic. The Lithuanian Head of State is the President, elected directly for a five-year term, serving a maximum of two consecutive terms.The president is also the Military Commander-in-Chief . The President, with the approval of the Parliament - Seimas also appoints the Prime Minister and, on the latter's nomination, the rest of the cabinet.
Latvia,officially the Republic of Latvia with 2,229,641 inhabitants and a territory of 64,589 km2 (24,938 sq mi) it is one of the least populous and least densely populated countries of the EU.The capital of Latvia is Riga.
The official language is Latvian and the currency is called Lats
In the second half of 1980s Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev started to introduce political and economic reforms in the Soviet Union, called Glasnost and Perestroika . In the summer of 1987 the first large demonstrations were held in Riga at the Freedom Monument - a symbol of independence. In 1989, the Supreme Soviet of the USSR adopted a resolution on the '' Occupation of the Baltic States'' in which it declared that the occupation was "not in accordance with law," and not the "will of the Soviet people". Pro-independence Popular Front of Latvia candidates gained a two-thirds majority in the Supreme Council in the March 1990 democratic elections. On May 4, 1990, the Supreme Soviet of the Latvian SSR adopted the Declaration on the Restoration of Independence of the Republic of Latvia, Latvian SSR was renamed Republic of Latvia.However, the central power in Moscow continued to regard Latvia as Soviet Republic.In spite of this, 73% of all Latvian residents confirmed their strong support for independence on March 3, 1991, in a nonbinding advisory referendum. A large number of ethnic Russians also voted for the proposition.The Popular Front of Latvia had advocated that all permanent residents be eligible for Latvian citizenship.The Republic of Latvia declared the end of the transitional period and restored full independence on August 21, 1991 in the aftermath of the failed Soviet Coup attempt.
The 100-seat Unicameral Latvian Parliament -Saeima
is elected by direct popular vote every 4 years. The president is elected by the Saeima in a separate election, also held every 4 years. The President appoints the PM who together with his Cabinet forms the the government, which has to receive a confidence vote by the Saeima.
Georgia is a Sovereign State in the Caucasus Region( situated at the border of Europe and Asia between Black and Caspian Sea) of Eurasia.Georgia declared independence on April 9, 1991. Georgia is a democratic Semi-Presidential Republic with the President as the Head of State, and PM as the Head of Government.
Population - 4.7 Million(2010 Estimate)
Parliament of Georgia is Unicameral and has 150 members, known as Deputies, from which 75 members are proportional representatives and 75 are elected through single-member district plurality system, representing their constituencies. Members of parliament are elected for four-year term.
Capital - Tbilisi.
Currency - Lari
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