Collapse of the Soviet Union
Storyboard Text
- President Reagan claimed that through a massive defensive build up, the United States would pressure the Soviet Union to keep up with the pace, which would ultimately cause them to deplete their resources. Fortunately for the United States, the Soviet Union took longer to process raw materials and build new structures all while using more resources than the United States as they used 1.8 times more steel, 2.3 times more cement and 7.6 times for fertilizer. This caused them to depend more on imports which started to hurt their economy in several ways.
- Let's push the USSR to their limit!
- We demand change! You guys are being too oppressive!
- The Soviet Union maintained an oppressive hold on all aspects of life in the Eastern European countries they had ruled over. Residents in these countries began to grow restless and voice their discontent in ways which had not been allowed in prior years.
- No! You are subject to our rule and you peasants don't tell us what to do! Now hush we got business to care of in Afghanistan!
- Mikhail Gorbachev became the leader of the Soviet Union in 1985. His implementations/reforms have arguably caused the USSR to fall apart more quickly. His policy of glasnost, allowed Soviet citizens to begin vocalizing their complaints with the Communist system. When the Soviet Union's Eastern satellite states began depending for independence, Gorbachev chose not to use crush their rebellion or use any military force to prevent their withdrawal from the Soviet sphere.
- I, Mikhail Gorbachev, will save the Soviet Union from destruction!
- Um.... that's debatable
- The world was astonished to see as one after the other, democratic governments were overturning Communist regimes in Eastern Europe. Germany was finally reunited and announced citizens could travel freely between East and West Berlin as the Berlin Wall was entirely destroyed by 1990. These Eastern European nations came to conclusion that Communism no longer best served their citizens.
- We abandon Communism ! Democratic Governments will rule over us from now on! Let's Go!
- Help!! Run for your lives!
- On April 1, 1986, the worst environmental accident in history took place at the Chernobyl cuclear power plant in Ukraine. It released a great deal of radioactive material into the Soviet Union and other countries in Europe. The area around the power plant will be contaminated for 24,000 years. This accident symbolized the crumbling Soviet infrastructure and it's failure in keeping up with America's economy and technology.
- I guess this is the end of a legacy! WAhhhhhhhhh
- Soviet Union
- By 1991, the Soviet Union itself slowly disintegrated. The Communist Party and Soviet government had become seriously weakend and lost credibility within its member states. Many republics and regions declared independence and the Soviet Union couldn't do anything to stop this. Gorbachev eventually resigned and the Soviet Union dissolved into 15 seperate nations.
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