The Collapse of the USSR

What happened when the USSR collapsed?

From March 1990, the USSR itself began to break up.

Which states declared independence in the collapse of the USSR?

From March 1990, a number of states within the USSR began to attempt to split away and declare themselves independent in 6 main events:

• ❖ In January 1990, Gorbachev visited Lithuania, which asked for independence. Gorbachev refused.
• ❖ In March 1990, Lithuania became the first Baltic state to declare independence from the Soviet Union.
• ❖ In January 1991, Gorbachev sent troops to Lithuania after refusing to acknowledge the declaration of independence.
• ❖ In April 1991, Georgia declared independence.
• ❖ In June 1991, the Russian Republic elected Boris Yeltsin as president. He said states in the USSR should become independent.
• ❖ In August 1991, Ukraine declared independence along with other states in the USSR.

What was the communist response to the collapse of the USSR?

Hard-line communist leaders in the USSR responded to the instability by attempting to overthrow Gorbachev in a coup.

• ❖ In August, they detained Gorbachev in the Crimea, declared a coup and sent tanks onto the streets of Moscow.
• ❖ Crowds in Moscow, led by Boris Yeltsin, demonstrated against the coup, which collapsed.

How did the collapse of the USSR end?

In December 1991, Gorbachev announced his resignation and the end of the USSR.