USSR Collapse: A Crash Course | Documentary

[dexter]

The events of 1991 brought about the dissolution of the USSR. Why did it happen and who was to blame? A new documentary, USSR Collapse: A Crash Course, looks at the historic moments and central figures that are key to understanding the perfect storm that led to the collapse of the Soviet Union.
In the 1980s, the USSR’s first and last president, Mikhail Gorbachev, launched Perestroika (restructuring), an economic policy intended to pull the superpower out of stagnation. But Gorbachev’s attempt to jump-start the Soviet economy only worsened product deficits. Alongside Perestroika, another Gorbachev reform, Glasnost (openness), eased restrictions on freedom of speech, consequently unleashing a wave of criticism. While Mikhail Gorbachev was a hit with his Western counterparts, he was viewed differently at home.
In 1991, a group of Communist hardliners, including the Soviet Union's Vice President, Defence Minister, and KGB head, decided to derail Gorbachev’s reforms. The dramatic events that unfolded from August 18 to 21 of that year became known as a coup and marked the beginning of the end for the Soviet Union.
The conspirators isolated Gorbachev in his summer house in Crimea, formed the State Committee for the State of Emergency (GKChP), and announced a new Soviet leader. Tanks rolled into the capital, as anti-coup protesters gathered on Moscow streets. Russian President Boris Yeltsin denounced the coup, ending the drama and securing his own position as Gorbachev’s main rival.
In the meantime, nationalist movements gained steam in the Soviet republics. The three Baltic States declared independence, while ethnic conflicts flared up in Transdniester, Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Nagorno-Karabakh.
On December 8, 1991, the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus signed the Belovezha Accords.
On December 25, 1991, the Russian tricolor replaced the hammer and sickle flying above the Kremlin.
Was it possible to stop the Soviet Union’s dissolution? Might the USSR still exist if it were not for Gorbachev’s reforms? Do you regret the collapse of the Soviet Union? Participants of the events, including Mikhail Gorbachev, Leonid Kravchuk, and Stanislav Shushkevich, recollect the final years of the USSR, while ordinary witnesses describe how the collapse affected their lives.

0:00 - Intro
2:41 - The USSR’s first and last president
4:33 - What was ‘Perestroika’?
7:40 - Gorbachev's image in the West
8:20 - anti-alcohol campaign
11:22 - Boris Yeltsin arrives on the political scene
16:18 – Rising Nationalists
20:43 - Demands for Independence
24:36 - 1991 Referendum on USSR
26:30 - Moldova-Transdniester Conflict
29:35 - Soviet Union’s Swan Song
32:04 - August Coup
37:04 – Where’s Gorbi?
41:31 - Belovezha Accords

 

[Beast]

The Soviet in the 80s were weak leader. They don't even know the very reason of communist exist. They lose faith in their system and easily manipulate by American.

Ironic, the first communist countries put into turmoil in the 80s was China with tianamen 1989 but China survive the test becos the leader were strong and they know what they want.

All subsequent communist countries especially those in Europe collapse like deck of cards. None emulate the strong willed like China.

Russia today is worst off than Soviet times. Technology, economic, standard of living and military all decline.

If Putin is Soviet leader in the 80s. He will not allowed communist to fall.

 

[nang2]

The Soviet in the 80s were weak leader. They don't even know the very reason of communist exist. They lose faith in their system and easily manipulate by American.

Ironic, the first communist countries put into turmoil in the 80s was China with tianamen 1989 but China survive the test becos the leader were strong and they know what they want.

All subsequent communist countries especially those in Europe collapse like deck of cards. None emulate the strong willed like China.

Russia today is worst off than Soviet times. Technology, economic, standard of living and military all decline.

If Putin is Soviet leader in the 80s. He will not allowed communist to fall.

What CCP did in 1989 is yet to be unfold. What happened then sent Chinese people a clear signal: YOU HAVE TO USE VIOLENCE IF YOU EVER WANT TO REPLACE CCP. Most people, of course, would shun from using violence, which often serves as the last resort. Yet, that signal sticks and we have yet to see how it would unfold in the future. After all, everything has an end, including CCP. Even CCP's own doctrine recognizes that.

 

[Beast]

What CCP did in 1989 is yet to be unfold. What happened then sent Chinese people a clear signal: YOU HAVE TO USE VIOLENCE IF YOU EVER WANT TO REPLACE CCP. Most people, of course, would shun from using violence, which often serves as the last resort. Yet, that signal sticks and we have yet to see how it would unfold in the future. After all, everything has an end, including CCP. Even CCP's own doctrine recognizes that.

Precisely, it's violence that makes the downfall of tianamen protest in 1989.

Don't be fool by western media portray as one side violence from Chinese soldiers. The protestor attack Chinese soldiers first with petrol bomb and Rob their rifle. The soldiers of cos put up a violent fight to defend themselves.

Same as Hong Kong violent protest 2019. If the HK protest keep it civil. It would have gain the upper hand. The HK government give in intially by scrapping the extradition law with mainland China.

But the protestor grew more hungry and violent, demanding more and all is history. CCP fight back with new HK law which basically cripple those protester right and not give in an inch to them

 

[INS_Vikrant]

The Soviet in the 80s were weak leader. They don't even know the very reason of communist exist. They lose faith in their system and easily manipulate by American.

Ironic, the first communist countries put into turmoil in the 80s was China with tianamen 1989 but China survive the test becos the leader were strong and they know what they want.

All subsequent communist countries especially those in Europe collapse like deck of cards. None emulate the strong willed like China.

Russia today is worst off than Soviet times. Technology, economic, standard of living and military all decline.

If Putin is Soviet leader in the 80s. He will not allowed communist to fall.

Putin is an avid Traditionalist Conservative White Christian right winger, he would have thrown communism out the first chance gets.

 

[Beast]

Putin is an avid Traditionalist Conservative White Christian right winger, he would have thrown communism out the first chance gets.

LoL.. he is running Russia like communist now.

 

[nang2]

Precisely, it's violence that makes the downfall of tianamen protest in 1989.

Don't be fool by western media portray as one side violence from Chinese soldiers. The protestor attack Chinese soldiers first with petrol bomb and Rob their rifle. The soldiers of cos put up a violent fight to defend themselves.

Same as Hong Kong violent protest 2019. If the HK protest keep it civil. It would have gain the upper hand. The HK government give in intially by scrapping the extradition law with mainland China.

But the protestor grew more hungry and violent, demanding more and all is history. CCP fight back with new HK law which basically cripple those protester right and not an inch give in to them

To be fair, in 1989, violence didn't erupt until the army marched in. At that time, it is understandable that some folks on the street lost themselves and resorted to violence. Before that, it was quite peaceful. Who would have thought that the people's army was now marching on people?! Even that, violence from civilians was quite limited and casualty in the army was minuscule. After all, they had no weapons and barely knew how to use one. Not like Americans. Army casualty was mostly from fire, not bullets. Civilian violence didn't justify the use of live ammunition by the army.

To break out the crowd, it should have been fairly easy with non-lethal weapons, like another Tiananmen Sqaure incident back in 1976. But using live ammunition was clearly to send a message, not just to disperse the crowd.

 

[INS_Vikrant]

LoL.. he is running Russia like communist now.

How? Even Russian Communist party hates him. One glaring example of Putin's anti communist policies is reemergence of Russian Orthodox Church under his reign. An Institute almost dead after 80years of soviet rule has been brought back by him again to become the most influential segment of Russian public life.

 

[nang2]

How? Even Russian Communist party hates him. One glaring example of Putin's anti communist policies is reemergence of Russian Orthodox Church under his reign. An Institute almost dead after 80years of soviet has been brought back to again to become the most influential segment of Russian public life.

He simply equates autocracy with communism.

 

[Beast]

To be fair, in 1989, violence didn't erupt until the army marched in. At that time, it is understandable that some folks on the street lost themselves and resorted to violence. Before that, it was quite peaceful. Who would have thought that the people's army was now marching on people?! Even that, violence from civilians was quite limited and casualty in the army was minuscule. After all, they had no weapons and barely knew how to use one. Not like Americans. Army casualty was mostly from fire, not bullets. Civilian violence didn't justify the use of live ammunition by the army.

To break out the crowd, it should have been fairly easy with non-lethal weapons, like another Tiananmen Sqaure incident back in 1976. But using live ammunition was clearly to send a message, not just to disperse the crowd.

Save your breadth for your blame pushing. The crowd in 1976 was much smaller. And you think 1989, China has tear gas or modern anti-riot gear? The violence will never happened if they didnt attack and rob PLA rifle. Now you have a mob armed with guns beside stick and rocks, what will China do?

A big reason why after Tiananmen protest, para military and modern riot team were setup after that.

 

[Yongpeng Sun-Tastaufen]

USSR was not a state. It was a loose confederation of states. It was easy to break up.

 

[Maula Jatt]

USSR was not a state. It was a loose confederation of states. It was easy to break up.

Many modern nations are like that tbh due to colonialism

This world needs changing for a better, fairer world

 

[-blitzkrieg-]

The events of 1991 brought about the dissolution of the USSR. Why did it happen and who was to blame? A new documentary, USSR Collapse: A Crash Course, looks at the historic moments and central figures that are key to understanding the perfect storm that led to the collapse of the Soviet Union.
In the 1980s, the USSR’s first and last president, Mikhail Gorbachev, launched Perestroika (restructuring), an economic policy intended to pull the superpower out of stagnation. But Gorbachev’s attempt to jump-start the Soviet economy only worsened product deficits. Alongside Perestroika, another Gorbachev reform, Glasnost (openness), eased restrictions on freedom of speech, consequently unleashing a wave of criticism. While Mikhail Gorbachev was a hit with his Western counterparts, he was viewed differently at home.
In 1991, a group of Communist hardliners, including the Soviet Union's Vice President, Defence Minister, and KGB head, decided to derail Gorbachev’s reforms. The dramatic events that unfolded from August 18 to 21 of that year became known as a coup and marked the beginning of the end for the Soviet Union.
The conspirators isolated Gorbachev in his summer house in Crimea, formed the State Committee for the State of Emergency (GKChP), and announced a new Soviet leader. Tanks rolled into the capital, as anti-coup protesters gathered on Moscow streets. Russian President Boris Yeltsin denounced the coup, ending the drama and securing his own position as Gorbachev’s main rival.
In the meantime, nationalist movements gained steam in the Soviet republics. The three Baltic States declared independence, while ethnic conflicts flared up in Transdniester, Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Nagorno-Karabakh.
On December 8, 1991, the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus signed the Belovezha Accords.
On December 25, 1991, the Russian tricolor replaced the hammer and sickle flying above the Kremlin.
Was it possible to stop the Soviet Union’s dissolution? Might the USSR still exist if it were not for Gorbachev’s reforms? Do you regret the collapse of the Soviet Union? Participants of the events, including Mikhail Gorbachev, Leonid Kravchuk, and Stanislav Shushkevich, recollect the final years of the USSR, while ordinary witnesses describe how the collapse affected their lives.

0:00 - Intro
2:41 - The USSR’s first and last president
4:33 - What was ‘Perestroika’?
7:40 - Gorbachev's image in the West
8:20 - anti-alcohol campaign
11:22 - Boris Yeltsin arrives on the political scene
16:18 – Rising Nationalists
20:43 - Demands for Independence
24:36 - 1991 Referendum on USSR
26:30 - Moldova-Transdniester Conflict
29:35 - Soviet Union’s Swan Song
32:04 - August Coup
37:04 – Where’s Gorbi?
41:31 - Belovezha Accords

Alexander Rutskoy at 32:30 was the man Pakistan shot twice out of the sky in his Su-25 .He had a brief stay in Islamabad as a Prisoner of War. He later became Vice President of Russia under Boris Yeltsin.

BTW everyone knows Yeltsin was a CIA stooge, setup to firefight and takeover .Alexander Rutskoy just got the hunch a bit later.

 

[nang2]

Save your breadth for your blame pushing. The crowd in 1976 was much smaller. And you think 1989, China has tear gas or modern anti-riot gear? The violence will never happened if they didnt attack and rob PLA rifle. Now you have a mob armed with guns beside stick and rocks, what will China do?

A big reason why after Tiananmen protest, para military and modern riot team were setup after that.

Why do you need tear gas and anti-riot gear? Sticks are sufficient. Besides, show me the evidence that civilians fired at the army before the army opened fire.

Also, para military was established in 1983.

Who is blame pushing now?

 

[nomi007]

It was a gift of Pakistan in response to 1971.
Now we are good friends.