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=The Collapse of the Soviet Union (December 26, 1991)=

==Overview== The fall of the soviet union can be traced to many aspects. The way they dealt with there economy, the leaders that wanted reforms, forcing people to obey them, and the cold war and took there toll on them. Political battles, and reforms that went a little out of hand also did not help in holding the union together. The collapse of the Soviet Union had effects world-wide as well. Economics were effected, and relations were affected. The fall ultimately ended the cold war as well. One man had a huge impact that cause the fall and he was Mikhail Gorbachev. The people in power voted to get rid of the Soviet Union after Mikhail Gorbachev resigned as president.

==Critical Issue== Mikhail Gorbachev had a huge impact in causing the fall for many reasons. He put in a number of reforms that allowed more freedom for the people under the Soviets control. He also got freedom of the press for them, made public information easier to access, His major reforms were glasnost, perestroika and democratization. These reforms allowed the problems of the USSR to be uncovered and become public knowledge. Ethnic unrest, economic inefficiency and historical atrocities were the major challenges Gorbachev faced.These reforms occurred not when he was made leader of the soviet union, they were put in early in his career. The collapse of the Soviet Union did occur in months like some of the outside seen, but started with his early reforms.He was a huge reason it collapsed when it did it could have lasted longer if the reforms he put in did not occur.

Conclusion
The fall of the Soviet Union had great impacts on both politics in other countries and economies, especially the ones that were now once again free. Communism which was originally though of by Leon Trotsky was basically tested by Russia and it failed horribly. The people were not happy and it just shows any empire or country that forcefully takes control of another country never lasts and eventually falls apart. Some other examples are Germany during ww2, Rome, Britain during the pre-revolutionary era. The Soviet Union fell victim to the same disasters and the examples i just wrote about. People naturally want to be free and the Soviet Union even became an aggressor when they invaded Afghanistan to have a way to open water. They voted to end the Soviet Union.