On December 25, 1991, Mikhail Gorbachev, the eighth and final leader of the Soviet Union, resigned, effectively dissolving the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). His resignation speech was broadcast on television from the Kremlin, where he also handed over control of the nuclear launch codes to Boris Yeltsin, who had become the first President of the newly independent Russian Federation.
The failed August 1991 coup by Communist hardliners against Gorbachev severely weakened his position and accelerated the disintegration of the USSR. This coup attempt, which sought to reverse Gorbachev’s reforms, failed, leading to the rise of Yeltsin and other pro-reform leaders.
Following the coup, several republics declared their independence, with Ukraine being particularly significant due to its size and strategic importance. The Belovezha Accords, signed on December 8, 1991, by the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus, officially declared the dissolution of the USSR, establishing the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in its place.
Economic stagnation, the burden of the arms race with the United States, and the costs of maintaining Soviet influence in Eastern Europe and Afghanistan had significantly weakened the Soviet economy by the 1980s. Gorbachev’s policies of “perestroika” (restructuring) and “glasnost” (openness) aimed at reforming the Soviet system but inadvertently encouraged nationalist movements within the Soviet republics, leading to demands for greater autonomy or independence.
The dissolution led to the creation of 15 new independent states from the former Soviet republics. The transition was marked by economic hardships, political instability, and in some regions, ethnic conflicts. Russia, the largest republic, inherited the Soviet Union’s seat in the United Nations Security Council and the majority of its nuclear arsenal, but faced significant challenges in transitioning from a command economy to a market economy. The fall of the USSR ended the Cold War, reshaping global geopolitics, leading to a unipolar world dominated by the United States for a period. The event is often celebrated or noted for symbolizing the end of an era of communism in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet states, although the legacy of the Soviet period continues to affect politics, economics, and culture in these regions.
The modern state of Ukraine declared independence from the Soviet Union on August 24, 1991, following a failed coup in Moscow. This was confirmed by a national referendum on 1st December ,where over 90% voted for independence. Ukraine’s independence was recognized internationally, and it joined the United Nations.
Much of what is now Ukraine was part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth from the 14th to the 18th centuries. During this period, significant events like the Cossack uprisings, notably led by Bohdan Khmelnytsky in the 17th century, highlighted Ukrainian identity and autonomy. Following the partitions of Poland in the late 18th century, Ukrainian lands were mainly divided between the Russian Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. This period saw the suppression of Ukrainian language and culture in Russian-controlled areas. The collapse of the Russian and Austro-Hungarian Empires after WWI led to a brief period of Ukrainian independence in 1917-1921, with the Ukrainian People’s Republic and later the West Ukrainian People’s Republic. However, these were short-lived due to the chaos of the Russian Civil War and foreign interventions, leading to Ukraine’s incorporation into the Soviet Union. From 1922, Ukraine became one of the founding republics of the USSR as the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (SSR). The 1930s were marked by the Holodomor, a man-made famine that killed millions, and extensive Russification policies. During WWII, much of Ukraine was occupied by Nazi Germany, leading to further devastation and complex local allegiances. After the war, it was reclaimed by the Soviets, with significant post-war reconstruction and suppression of nationalist movements.
Ukraine was a major industrial and agricultural base for the USSR. Its decision to leave the union weakened the Soviet economy significantly, as it controlled substantial portions of the USSR’s manufacturing, including significant military-industrial assets. It housed a substantial number of Soviet military assets, including nuclear weapons. The decision to become independent meant these would no longer be directly under Moscow’s control, shifting the balance of power within what was left of the Soviet structure.
On December 8, 1991, the leaders of Russia, Ukraine (Leonid Kravchuk), and Belarus (Stanislav Shushkevich) met at Belovezhskaya Pushcha to sign the Belovezha Accords. This agreement declared the Soviet Union dissolved and established the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in its place. Ukraine’s participation was crucial, as without its agreement, the dissolution could not have been as legally or politically binding. Later, on December 21, 1991, the Alma-Ata Protocol was signed by leaders of 11 of the 15 Soviet republics, including Ukraine, formally recognizing each other’s independence and agreeing on further steps for the CIS, essentially sealing the fate of the USSR. Throughout the late Soviet period, there was a significant revival of Ukrainian national identity and culture, which played into the political movements for independence. This cultural resurgence was both a cause and effect of the political changes, fostering a sense of unity and purpose towards independence. Ukraine’s move towards independence was not just political; it was also a profound cultural statement against the centralizing, Russifying tendencies of the Soviet state, emboldening other republics to assert their own identities.
Ukraine’s actions in 1991 were instrumental in the practical dissolution of the Soviet Union. Its declaration of independence, the overwhelming public support for leaving the USSR, and its participation in key agreements that formalized the end of the Soviet state were all crucial. The dissolution could not have proceeded in the way it did without Ukraine’s decisive step towards independence, effectively proving that the Soviet Union was no longer a viable political entity.
On December 25, 1991, when Gorbachev resigned as President of the USSR, he expressed a mixture of resignation and concern. He acknowledged the end of the Soviet Union and the beginning of a new era but also voiced concerns about the future for “Soviets” who would no longer be citizens of a “great power.” His speech conveyed a sense of personal failure and sadness over the collapse of the state he had once led. In subsequent years, Gorbachev made it clear that he did not intend for the USSR to dissolve. He often spoke about how his reforms were meant to save, not destroy, the Soviet Union. He believed that with his policies, the USSR could have evolved into a more humane, democratic socialist state.
Galactik Views