What destroyed the Soviet Union?

[Pandeeria]

Oh please. Gorbachev is a lot more at fault then Yeltsin.

Oh please. Of course he was, he was a Capitalist roader after all! Now look at him, a poster boy for demockery and change the world over.

Why do you have such a dislike for the greatest economic theory in human-history (Capitalism)?

[Libhiriya]

Oh please. Of course he was, he was a Capitalist roader after all! Now look at him, a poster boy for demockery and change the world over.

Why do you have such a dislike for the greatest economic theory in human-history (Capitalism)?

Sarcasm is hard to detect on the intanetz.

If you're actually serious... Probably because it's not the greatest economic theory in human history.

[Pandeeria]

Why do you have such a dislike for the greatest economic theory in human-history (Capitalism)?

Sarcasm is hard to detect on the intanetz.

If you're actually serious... Probably because it's not the greatest economic theory in human history.

Then what is the greatest economic theory?

[Union Of Canadorian Socialists Republic]

It's a miracle the Soviet Union lasted as long as it did.

[Terran Empire]

Apple pie

Superman

And Jackie Robinson.

[Sisterhood]

It was run by male... and the tyrant's paranoia killed him... but mostly it's what happen if you give all that power to men... communism just doesn't work if one male somehow gets all power....

[Dracoria]

It was run by male... and the tyrant's paranoia killed him... but mostly it's what happen if you give all that power to men...

General is OOC.

[Saiwania]

It's a miracle the Soviet Union lasted as long as it did.

But for all of the USSR's faults, it did manage to destroy Nazi Germany and steamrolled over Manchuria, half of Korea, and eastern Europe like an unstoppable crimson wave.

[Naval Monte]

I'm going to say that it was a combination of Mikhail Gorbachev radical reforms, mass media, and the flaws within the Soviet system. Reagan however did gave nudge towards the Soviet's demise but I wouldn't call it the major factor.

[Union Of Canadorian Socialists Republic]

It's a miracle the Soviet Union lasted as long as it did.

But for all of the USSR's faults, it did manage to destroy Nazi Germany and steamrolled over Manchuria, half of Korea, and eastern Europe like an unstoppable crimson wave.

Exactly. It became a superpower in a few short years.

[Baltenstein]

It's a miracle the Soviet Union lasted as long as it did.

But for all of the USSR's faults, it did manage to destroy Nazi Germany and steamrolled over Manchuria, half of Korea, and eastern Europe like an unstoppable crimson wave.

I'd say, the two greatest achievements of the Soviet Union for the human race as a whole are:

1.) Destroying Nazi Germany
2.) Reaching space (First satellite, first animal, first human)

[L Ron Cupboard]

I'm going to say that it was a combination of Mikhail Gorbachev radical reforms, mass media, and the flaws within the Soviet system. Reagan however did gave nudge towards the Soviet's demise but I wouldn't call it the major factor.

I would say Gorbachev saw that the end was inevitable, and realised reform was the only option.

[Vistulange]

I'm going to say it was a result of Western foreign policy and Eastern inefficency. As the aggressive foreign policy of the NATO encircled the Soviet Union and its allies, the Warsaw Pact as a whole, the Warsaw Pact was forced to increase its military spending. While this normally wouldn't be a problem, it became a big one when the interests of the Soviet military-industrial complex clashed with that of the Soviet leaders. Granted, we could always argue that Brezhnev never really cared for the betterment of the Soviet Union, and didn't even want to cut back on military spending. Anyhow, besides that, it is common knowledge that the Soviet Union's economy was riddled with inefficency and society marred by corruption, arguably a result of the centralized command economy.

With that said, I do believe that the poll should permit multiple choices, as opposed to a single one.

[OMGeverynameistaken]

But for all of the USSR's faults, it did manage to destroy Nazi Germany and steamrolled over Manchuria, half of Korea, and eastern Europe like an unstoppable crimson wave.

Exactly. It became a superpower in a few short years.

It followed a very common pattern in Russian history. Initial reforms and defeats are followed by effective reform and victories, then the decline begins until another reformer comes into power.

You can easily mark out the high points in Russian history based on leaders...to take some better known examples: Ivan IV, Peter I, and Catherine II, after that the 'peaks' got a bit lower...Alexander II saw a brief revival both economically and militarily, but he was no Peter I. Then came the fall, and the reforms...initially unsuccessful, but which came to fruition under Stalin, as motivated to some degree by the Axis invasion, much as Peter was motivated by the Swedes and Ivan by the Tartars.

We'll see where Putin fits into this pattern. He could be the Stalin to Gorbachev's Lenin (in a good way or a bady way,) or he might wind up as another Alexander II.

[CTALNH]

While the destruction of the soviet union was a cocktail of reasons the biggest one would be Mikhail Gorbachev.

[Nervium]

A giant meteor.

That was the empire.

Wait... Russia had a dinosaur empire?

[Nazi Flower Power]

As a Nazi, I was tempted to vote "somehow it was the Jews," but I think "the system was broken" is more accurate. Even without Jewish meddling, communism just does not work on that scale.

[Baltenstein]

As a Nazi, I was tempted to vote "somehow it was the Jews," but I think "the system was broken" is more accurate. Even without Jewish meddling, communism just does not work on that scale.

Shouldn't you hate Jews, Communists and Russians equally, anyway?

[OMGeverynameistaken]

As a Nazi, I was tempted to vote "somehow it was the Jews," but I think "the system was broken" is more accurate. Even without Jewish meddling, communism just does not work on that scale.

Shouldn't you hate Jews, Communists and Russians equally, anyway?

If you want to get into the technical aspects of Nazi race science, Jews were technically superior to Slavs. See, Jews were still sub-human scum, but they were intelligent, devious, sub-human scum. They needed to be exterminated because they were just too smart for their own good. Slavs were basically animals, suitable for being culled and used as a slave labor population after the war.

[CTALNH]

That was the empire.

Wait... Russia had a dinosaur empire?

Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiittttttttttttttttttttttt

[Forsher]

Yes we all know there was no one reason. Can we pick the biggest factor so there is something to discuss though?

That's bad historical practice... it's broadly equivalent to coming up with a theory and then finding facts to support it. One shouldn't try and force evidence to say things it doesn't (which is a likely outcome of looking for a biggest factor). No quite as bad as the response I was intending to make was going to be (i.e. thinking that a deluded terrorist's assessment of the invasion of Afghanistan as the biggest reason is reliable) but still something to avoid.

[Nervium]

I'm going with: Nude pics of Ronald Reagan sent to Gorbachev's office.

Instant near-heart attack.

[Nervium]

Wait... Russia had a dinosaur empire?

Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiittttttttttttttttttttttt

You learn something every day.

[Nazi Flower Power]

As a Nazi, I was tempted to vote "somehow it was the Jews," but I think "the system was broken" is more accurate. Even without Jewish meddling, communism just does not work on that scale.

Shouldn't you hate Jews, Communists and Russians equally, anyway?

I don't hate anyone. National Socialism is meant to be an ideology of love, harmony, and peace.

[CTALNH]

Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiittttttttttttttttttttttt

You learn something every day.

Yep!