by Yuuki Tashiro

Now I study the affairs in 90s personally. When I thought the changed point before 90s and after it, I noticed the collapse of the Soviet Union had important role. In this blog, I write the cause and result about it.

Firstly, as we know, the Soviet Union had big power and influence to a lot of country as a biggest communist country from 50s to 80s. However, in the country corrupt practice gradually became quiet common among the communist party. And the power decreased through the cold war with the US. For example, they used huge budgets to military affair. So a lot of material and daily necessities lacked with ordinary people. Beside the party’s oppression to people was a big problem in the country. Soviet Union needed to oppress democratization in order to oppose with democracy and capitalism which the US insist on. Although, Gorbachev who elected as a secretary- general in 1985 started liberalization and democratization. It is called perestroika. At the same time, he started glasnost in this policy, public information proceeded. For example, a nuclear power plant disaster in Chernobyl was known by people at the first time. And people knew that government hide a lot of information. As a result, this action by Gorbachev guided collapse of a wall of Berlin. Finally Soviet Union lost the influence to the communist countries and member of Soviet Union left from it in 1991. Then Russia gave up communism and made CIS. This is the present Russia.

Well, the collapse of Soviet Union affected all over the world. There are many changed things before and after this collapse. The end of cold war is one of the biggest occurrence. By that time, opposition between communism and capitalism made built frame of the world, however, after this incident, new frame was built up. Firstly the US had biggest power and influence. In other ward, the US got hegemony of the world. So now, American’s globalism spread to everywhere. Also It can say that capitalism and liberalism, democracy spread except for a few countries, for example North Korea. I think it is good point, but there are bad points, of course. After this incident, ethnic conflict increased. East‐West confrontation had hidden ethnic conflict, but collapse of Soviet Union opened the veil. But at the same time, United Nation gradually works well. In cold war, Soviet and the US used many vote powers, so United Nations Security Council was not able to work in such conflict. It may be good changed point of collapse of Soviet.

References

ポスト・ペレストロイカの世界像、「帝国」はなぜ崩壊したのか / 進藤榮一著　筑摩書房

MSN Sankei news 2011.12.19. <http://sankei.jp.msn.com/world/news/111219/erp11121907510003-n1.htm&gt;