Dissolution of the Soviet Union

The dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 was when the largest communist state unexpectedly broke apart into 15 independent countries. This happened due to economic struggles, political reforms, rising nationalism, and demands for independence from republics like Ukraine and the Baltic states. Mikhail Gorbachev’s policies of glasnost and perestroika aimed to modernize but also loosened central control. As tensions grew and reforms failed to stabilize the system, the Soviet Union ended its existence, leading to the emergence of new nations and a shift in global power from a unified superpower to multiple independent states.