Post-Cold War Politics

The End of Bipolarity

• The Cold War's conclusion and the Soviet Union's disintegration marked the end of the bipolar global order.
• The world was divided into two superpowers during the Cold War: the US and the USSR.
• "Bipolarity" described the world's power division into two opposing poles.

The Soviet System

• The Soviet system, a socialist ideology, aimed for an egalitarian society by abolishing private property.
• A single-party system, dominated by the Communist Party, governed the Soviet Union.
• The state controlled the Soviet economy, with limited citizen participation.
• The Soviet economy was centrally planned, with the government controlling resources and industries.

The Soviet Union: A Closer Look

• The Soviet Union comprised 15 republics, with Russia being the dominant one, causing resentment from others.
• The Soviet Union faced these issues: a highly centralized bureaucratic system, limited democratic accountability and freedom of speech, an expensive arms race with the US, and the costly Afghan War (1978).

The Collapse of the Soviet Union

• Mikhail Gorbachev's reforms, "perestroika" (restructuring) and "glasnost" (openness), aimed to improve the economy and increase political involvement.
• These reforms faced opposition from hardline Communist Party members who wanted to maintain the status quo.
• The reforms triggered protests and independence movements among Soviet republics.
• A failed coup by hardliners in 1991 didn't overthrow Gorbachev.
• Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia declared independence, leading to the dissolution of the USSR.

The Commonwealth of Independent States

• The CIS, a loose association of former Soviet republics, was formed following the Soviet Union's collapse.
• Its intended purpose involved maintaining some political and economic connections among member republics.

The Impact of the Soviet Collapse

• The Soviet Union's collapse ended the Cold War and established a unipolar world dominated by the US.
• The UN Security Council's authority was weakened, and nationalism/separatism in former republics increased.

Shock Therapy

• Shock therapy was the rapid shift from communism to capitalism in former Soviet republics.
• Shock therapy involved privatizing state-owned businesses, deregulating the economy, and liberalizing trade/foreign investment.

The Effects of Shock Therapy

• Shock therapy caused economic instability and poverty, particularly widespread unemployment.
• The transition also led to rising crime rates, widening inequality, and political instability.

Conclusion

• The Soviet Union's collapse profoundly altered the global political order, influencing former bloc countries significantly.
• Shock therapy, despite its goals, had a mixed impact on the former Soviet Union, resulting in both positive and negative consequences.