Was the Soviet system doomed to peril? Undoubtedly, yes - counting quite a number of built-in mechanisms of self-destruction, also its rigid hierarchical organization, violence and intimidation as the key methods of its functioning. But this could happen later than 1991 if the actions of the political leadership would not have caused system failures and started the self-destruction mechanisms. Both the «Chinese version» of system transformation and the possibility of retaining the Soviet Union however fragile were lost.

Was the Soviet system doomed to peril? Undoubtedly, yes - counting quite a number of built-in mechanisms of self-destruction, also its rigid hierarchical organization, violence and intimidation as the key methods of its functioning. But this could happen later than 1991 if the actions of the political leadership would not have caused system failures and started the self-destruction mechanisms. Both the «Chinese version» of system transformation and the possibility of retaining the Soviet Union however fragile were lost.

ÈÑÒÎÐÈ×ÅÑÊÈÅ ÐÀÇÂÈËÊÈ, Ì.Ñ. ÃÎÐÁÀרÂ, ÏÅÐÅÑÒÐÎÉÊÀ, ÐÀÑÏÀÄ ÑÎÂÅÒÑÊÎÃÎ ÑÎÞÇÀ, ÑÈÑÒÅÌÍÀß ÊÀÒÀÑÒÐÎÔÀ

HISTORICAL CROSSROADS, M.S. GORBACHEV, PERESTROIKA, SYSTEM CATASTROPHE, USSR DISSOLUTION