The fall of communism and the break-up of the Soviet Union into 15 independent states in December 1991 was one of the most significant events of the 20th century. In the last years of Soviet rule, images of mass protests on the streets of Moscow, Tbilisi and Vilnius, bloodshed in Baku, striking miners, Mikhail Gorbachev wooing the West, and Boris Yeltsin defiantly mounting a tank in front of the White House building in Moscow, shattered all of the old certainties about the seemingly unbreakable communist system. Gorbachev and Yeltsin were the dominant figures in this process, but non-Russian national movements, workers, intellectuals, and international developments all had roles to play.
Jeremy Smith presents the dramatic events of 1985-91 in a clear and succinct form, setting out a variety of interpretations for the demise of communism in the Soviet Union, and suggesting new approaches to answering the unresolved question of why it happened. Smith discusses the long-term and short-term factors behind the extraordinary collapse, assessing the impact of economic crisis, nationalism, personalities and democratization in the process.

JEREMY SMITH is Lecturer in Russian History at the Centre for Russian and East European Studies at the University of Birmingham, UK.

Acknowledgements
Glossary
Introduction
PART I: BACKGROUND
The Soviet Political System
The Soviet Economy
The Nationalities Question
Early Attempts at Reform
Gorbachev and Yeltsin
PART II: REFORM FROM ABOVE
Personnel and Policies
Economic Reforms
Structural and
Constitutional Reform
Glasnost and Democratisation
Liberals and Conservatives
PART III: MOVEMENTS FROM BELOW
National Conflicts and Popular Fronts
Strikes and Mass Protest
Repression and Resistance
The International Impact
The Return of Yeltsin
The August Coup
The End of Communism
Conclusion
Chronology of Events
Select Bibliography
Index.