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  • Edexcel

The collapse of the Soviet Union

I can explain the events that led to the collapse of the Soviet Union.

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Lesson 22 of 23
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  • Edexcel

The collapse of the Soviet Union

I can explain the events that led to the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. From 1989, the Soviet Union lost control of Eastern Europe and Germany was reunified as a democratic state.
  2. The Warsaw Pact ended in July 1991.
  3. In August 1991, Gorbachev was briefly overthrown by a coup and when he returned to power his authority was weakened.
  4. From 1990 onwards, demands for independence from Soviet republics critically weakened the Soviet Union.
  5. On 25th December 1991, Gorbachev resigned as Soviet leader and announced the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

Keywords

  • Reunification - bringing things or people back together after they have been separated

  • Coup - a sudden and illegal takeover of a government, usually by a small group of people, often involving the military

  • Republic - one of the multiple states that were joined together as part of the Soviet Union under the central Soviet government

  • Dissolution - when a country or organisation officially ends or breaks apart

Common misconception

The collapse of the Soviet Union happened suddenly.

The collapse of the Soviet Union was a complex process that unfolded over several years, starting with political reforms under Mikhail Gorbachev in the late 1980s and culminating in the formal dissolution in December 1991.

Show students the Gorbachev Pizza Hut commercial (search Pizza Hut Gorbachev TV Spot Commercial) to give a sense of the divided opinions about Gorbachev's legacy in the 1990s. How realistic do students think the end of the commercial is about Gorbachev's legacy in the former Soviet Union?
Teacher tip

Equipment

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2026), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which term describes a country that is dominated by another country?

Correct Answer: satellite state, satellite states

Q2.
Complete the sentence: On 7th December 1988, Mikhail Gorbachev, announced that the Soviet Union was rejecting the Brezhnev .

Correct Answer: Doctrine

Q3.
What was the Velvet Revolution?

a peaceful protest movement that began in Poland
a peaceful protest movement that began in Romania
Correct answer: a peaceful protest movement that began in Czechoslovakia
a peaceful protest movement that began in East Germany

Q4.
Which countries in Eastern Europe peacefully broke away from the USSR?

Correct answer: East Germany
Correct answer: Czechoslovakia
Correct answer: Poland
Romania

Q5.
When was the East German government forced to open the border with West Germany?

7th December 1988
27th June 1989
23rd October 1989
Correct answer: 9th November 1989

Q6.
Put the following events in chronological order.

1 - Churchill gave his ‘Iron Curtain’ speech.
2 - The Iron Curtain became reality with the construction of the Berlin Wall.
3 - Hungary became a democratic multi-party state.
4 - Hungary created a ‘hole’ in the Iron Curtain.
5 - Thousands of East Germans travelled to Hungary.
6 - East German border guards opened the crossing gates.

Assessment exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which term describes bringing things or people back together after they have been separated?

Correct Answer: reunification, reunified

Q2.
Complete the sentence: In August 1991, Gorbachev was briefly overthrown by a and when he returned to power his authority was weakened.

Correct Answer: coup, rebellion, revolt, uprising

Q3.
When did the Warsaw Pact come to an end?

November 1989
Correct answer: July 1991
March 1991
February 1989

Q4.
Why was Gorbachev's new approach described as the ‘Sinatra Doctrine’?

Correct answer: It was named after American singer, Frank Sinatra’s song ‘My Way’.
It was named after Soviet singer, Frank Sinatra’s song ‘My Way’.
It disallowed a satellite state to decide on its own which road to take.
Correct answer: It allowed a satellite state to decide on its own which road to take.

Q5.
Which event made it clear that the Warsaw Pact was in decline?

the granting of the Nobel Peace Prize to Gorbachev
the reuniting of Germany after many decades
the Soviets’ abandoning of the Brezhnev Doctrine
Correct answer: the Soviets’ failed invasion and withdrawal of Afghanistan

Q6.
Match the evidence to the viewpoint of Gorbachev following his reform attempt.

Correct Answer:West’s view of Gorbachev,had many admirers and won an award for peace

had many admirers and won an award for peace

Correct Answer:Soviet view of Gorbachev,became increasingly unpopular and was forced to step down

became increasingly unpopular and was forced to step down

Lesson appears in

UnitHistory / Period study: Superpower relations and the Cold War, 1941–91

EdexcelHistory

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