The Collapse of the Soviet Union

This video details the events that led to the collapse of the Soviet Union and the resignation of Gorbachev. It begins with an explanation of why total independence for the Soviet States was unacceptable to the Soviet leadership. The power struggle between Yeltsin and Gorbachev is then presented, along with details of the coup that led to Gorbachev's house arrest and subsequent release thanks to Yeltsin. The clip ends with the Slav states decalaring independence from the USSR, followed by an illuminating interview with President Bush who received Gorbachev's final phone call as General Secretary of the Soviet Union on Christmas Day, 1991.

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