From Centralization to Collapse: Structural Weaknesses of the Soviet State
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70670/sra.v3i1.2437Keywords:
Soviet Union, Monolithic State, Structural CollapseAbstract
The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 was the culmination of long-term structural weaknesses rather than the consequence of a single political event or leadership failure. This paper examines the historical evolution of the Soviet state's monolithic political and administrative structure and analyses the institutional contradictions that gradually undermined its stability. It argues that the highly centralized system established under Joseph Stalin initially strengthened state authority and facilitated rapid industrialization, but over time it produced bureaucratic rigidity, economic stagnation, political alienation, and an increasing disconnect between the state and society. By tracing developments from the Stalin era to the reforms of Mikhail Gorbachev, the paper demonstrates that Perestroika and Glasnost exposed rather than created these structural deficiencies. The study concludes that the Soviet Union collapsed because its rigid institutions proved incapable of adapting to changing political, economic, and social realities, making systemic disintegration increasingly inevitable.
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