Part 7/8:
While revolutions raged on the fringes, political disturbances began to cascade within the Soviet Union itself. As states sought independence—most notably Lithuania, Ukraine, and the Baltic republics—the central authority in Soviet Moscow weakened significantly.
Gorbachev’s attempts to preserve the Soviet Union through the New Union Treaty were thwarted by a failed coup in August 1991. This coup catalyzed a rapid series of declarations of independence from Soviet republics, leading to the fragmentation of the union.
By December 26, 1991, the Soviet Union was officially dissolved, leaving a legacy that mixed optimism for democratic governance with the realities of a turbulent transition for many of its former republics.
Conclusion: Reflecting on a Historical Turning Point