The Decline of the Soviet Union

When Gorbachev became the leader of the Soviet Union in 1985, he initiated many changes that seemingly accelerated the fall of the Soviet Union in August of 1991. Gorbachev stopped Russian economic reform as well as decreased the use of brute force that had been used to maintain the stability and strength of the Russian and Communist states. However, Gorbachev was not the only power to have propelled the Soviet Union into rapid decline, for his actions were actually just reactions to preexisting sentiments of rebellion against the Soviet Union and the Communist state. What truly revealed the growing fragility of the Communist state was the Polish Solidarity Movement.

Gorbachev came to power after the Polish Solidarity Movement during the 1980s. This movement is critical when looking at the decline of the Soviet Union for it truly revealed the cracks in the Communist system. During this movement, millions of Polish workers rebelled against the Communist state, demanding trade unions and thus, liberties. It is essential to acknowledge that the Polish workers chose to proceed with this movement with the knowledge of the implementation and activity of the Breshnev Doctrine, and had the 1968 Invasion of Prague to set an example for what would happen to those who chose to pose a threat to the international Communist state. Despite this very active threats, the Polish workers still rebelled, essentially demanding freedom. 

What is so important about the persistence of the Polish workers to rebel and demand rights is that the Communist system is essentially built upon the support of the workers. Consequently, how can the Communist state exist when it's own foundation, the workers, no longer want to support it?

While the Polish Solidarity Movement was stopped by the Soviets in order to sustain the Communist empire, the impact of this movement on the Communist empire is undeniable and revealed the true potential for the collapse of the Communist state.