The Causes of Disintegration in the USSR and Yugoslavia

Abstract Recently there has been a dramatic resurgence of nationalism in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. While nationalist politics plays a significant role even in relatively homogeneous countries, ethnic mobilization has reached unprecedented levels in multinational Communist states. Today two such states — the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia — have disintegrated, while a third — Czechoslovakia — is also experiencing a political identity crisis. Seventy years after its formation, and forty-five years after its borders were “definitely” drawn following WWII, the Soviet Union has collapsed. Gorbachev's desperate attempt to promote a new union treaty through the March 1991 referendum failed. After the failure of the August 1991 coup, Baltic independence has been recognized internationally while several republics have added their names to the list of republics proclaiming political independence.