The Collapse of Communism in Europe

Though Russia was a huge country with tremendous natural resources, it did not have an efficient economic system. The Communist system could not feed its people properly, nor give them a good standard of living. In 1966, for example, there were only four refrigerators for every 100 Russians (compared to 30 for every 100 Americans). The problem was that in order to compete with the US the Russians were spending huge amounts of money they could not afford on the development of nuclear and conventional weapons.

In 1989, the Russian leader, Gorbachev, gave up Russian control of eastern Europe and these states quickly abandoned Communism. Two years later, Communism which had lasted 74 years, was also abandoned by the Russian people. The Soviet Union ceased to exist.

Neil Demarco: The era of the Second World War; Oxford University Press, 1993/2000, page 74