America's Foreign Policy Practice Exam 2025 – Comprehensive Test Prep

The major political shift that occurred in the Soviet Union during the early 1990s was the collapse of the Soviet Union and the emergence of independent republics. This period marked the end of a superpower that had existed for decades and led to significant geopolitical transformations. The dissolution of the Soviet Union was precipitated by a series of reforms initiated by Mikhail Gorbachev, including glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring), which aimed to revitalize the economy and encourage more political liberalization.

As these reforms unfolded, they inadvertently weakened the centralized Soviet authority and fueled nationalist movements within various republics. By 1991, this culminated in the declaration of independence by several Soviet republics, effectively leading to the formal dissolution of the Soviet Union in December 1991. This transition resulted in the establishment of multiple independent states, dramatically changing the political landscape of Eastern Europe and Central Asia, marking the end of the Cold War era. The significance of this major political shift lies not only in the fracturing of a dominant political entity but also in the shift towards new governance and international relations for the newly independent states.