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The Worthy House (Charles Haywood)
Armageddon Averted: The Soviet Collapse, 1970–2000 (Stephen Kotkin)
Dec 13, 2023
Stephen Kotkin, expert on the collapse of the Soviet Communist regime, discusses the factors behind the fall of Communism in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union, the consequences of the collapse, the role of Western banks, the challenges faced by post-Soviet Russia, the admiration for Putin's Russia among Americans, and the potential regime collapse and its consequences.
26:43
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Quick takeaways
- The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989 was primarily driven by the spontaneous uprising of average citizens, fueled by nationalism and religion, rather than dissidents or counter-elites.
- The economic gap between the Soviet Union and the West continued to widen, and despite the illusion of stability, the reliance on the oil and gas industry concealed the inefficiencies and outdated infrastructure of Soviet heavy industry.
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Collapse of Eastern European Communist Regimes
In 'Armageddon Averted: The Soviet Collapse, 1970-2000' by Stephen Kotkin, the author argues that the collapse of the Eastern European Communist regimes in 1989 was not due to dissidents or counter-elites, but rather the spontaneous uprising of average citizens driven by nationalism and religion.
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