Fall of USSR as a hegemonic power Essay

Fall of USSR as a hegemonic power
The Soviet Union Empire collapse in December 1991 was a good example of how important the economic factors are in maintaining the strong position of a hegemonic power . Economy is very significant social fetter introduced by Gilpin which can be a strong cause of a hegemonic collapse . At that time the Soviet Union had a strong position in terms of the military-security element. The weaknesses of her economy contributed to her collapse in 1991. Stability and a strong economic position are important in maintaining the survival of a superpower. Having military strength was not sufficient to maintain the Soviet power as a hegemony/counter hegemony power. She needed a stable economy that could produce and a stable financial position to survive as a strong position. The stable and strong combinations of political-military and economic-trade factors are necessary in maintaining a hegemony or counter-hegemony state. Soviet Union and China were counter hegemonic for American hegemony Germany, Japan and Italy for Great Britain in 1930s and Germany and Austria-Hungary in early twentieth century The combination of the political and economic factors is important in supporting the strong position of a hegemony power. It means that only two factors, the political and economic factors are sufficient enough in maintaining a hegemonic power. Economic and political factors inter-support each other in maintaining the strength and position of a hegemonic power. The experience of Great Britain (in early twentieth century) and Soviet Union (in early 1990s) were the two examples of the importance of economic factors in maintaining and surviving the position of hegemonic power. The roles played by the economic factors will guide the effective running of the political factor. Without a strong position in economic factors, financial elements and the strength of the military factor will collapse. A hegemonic power could not manage effectively the production, financial and technology without the strong economic position. One element is not sufficient in maintaining the strong position of a hegemonic power. There must be a combination of political and economic factors. The Soviet Union could not maintain her position and collapsed in 1991 because of the failure of the state's role in managing the economic factors. This failure in the economic factor gave a negative impact to the political position. Although the military-security of the Soviet Union was strong, the weaknesses of the economic factors (economic production and financial) contributed to the military weakness and the eventual collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The situation in the Soviet Union in the mid-1980s was slightly similar to the situation or the process of declining British power in the early 1900s. The low economic production and unstable position in economic forces affected the position of Britain's military and her overall political position as a world super power since mid-twentieth century . So we can see how economy as a factor caused the collapse of USSR . Gilpin's internal social fetters are very much applicable for the fall of USSR .