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phiwong t1_iujiox9 wrote

This would be the subject of a whole textbook. Very simplified.

In order to maintain a union of states (like the USSR), every state must have their mutual benefits. For Russia to maintain control over the USSR, it had to give benefits to the individual countries while taking some benefits for itself.

There came a time when Russia could no longer maintain this financially. At this point, the individual states no longer wanted to remain as part of the union and Russia wasn't in a position militarily or diplomatically to enforce their rule over so many countries all at the same time.

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spider-bro t1_iujkvbs wrote

An even shorter answer is that it was based on non-consensual relationships which are inherently more unstable than consensual relationships.

Of course all nations are that way; the definition of a law is a rule you adopt by being born. But the Soviet Union applied this kind of nonconsensual ordering to entire nations.

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