When the Soviet Union collapsed in December 1991, the five Central Asian republics all declared independence. However, this independence did not occur through a “revolution”; instead, former Communist Party elites became the leaders of the new states.
The Process of the Soviet Collapse
- 1985: Mikhail Gorbachev began perestroika, or reform, and glasnost, or openness.
- 1989–1991: Eastern European countries successively withdrew from communist systems.
- August 1991: A failed coup attempt took place in Moscow, during which conservatives detained Gorbachev. It failed under the leadership of Boris Yeltsin.
- December 25, 1991: Gorbachev resigned. The Soviet Union formally dissolved, and fifteen union republics became independent.
The Independence of the Five Central Asian Countries
- Kazakhstan (Kazakh language region; major oil and natural gas resources; capital Nur Sultan ← Astana)
- Uzbekistan (largest population; historic cities of Samarkand and Bukhara; cotton and natural gas)
- Turkmenistan (neutral country; fourth largest natural gas reserves in the world; authoritarian political system)
- Tajikistan (majority of Iranian Tajiks; civil war immediately after independence from 1992 to 1997)
- Kyrgyzstan (mountainous country; relatively open political system; “Tulip Revolution” in 2005)
Key Point
The Problem of “Continuing Former Communist Party Elites”: In many cases in the five Central Asian countries, the first secretaries of the Communist Party during the Soviet era became the first presidents of the new states, such as Karimov of Uzbekistan and Niyazov of Turkmenistan. Thus, political authoritarianism continued despite formal independence. This is sometimes called “elite continuity independence.”
The Problem of “Continuing Former Communist Party Elites”: In many cases in the five Central Asian countries, the first secretaries of the Communist Party during the Soviet era became the first presidents of the new states, such as Karimov of Uzbekistan and Niyazov of Turkmenistan. Thus, political authoritarianism continued despite formal independence. This is sometimes called “elite continuity independence.”
Challenges after Independence
The sudden independence caused serious confusion in every aspect of politics, the economy, and society. The countries faced many problems of the “transition period,” including a sharp fall in GDP, hyperinflation, the breakdown of trade networks, the treatment of former Soviet military personnel, and the shift from Russian language education to education in national languages.
Practice
- Explain the events of August 1991 that directly triggered the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
- Name all five Central Asian countries and state one characteristic of each.
- Explain what “continuing former Communist Party elites” means, giving a specific example.