_____________________tried reform/fix the Soviet system, causing the Soviet Union to eventually fall apart.
There were several attempts made to reform and fix the Soviet system, but none of them were successful in preventing the eventual collapse of the Soviet Union. The leaders who took these reform initiatives included Mikhail Gorbachev, Boris Yeltsin, and other prominent figures within the Communist Party.
Mikhail Gorbachev, who became the General Secretary of the Communist Party in 1985, initiated a series of reforms known as perestroika (restructuring) and glasnost (openness). Under perestroika, Gorbachev aimed to decentralize the economy, allowing limited market mechanisms, private property, and foreign investments. The intent was to make the Soviet economy more efficient and responsive to consumer needs. Glasnost, on the other hand, aimed to promote more transparency, freedom of speech, and openness in society.
While these reforms introduced more openness and political tolerance, they also unleashed long-suppressed ethnic tensions and calls for independence within the Soviet Union's constituent republics. The more liberal policies also led to a surge in nationalist movements, demanding greater autonomy or even outright secession.
Simultaneously, Gorbachev's policies faced strong opposition from elements within the Communist Party who saw these reforms as a threat to their power and the centralized planning system. Conservative factions within the Soviet government resisted Gorbachev's initiatives, which hindered the pace and effectiveness of the reforms.
In 1991, a failed coup attempt by hardline Communists further weakened the Soviet system. Boris Yeltsin, who had been elected President of the Russian Republic, emerged as a key figure in opposing the coup and capitalizing on the opportunity for greater autonomy for Russia. Yeltsin's popularity grew, and he positioned himself as a champion of democracy and capitalism, challenging Gorbachev's leadership.
During this period, several Soviet republics declared their independence, and the Communist Party's control over the political system crumbled rapidly. Yeltsin, representing the Russian Federation, worked to replace the Communist-led Soviet Union with the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), which effectively dissolved the Soviet Union in December 1991.
Despite the sincere efforts to reform and fix the Soviet system, the combination of internal opposition, nationalist movements, economic challenges, and political turbulence proved too overwhelming. These factors, along with the failing centralized economy, played a significant role in the ultimate collapse of the Soviet Union.