Reasons for growth of nationalism within the USSR

What environmental concerns were there within the USSR?

Particularly in outlying parts of the Soviet union there were environmental problems. For example soil erosion due to the diversion of rivers had ravaged large parts of Central Asia.

How did these environmental concerns increase nationalism?

The local people within these areas would suffer as this could impact their source of income, e.g. the Aral Sea, quality of life and agriculture. Therefore they would blame the central government in Moscow.

Why did local Party leaders feel threatened by Gorbachev’s reforms?

Brezhnev’s policy of ‘trust in cadres’ had left local communist leaders in positions of power and privilege. They had often built up sizeable powerbases and wealth through corruption. Gorbachev’s new policies threatened this lifestyle.

How did the insecurity of local Party leaders lead to increased nationalism?

It was now tempting for them to lend their support to popular local concerns in an attempt to maintain their position.

How many Russians compared to non-Russians were there in the Soviet Union?

By the 1980s the Soviet Union was almost completely divided between 145 million Russians and 141 million non-Russians e.g. Slavic people and non-Slavic people.

These nationalities often had a strong sense of their own identity through their native language and cultural heritage.

How did national identity increase nationalism within the USSR?

The soviet government had been attempting to undermine national identity since the Lenin era by attempting to destroy local languages, traditions and other forms of culture. Therefore some people in these regions may feel inspired to support nationalism to protect their national identity which the Soviet Union threatens.

How did economic decline cause increased nationalism?

Standards of living declined due to Gorbachev’s economic polices such as acceleration. People across the republics blamed the new Russian leadership for their economic problems.

How did glasnost increase nationalism?

It exposed the ways in which Stalin’s government had persecuted the USSR’s ethnic minorities. It allowed Soviet people to see how much higher Western standards of living were than those within the USSR. Therefore, glasnost undermined the perception that the USSR had benefited people in the Republics.