Dissolution Sovereignty and the Breakup of the Soviet Union

In December 1991, the Soviet Union passed into history as a legal entity, breaking apart into 15 successor states. This clear and convincing book explains why. It emphasizes the critical role of Soviet ethno-federalism, as well as the normative claims and legitimizing myths of Soviet nationality policy. Institutional constraints and legitimizing myths, Walker argues, empowered the anti-union opposition even in republics where it had limited popular support. He also shows how they helped bring about an outcome the full dissolution of the USSR that surprisingly few desired.

Edward W. Walker is executive director of the Berkeley Program in Soviet and Post-Soviet Studies and adjunct associate professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley.