In my point of view, the west was too quick to recognize the independence of the soviet republics, they should have assured themselves the safety of the ethnic minorities within the republics before recognizing any of them. The baltics held a major case for independence. However states such as the Ukraine and Belarus hadn't existed as a separate international entity from Russia since before the Russian revolution. And i have no idea why the north/central asian republics split, they've been struggling since independence.

Basically, the union should have been preserved... there may be more stability in the region today then there is currently. (this is assuming glasnost and perestroika would have continued progress)

Communism didn't fall in Eastern Europe. It stumbled, broke its ankle and cracked its head against the wall. It limped away and continues to live. Why some people want to carry on or reimpliment a form of government in the same time period and place it failed is unfathomable to me, but they do.

>>3260
BTW you forgot to sticky the thread

bump