Before considering what year the USSR collapsed, let's briefly describe the reasons for the collapse of this powerful state. Was his "death" planned or was it the result of a hidden imperfection of domestic and foreign policy? Most of the territories of the Soviet Union inherited from Tsarist Russia. Tsarism pursued an aggressive policy towards its neighbors. It included conquered territories - Poland, Finland, the Baltic countries. Later Finland and Poland managed to secede, but in 1939-1946, the Soviet Union added, under the slogan "the aspirations of the brotherly working people", to its territories the lands of Western Ukraine and Belarus, the Baltic States, the Tuva People’s Republic, Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina.
It can be assumed that not all "working people of fraternal peoples" were eager to experience the charm of collectivization, and therefore centrifugal forces have always existed inside the multinational boiler called the Soviet people. But in what year did the USSR collapse, and why then, and not, for example, 20 years earlier or later? Most likely, for a long time the fastening “solution” holding together one sixth of the land was an economic factor. Its heyday was in the postwar period. Then the state had a gigantic territory in Eurasia, had access to the oceans and natural resources, and also fully or partially controlled the economies of the "socialist camp" countries. One can say with caution that the 50-60s were the "golden age" of the USSR.
However, the situation changed in the 1970s. The raging global crisis and the fall in oil prices shook the country's stable economy and revealed hidden defects in social and economic policy, which later caused the collapse of the USSR. The date of the official collapse of the country - December 26, 1991 - thus, was only a consequence of a long-aging disease. Government was globally monstrously centralized. Everything was approved "in the Kremlin," at the plenums of the Central Committee of the CPSU. Such monocentrism in decision-making led to the dissatisfaction of the authorities of the Union republics, which, incidentally, were also appointed in Moscow.
The country's economy was regrettably extensive. Not only did the materials for the manufacture of products covered thousands of kilometers (cotton was grown in Uzbekistan, processed in Siberia, weaved in Ivanovo, and clothes were sewn in the Baltic States), the plan was also an indicator of work efficiency. These plans were adopted and approved by politicians who were far from familiar with the realities of production. Work on the implementation of the five-year period led to an increase in the production of cheap and low-quality goods, and state price control for products inevitably led to a shortage. Therefore, regardless of the year in which the USSR collapsed, discontent with life under "developed socialism" steadily grew.
A number of political scientists argue that the powerful state fell into pieces solely through fault and because of the intrigues of the capitalist West, primarily the United States. Perhaps there is some truth in this and the intrigues took place. But imagine a friendly family where peace and love reign. Is it possible to cause a divorce of spouses by telling one of them that, for example, people live better in another family? Strict censorship, the Iron Curtain, and the stern suppression of dissent only strengthened the centrifugal forces in society. The country launched rockets into space and sent humanitarian aid to Africa and Cuba, while at the same time, the hungry citizens of a great country could not get a pack of oil. And no matter in which year the USSR collapsed completely, it is important that it began to collapse from the late 70s.
The war in Afghanistan, the cowardly policy of the authorities trying to hide the Chernobyl accident, only completed the process. The colossus with feet of clay collapsed. Perestroika began too late and could no longer prevent this fall. In fact, in December 1991, when the USSR collapsed, there was no longer a single country, but there were 15 regions torn apart by their own contradictions and problems.