The events of the last eight years on that part of the globe that was once called the Soviet Union have left the world community amazed and disbelieving. The superpower suddenly disintegrated not because it was threstened with immediate invasion, famine or war, but because it crumbled from within. Mikhail Garbachev, the telegenic politician who came to power in 1985 promising to reform the Soviet system, and who became the only Soviet leader to win the genuine affection and respect of almost everyone outside his country's borders, was transformed almost overnight into the Soviet Union's "grave-digger" and removed from office. Focusing on the six years of perestroika in the Soviet Union, this book suggests that many of the problems confronting the new states were first created during this time. The book tries to explore and explain some of the developments, particularly in Russia, since the collapse of the USSR in December 1991 and covers events up to August 1992. The book is designed to take a broad interpretive and analytical approach, rather than a factual one, its intention being to provide the reader with the tools for understanding developments, not just a knowledge of events. It should be of interest to the student and the general reader who would like to learn more about the events which have taken place in the Soviet system.