Articles

The Emergence of Nationalism Under Gorbachev

Wechsler, Allegra

"Why did nationalism emerge in the Soviet Union under Gorbachev? At first glance the answer seems deceptively simple: nationalism emerged because of policies like Glasnost and perestroika. The republics had always had a nationalist sentiment, but the Soviets had repressed this feeling, and once restrictions on free speech abated, nationalism simply burst forth. This hypothesis, sometimes called the "sleeping beauty" theory, is not satisfactory, however, because it does not explain why some areas were more nationalistic than others. Most importantly, though, the theory paints too simple a picture of the event and does not address other factors that played a key role."--from page 33

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The Journal of Politics and Society

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Helvidius Group
Publisher
Helvidius Group of Columbia University
Published Here
February 12, 2014