How did the USSR Collapse?

Introduction into the problem

Mechanics of the Soviet collapse are widely misunderstood both in the West, and in Russia. The most common perception is that the USSR was killed by the regional separatisms. As Moscow grew increasingly liberal and inept, periphery elites smelled the weakness, and saw an opportunity to gain more power for themselves. Once they became fully convinced that Moscow can’t do anything, they broke away.

In other words, regional separatists (including the local Communist establishment) finished the USSR, because Moscow allowed them to.

Key dichotomy: Center - Periphery

Driver of collapse: Regional separatism

This view is wrong. And it is very important to understand why.