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Nikita Khrushchev came to power. He embarked on a policy of "de-Stalinization". He did this by:

1. Criticized Stalin and made Stalin's crimes known.

2. Eased censorship.

3. Softened restrictions on artists and intellectuals.

4. Freed political prisoners

5. Ended secret polices's fear tactics.

6. Enacted economic reforms and gave more control to local communities

7. Tried to refocus economy to create more consumer goods.

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Makhail Gorbachev took power. He had "two-pronged" approach to reforms:
1. Glasnost (meaning openness): ended censorship allowing people to openly discuss problems with Union and Communists.
2. Perestroika (meaning restructuring): aimed to remake the government, economy, allow more efficiency and productivity. Streamlined bureaucracy and allowed limited private enterprise.

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Unfortunately, these changes resulted in economic turmoil, food shortages and high prices. There was also political unrest since dissidents were able to have a voice. Nationalism rose throughout the Soviet Union.
Gorbachev was unable to hold it all together.

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Fall of the Berlin Wall (also part of Standard 20d)

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Fall of the Berlin Wall (also part of Standard 20d)

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In 1961 the Communists built a wall of concrete and barbed wire on the board of East and West Berlin. They patrolled the area to keep East Germans in, shooting anyone who tried to escape.
By the late 1980s, the Soviet System began to fall apart. East German protests convinced the government to open the borders.
1989 the wall was torn down by the people on both sides.

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1991 there was a coup by hardline Communists that barely failed. Still, it weakened Gorbachev's ability to govern and maintain the Soviet Union.
So later that year he resigned, ending the Soviet Union. The remaining republics declared their independence.