The dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 was primarily led by a combination of economic stagnation, political reforms, and national independence movements. The glasnost and perestroika policies introduced by Mikhail Gorbachev aimed to reform the stagnant communist system but inadvertently empowered dissent and nationalist sentiments within various republics. As republics sought autonomy, the central government's hold weakened. The failed coup in August 1991 further accelerated this disintegration, ultimately leading to the formal declaration of independence by various republics and the end of the Soviet state, reshaping global geopolitical dynamics.