The major global event that concluded with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 was the Cold War. This geopolitical struggle spanned several decades, characterized by ideological, political, and military tensions between the United States and its allies versus the Soviet bloc. The Soviet collapse resulted from various factors, including economic stagnation, political reforms under Gorbachev, and rising nationalist movements within the Soviet republics. Its end dramatically reshaped international relations, leading to the emergence of independent states in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet territories, and fostering a new global order.