The Vodka Tax That Bankrupted the Soviet Union

#SovietUnion #USSR #Gorbachev #coldwarhistory
In the mid-1980s, the Soviet Union made a shocking decision: it tried to sober up an entire empire. Mikhail Gorbachev’s anti-alcohol campaign was meant to save lives, but instead it exposed a dangerous truth — the Soviet economy depended heavily on vodka money. When legal alcohol disappeared, so did billions in state revenue.

This documentary uncovers how banning vodka led to illegal moonshine (samogon), nationwide sugar shortages, and a massive budget crisis. At the same time, collapsing oil prices wiped out the USSR’s second major source of income. Trapped between falling revenues and rising expenses, the Soviet state spiraled toward financial ruin.

From destroyed vineyards to desperate monetary reforms, this is the story of how a public health policy unintentionally helped bankrupt a superpower — and why the Soviet Union never recovered.

⚠ Disclaimer: This content was created using AI tools and is intended for educational and informational purposes only.

#SovietUnion #USSR #Gorbachev #ColdWarHistory #EconomicCollapse
#VodkaEconomy #Samogon #HistoryDocumentary #FinancialCrisis
#1980sHistory #OilCrash #Communism #HistoryExplained