History glossary
Commonwealth of Independent States
the loose association announced in December 1991 to replace the Soviet Union.
- Category
- International organisation
- Region
- Former Soviet Union
- Date range
- from 1991
What it means
The Commonwealth of Independent States was announced by former Soviet republic leaders in December 1991 as a loose association after the USSR's dissolution. It did not preserve the Soviet Union as a single state.
Related terms
Stories using this term
The Soviets
From revolution to superpower, the Soviet Union rose, struggled internally, and collapsed in 1991.
The Collapse of the Soviet Union
From Gorbachev’s reforms to the lowering of the Soviet flag over the Kremlin, this story traces the rapid unravelling of the USSR and the end of the Cold War.
The World After The Cold War
From the fall of the Soviet Union to the rise of China and global terrorism, this story traces the turbulent reshaping of the international order after 1991.
