Political leadership of the USSR under modernization challenges

The article deals with the key stages of economic development of the USSR. The author believes that throughout its history the country faced four modernization challenges from economically stronger states. The Soviet leaders reacted to them in different ways that led both to successful results and to failures. The country generally managed to handle the first three challenges which turned it into a powerful state. The fourth challenge proved insuperable that might have caused the collapse of the USSR.