The reforms like Glasnost and Perestroika which Gorbachev introduced definitely quickened the disintegration of the Soviet Union. But it would not be right to say that Gorbachev alone was responsible for the fall of the Soviet Union. There were some other reasons also. They included political, economic reasons and things related to the independence of the constituent parts of the Soviet Union. The Soviet System was not entirely free from defects. It was against democratic principles. The ruling was done by the Communist Party and the officials. There was rampant corruption. Because of all this, the government lost the support of the people.
Secondly, there was a serious economic depression in the Soviet Union. Because of this, the availability of everyday goods became less. In technology also, Soviet Union went behind the USA. The entire revenue of the country was spent on defense and to improve the conditions in the East European countries. Thirdly, the members of the Soviet Union wanted to secede from the Union and become independent. The Baltic countries, Ukraine, Georgia, etc. wanted to be free. This was another reason for the downfall of the Soviet Union.
Therefore, we can safely say that it was not merely Gorbachev that caused the downfall of the Soviet Union. There were other reasons, too. The reforms of Gorbachev gave people more freedom which helped them to voice their grievances openly. All this culminated in the break-up of the Soviet Union.
