Why was Kazakhstan the last to leave the USSR? (Short Animated Documentary)

Kazakhstan left the USSR four days after Russia did. Making it sole remaining state in the Soviet Union. But why?

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[DylanoRevs]

Russia: *leaves USSR"
Kazakhstan: "Hold on. This whole operation was your idea."

[sometakenuser]

Video Idea: How did Japan react to Germany’s Surrender in WW2

[AbsolutelyRandomUsername]

I think it's also worth noting that Kazakhstan's former president-for-almost-life Nursultan Nazarbayev, and back then first secretary of the Kazakh communist party, was widely seen as a potential successor to Gorbachev or at the very least an incredibly influential player in Soviet politics, which helps explain his (and Kazakhstan's) reluctance to leave the USSR

[brandonlyon]

Loved the Star Wars reference with the C.I.S, the Battle droids were always one of my favorite things in the franchise.

[Goldenblitzer]

I always wondered why the Kazakhs were the last ones out, glad to know it was the power of friendship

[rowan]

Kazakstan was one of the great superpowers of the 20th century, you cannot change my mind

[squeaksquawk]

An interesting note is that while Kasakhstan left the USSR, it didn't end it. For a few days after Kazakhstan left, the USSR existed as a country with no territory before being dissolved by Gorbachev

[reygonzalez]

Kazakhstan was just that one friend who got really hungover and didn't realize the party was over until everybody left

[Robbstark]

Kazakhstan is that last guy at the party who tries blasting music at 5:00am to keep the party going when everyone’s just dead tired and wants it to end

[guillaumechevalier]

Kazakhstan used to be a miniature version of the Soviet Union, almost as diverse in its landscape and national diversity, being Stalin's second favourite destination for deportation after Siberia. In 1991 there was as many Russians as Kazakhs in the republic. And also, Baïkonur.

[HoennMaster]

It always made me laugh how Moscow was technically the capital of a country that didn’t control the city for a few days, and then the capital of a country that didn’t even exist for almost 2 weeks.

[scotandiamapping]

I never thought History Matters would make this episide but now that they have I'm extremely excited

[iatespaghetti]

Not only that, Nursultan Nazarbayev was promised Vice-President/Prime-Minister of the USSR position by Gorbachev. Also 16th of December was symbolic date as on 16th of December there were mass protests against the Soviet Rule, these were the first mass protests for independence in any of the Soviet Republics.
One of the biggest mistakes Yeltsin added was not inviting Karimov( head of Uzbekistan) and Nazarbayev to Belavezha Accords

[herrzimm]

Being only 18 when all this happened, and focused more on graduating High School, I really didn't pay much attention to HOW it came about, only that the USSR as I had known it growing up was "no more". Basically, I was more aware of the 'collapse of Russia" (Communism) than I was about how each member became independent. And being American, the concept of "winning" the Cold War was also kind center-stage as well.

BUT, as I recall it while discussing it in college 2 years later. Most of us just assumed that any kind of "delay" that took place declaring independence had more to do with needing to form a "quick government structure" than anything like international politics, trade related, or attempts to remain united. So, most of the issues were about setting up "local control" instead of "centralized control" when each member state "broke off" from one another. Some countries being formally "occupied" regions after WW2 basically still had the same structures in place locally, but other regions had kind of lost that structure due to being members for so long.

Keep in mind that this was just 2 years later, so MOST of the information we were getting at the time was about who was doing what, and who the new leaders were of which former 'state', now nations. The how/why of things were not getting out, and even if it was it would have been drowned out by the news of WHO or WHEN it happened.

So, it is kind of interesting to "revisit" this period of time and look at it more objectively by focusing more on the how it happened and why it happened. Instead of just recalling my personal memories from this period to "fill in the gaps" based on assumptions and speculation at the time it happened.

[Nexxarian]

So basically when Kazakhstan was the entirety of the USSR, the country's capital was outside of the country itself in Russia. And so for 4 days, two nations shared the same city as their capital (without dividing the city).

[Hand-in-Shot_Productions]

I have heard of Kazakhstan being the last republic to leave the USSR, but I didn't know this 4-day wait was a last-ditch attempt for Kazakhstan and Nazarbayev to retain close ties with Gorbachev! Thanks for the information about this odd chapter of Kazakh history!

[ElysiumCreator]

1:03 Love the Clone Wars reference, very well placed

[yogurtclosetok]

Fun Fact: this makes Kazakhstan the only country to ever secede from itself

[bluebaum..]

Love the little Star Wars reference, always love when people are deeper into the lore than you expect.

[detectiverubs]

A few days ago Switzerland celebrated their national holiday, this made me wonder, what parts of the founding legends (Bundesbrief, Wilhelm Tell, Rütlischwur, ... ) are actually true and how important were they really for the birth of switzerland. Or to put it simpler: How did Switzerland come into existence?