<human>:  Why did the Soviet Union collapse?
<bot>: The Soviet Union collapsed because of the economic and political problems caused by the Cold War. The Soviet Union was founded as a communist state, but it eventually became an authoritarian state with a centralized economy. The Soviet Union's economy was highly centralized, with the government controlling the production and distribution of goods. This created a problem because the government could not respond quickly enough to the needs of the people. The Soviet Union had to spend more on military spending to defend against the United States, and the economy suffered.