In early 1991, Soviet citizens voted on the New Union Treaty which proposed to reform-rather than dissolve-the USSR. 76% of Soviet voters ultimately supported maintaining the federal system of the Soviet Union, including a majority in nine of the 15 republics. A year later, however, the USSR didn’t exist.
In 2021, in the US an astonishing 66% of Southern Republicans and 50% of independents were in favor of secession. The West Coast also showed strong support for secession but of a different political flavor, this time being mostly supported by Democrats.
Regardless of financial, political and military power, when time was due,
no empire leader had ever been able to prevent its supremacy from collapsing.
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