Which statement best describes the geopolitical events in the USSR during 1991-92?

The chosen answer accurately captures the significant geopolitical transformations that occurred in the USSR during the years 1991-92. By the end of 1991, the Soviet Union faced a wave of nationalist movements and demands for autonomy from its constituent republics. While the USSR officially dissolved in December 1991, indicating a complete breakdown of centralized governance, fourteen of the fifteen republics sought various degrees of autonomy before the dissolution, signaling a clear departure from centralized Soviet control.

This choice reflects the complex dynamics in which many republics, while pushing for independence, went through different stages of autonomy, with only a few, like the Baltic States, declaring full independence before the fall of the USSR. Therefore, it highlights the essential fact of the USSR's official dissolution alongside the rise of autonomy among the republics, making it the most accurate description of that period's geopolitical events.