why were countries like poland able to transition smoothly into independent republics following the fall of the Soviet Union while many other post-soviet states struggled? Apex

They had experienced earlier uprisings that prepared their people for independence

Poland managed to transition slowly into and independent republic because of numerous things, some of them being:

- economy not tightly connected to the Russian one;

The Polish economy hasn't been tightly connected nor heavily dependent on the Soviet, or rather Russian economy. The country already had established close relations with the nations of Western Europe. Also, it is a country that has access to a sea, so it was able to trade freely without being blocked.

- international support;

Poland received a lot of support by the international community after proclaiming independence, which was very important for the transition of the country and its political and economic development.

- has good strategic position for the interests of the West;

Poland is situated in the heart of Europe, between the West and the East, thus having excellent strategic position. Because of that, the EU and NATO gave their best to make Poland a strong and stable country, as it was in their interest to have the country on their side.