8.4, 8.5 “End” of Cold War and its Effects

Vocabulary Review Communism – a form of government with no political, economic, or social freedom (choices). You have no choice in who is your leader. Democracy – a form of government that allows political and social freedoms (choices). You can vote for whoever you want to be your leader. “Iron Curtain” – term used to describe the “border” that separated the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe (Communists) from Western Europe (Capitalists / Democracy). This was a military, political, and ideological (basically, ideas) border. When a resource says “…nations behind the Iron Curtain”, it is referring to the Soviet Union and other Communist nations.

The beginning of the end… In the late 1980s, the Cold War came to a dramatic end: The economies of Communist nations were in trouble People in East Germany, for instance, could see that the “grass was greener on the other side” In Russia, there were long lines of people waiting to buy food. They had to have coupons from the government just to buy socks Some historians believe that the trillions of dollars that both the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. spent on nuclear arms and conventional armies had caused the problems in Russia. There was also a lot of built up anger and an increasing demand for freedom in the citizens living behind the Iron Curtain (Communist nations) When Russia showed they would no longer interfere in Eastern Europe, the Berlin Wall was destroyed.

Gorbachev comes to power… When Mikhail Gorbachev assumed the reins of power in the Soviet Union in 1985, no one predicted the revolution he would bring. The new leader decided to loosen the repression on liberties (allowed more freedom) that the old governments had used to keep people in line. A dedicated reformer, Gorbachev introduced the policies of Glasnost and Perestroika to the USSR. Glasnost (openness) meant a greater willingness on the part of Soviet officials to allow western ideas and goods into the USSR.

Gorbachev’s impact con’t. Perestroika was an initiative that allowed limited market incentives to Soviet citizens (moving towards Capitalism). Gorbachev hoped these changes would be enough to spark the sluggish Soviet economy. FREEDOM, however, is addictive — Reagan and Gorbachev sign the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) in Washington. It removes more than 2,600 medium-range nuclear missiles from Europe. March 1989 — Hungary decides to allow free elections and take down the fence between Hungary and Austria. Gorbachev says he will not stop the moves.

TnT…What is happening at the end of 1989? (Main Idea) June 1989 — Poland holds its first free elections. The Solidarity (labor) Party beats the Communists. October 1989 —70,000 protesters demand an end to the Communist regime. Russian soldiers, German government and police back down. Communist leader Honecker is voted out of office. November 1989 — Soldiers in East Berlin open some of the gates in the Berlin Wall. Crowds respond by tearing the wall down. November 1989 — Bulgaria's communist party leader resigns. Free elections held in June, December 1989 — Protesters in Czechoslovakia jingle keys in front of the government saying, "Your time is up." The government gives up without violence, and elections are held. December 1989 — Romanian communist forces kill 73 in riots. Crowds storm the government and later capture the leader Ceausescu. He and his wife are tried and executed. Elections are held.

TnT: What happened to the Soviet Union by the early 1990’s? October 1990 – Germany officially reunites as a democratic nation. June 1991 — In Yugoslavia, the provinces of Croatia and Slovenia declare their independence igniting a decade of fighting and genocide. Eventually, the country splits into Serbia, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Herzegovina, and the region of Kosovo. August 1991 — Russian military leaders put Gorbachev under house arrest and attempts to save the Soviet Union. Boris Yeltsin, leader of the Russian Republic, occupies the Parliament building and forces the Russian army to back down. December 1991 — The republics of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine act to dissolve the Soviet Union, finally freeing Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan.

More break-ups… Czechoslovakia split into 2 separate nations in 1993 due to disagreements on economic policy. The new nations were known as: the Czech Republic and Slovakia Ethnic conflict plagued Yugoslavia. This country, formed after World War I, had eight major ethnic groups—Serbs, Croats, Muslims, Slovenes, Macedonians, Albanians, Hungarians, and Montenegrins. Ethnic and religious differences dating back centuries caused these groups to view one another with suspicion. Yugoslavia (briefly discussed earlier in presentation) broke up into 6 major republics (similar to a nation) after WWII. Each republic had a very mixed and diverse population…which would lead to disagreements about independence and eventually the Bosnian Genocide in 1992.

TnT: What are the main ideas presented in this speech? Link to speech about an end to the Cold War: declare-end-of-cold-war#bush-and-gorbachev-declare-end- of-cold-war declare-end-of-cold-war#bush-and-gorbachev-declare-end- of-cold-war

Students will write down at least 4 “Cold War leftovers” and then participate in a TnT: What are some effects of the Cold War? Link to video clip: war/perestroika-and-glasnost/videos/cold-war war/perestroika-and-glasnost/videos/cold-war