The BIG ideas Between 1970 and 1990, the Soviet Union broke up and communist control of Eastern Europe ended Policies of détente, perestroika, and glasnost led to the decline of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev was the leader of the USSR who ended the Cold War and is responsible for the breakup of the Soviet Union

The Cold War Thaws During the 1970s the leaders of the US and Soviet Union were: –Richard Nixon (US) & Lenoid Brezhnev (USSR) These leaders promoted a period of détente, or easing of tensions between the US and USSR

Détente Included the following things between the United States and Soviet Union: –Arms control talks –Treaties –Cultural exchanges –Trade agreements

Mikhail Gorbachev Leader of the Soviet Union in 1985 Wanted to end the Cold War Reformed the Soviet government and economy

Problems with the Soviet economy Unreachable quotas for factories Very poor materials Few consumer goods Everyone paid the same (basically) regardless of how hard you worked Gorbachev knew reforms were needed!

Gorbachev’s policies To reform the Soviet Union, Gorbachev promoted two plans for change: –Perestroika: capitalist-like changes to the Soviet Union’s economy –Glasnost: a policy of openness in the Soviet Union (end of censorship)

Opening of the 1 st McDonalds in Moscow, 1/31/ st customer

Breakup of the Soviet Union Remember, the Soviet Union was a MULTI- NATIONAL state! Non-Russian people opposed Russian domination Glasnost allowed people to voice their want for independence (nationalism!)

In 1991, states in the Baltic region declared independence from the USSR –Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania Soon, all non-Russian areas of the Soviet Union declared their independence The Soviet Union ceased to exist!

Joseph Stalin (dies 3/5/53) Nikita Khrushchev – de-stalinization Cuban Missile Crisis Hungarian Revolt Thrown out 1964

Leonid Brezhnev - Detente Salt I & II Mikhail Gorbachev (1985) - Glasnost Perestroika Fall of the Berlin Wall Collapse of USSR

First democratically elected President of Russia Changes Russia into a capitalist economy

Dmitry Medvedev President of Russia until 2012 Conflicts between Russia and rebels from Chechnya (a province of Russia) who want independence

Problems in post-Soviet Russia Economic turmoil –Change to a capitalistic system initially led to a lower standard of living for the Russian poor Ongoing struggles with Chechnya –2 wars and ongoing terrorism (2010 Moscow Metro attacks)

Current President of Russia Russian invasion / takeover of Crimea (formerly part of Ukraine) after political unrest in 2014 Re-start to the Cold War?

Ethnic Tensions Surface When the Soviet Union was powerful, nationalism was suppressed in Eastern Europe and the Balkans After the Soviet Union’s demise, ethnic conflicts often led to open warfare –Armenia v. Azerbaijan –Chechnya v. Russia

Summary questions What Soviet leader brought about the fall of the Soviet Union? Name the two policies that ended the Soviet Union’s power. Why did the Soviet Union’s economy fail?