 starter activity

Why did the Cold War end? Gorbachev and the end of Cold War DISCUSSION: WHAT DO WE THINK/NO AT THE MOMENT? (specific events/themes)

Problems Facing the USSR in the 1980s Afghanistan had become "Russia's Vietnam". Russia could not afford the arms race. The Soviet economy was backwards - factories and mines were decrepit and out of date. Backward industry was causing increasing environmental problems - eg pollution, the Chernobyl nuclear power plant explosion of 1986, and the Aral Sea dried up. Many people were much poorer than the poorest people in the capitalist West - unrest about shortages was growing. Crime, alcoholism and drugs were out of control in Soviet towns. The Soviet system had become corrupt and out of date - instead of dealing with problems, the government just covered them up (eg Chernobyl, 1986). Many people were dissatisfied with the Soviet police state and censorship GENERALLY ARGUED THAT THE COLD WAR ENDED DUE TO THE COLLAPSE OF THE USSR – THIS IS LAREGLY ASCRIBED TO INTERNAL EVENTS RATHER THAN AS A US ‘ACHIEVEMENT’

Key Events 1979, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan to try to prop up the communist government there, which was being attacked by Muslim Mujaheddin fighters. This immediately caused a rift with America, which boycotted the 1980 Olympics. In 1980, Ronald Reagan became president of the USA. As a strong anti-communist, he called the Soviet Union the "evil empire" and increased spending on arms. The US military developed the neutron bomb, cruise missiles and a Star Wars defence system using space satellites. By 1985, the Soviet Union was in trouble. In 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev became leader of the USSR.

How did Gorbachev improve relations with the US? 1985, Gorbachev & Reagan met at Geneva to discuss arms reduction 1987, Gorbachev & Reagan signed Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces treaty removing medium range nuc. weapons from Europe SALT developed into START (Strategic Arms Reduction Talks) What was so significant about the 1995 meeting?

How did Gorbachev reform the USSR? Identified key problems: Communist bureaucracy; low industrial output; high inflation; social probs – alcoholism; human rights Perestroika – free market economics Glasnost – openness in govt Political prisoners released (e.g. Andrei Sakharov) Why were hard-line Communists extremely critical of this book?

How did the Soviet control of Eastern Europe collapse?

Your task Find out why & how Communism collapsed in each of the states highlighted in blue on this map

Poland, 1989 1989, Poland – free elections held for 1st time since WWII Lech Walesa elected president 1st non-Communist leader in Eastern Europe since 1945

East Germany, 1989 1000s fleeing every year by 1989 Demonstrations in E. German cities during state visit by Gorbachev East Germany – Erich Honecker’s troops refused to shoot protestors Honecker forced to agree to reforms Nov 1989, Berlin Wall pulled down What makes this one of the most powerful images of the entire Cold War era?

Czechoslovakia, 1989 24 November 1989, massive anti-Communist demo in Prague Dubcek (former leader) & Havel (playwright) rallied support of crowds December 1989, Communist leader resigned & replaced by Havel 1990, free elections held

Hungary, 1989 Communist leader, Imre Pozgay accepted need for reform Ban on opposition parties lifted Communist Party renamed Socialist Party 1990, free elections

Romania, 1989 Coup Communist dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu & wife Elena shot

Bulgaria, 1989 November 1989 Communist leader resigned 1990 free elections

Baltic States, 1990 1990, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia declared independence from USSR

Mounting opposition to Communism USSR, 1991 Communists criticised G. for allowing collapse of USSR Reformers wanted complete abolition of Communism Feb. 1990, anti-Communist demo in Moscow May Day 1990, G. booed Mounting opposition to Communism

1991, G. under house arrest by hard-line Communists Boris Yeltsin, an advocate of market economy & reform, gathered support from Russians to resist the coup Coup demonstrated the unpopularity of Communism & popularity of reformers Boris Yeltsin new Russian president Boris Yeltsin

 Discussion What is this 1992 US cartoonist trying to say about the political problems facing America after the collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe?