The Cold War and the Collapse of the Soviet Union

Communism in Czechoslovakia communism came to Czechoslovakia in February 1948 as a result of Soviet influence country was a two-state federation made up of Czechs and Slovaks problems arose due to lack of cooperation between the two groups communist rule was able to suppress these differences until communism collapsed in November 1989 in 1993, the country was split into two separate countries – the Czech Republic and Slovakia

Communism in Yugoslavia in January of 1946, communism officially came to Yugoslavia under the leadership of Josip Broz Tito Tito was able to suppress democratic movements until his death in 1980 when challenges to communist rule began to increase in 1990, because of growing nationalism, different ethnic groups in Yugoslavia began to try to break away from the country calls for democratic reforms were met with extreme violence by communist supporters

Communism in Yugoslavia in June of 1991, communism in Yugoslavia collapsed as the country broke apart into new countries split along ethnic lines in the country of Serbia and Montenegro, ethnic cleansing (the brutal removal of one ethnic group from an area) and other atrocities occurred under the leadership of Slobodan Milosevic in 2001, Milosevic surrendered and was arrested, charged with crimes against humanity, and imprisoned until his death in 2006 in 2006, Serbia and Montenegro split into two countries ethnic violence continued in the Serbian province of Kosovo in 2008, Kosovo declared independence from Serbia

The European Union replaced the EEC in 1993 sought to continue lowering trade restrictions wanted to create a “single market” in Europe by having countries cooperate economically created a new currency – the Euro many former communist countries have now joined the EU (27 total members after Oct. 2019) NAFTA – North American Free Trade Agreement – created free trade zone in North America between the U.S., Mexico, and Canada