From the Reagan Revolution to the Collapse of Communism

Reagan Revolution Reagan played on America’s sense of defeat. Reagan led the reaction against “Liberalism” Objective: – Deconstruct the “welfare state” – Lead America back to “greatness” One of our most effective Presidents The “Great Communicator” A period of excess ? The Soviet Union collapses

The collapse of the USSR Hungarian uprising, 1956 “Prague Spring” 1968 “Solidarity” in Poland –Begins in the late 1970’s –Dissent movement supported by Catholic Church

Solidarity was a labor union led by Walesa, an electrician at a Gdansk shipyard. –protested lack of consumer goods and unemployment. –expands to call for economic freedom and alternative political parties. Government tries to enforce martial law, but Solidarity spreads across Poland.

General strike halts economy Walesa wins Nobel Peace Prize, 1983.

Karol Wojtyla Pope John Paul II, 1979 – 2005

Leonid Brezhnev –Invades Afghanistan, 1979 –Forces Polish government to declare martial law, 1981

Soviet Losses in Afghanistan 14,453 Killed (total) –9,500 killed in combat –4,000 died from wounds –1,000 died from disease and accidents 53,753 Wounded 312 Missing US Losses in Vietnam 58,209 deaths - 47,424 KIA - 10,785 Non-combat 153,303 WIA 2,489 MIA

Mikhail Gorbachev – glasnost – perestroika 1986, Chernobyl 1989, withdrawal from Afghanistan

Radius of 19 miles around the reactor contaminated for the next 20,000 years.

Fall of Communism Timeline 1989 –PolandAugust –HungaryOctober –CzechoslovakiaNovember –RomaniaDecember 1990 –East GermanyMarch Germany reunited in October

Fall of Communism Timeline 1990 –Yugoslavia Slovenia Croatia Declare independence Bosnia-Herzegovina Macedonia –Only Serbia and Montenegro remain in “Yugoslavia”

1992 – 1995 –UN Protection Force for the Former Yugoslavia NATO – IFOR, 1995 – 1996 – SFOR, 1996 – 2004 “Kosovo War” 1998 – 1999