Chapter 29 The Contemporary Western World Since 1973

Timeline

Map 29.1: The New Europe

The Revolutionary Era in the Soviet Union The Brezhnev Years The Brezhnev Doctrine Détente Economic emphasis on heavy industry Patronage system By the early 1980s, the Soviet Union was in poor shape The Gorbachev Era Problems of rigid and centralized planning Perestroika (restructuring) Glasnost (openness) Political reforms Call for a new Soviet parliament, 1988 Congress of People’s Deputies elected nationalist movements erupt Lithuania declares independence, 1990

The End of the Soviet Union Gorbachev arrested, August 19, 1991; coup fails Ukraine votes for independence, December 1991, others follow December 25, 1991, Gorbachev resigns and turns power over to Boris Yeltsin, president of Russia Yeltsin introduces a free market economy Yeltsin wins the presidency of Russia in 1996 but resigns in 1999 Brutal war against Chechnya Vladimir Putin replaced Yeltsin when he resigned Vows to return breakaway state of Chechnya In 2001 launches reforms including unrestricted sale and purchase of land Reform did not resolve Russia’s economic problems

Chechnya

Eastern Europe: The Collapse of the Communist Order in Poland Edward Gierek becomes Poland’s leader in 1971 Economic problems 1980: protests erupt in response to increased food prices Solidarity Lech Walesa (b. 1943) Free parliamentary elections, 1988 December, 1990; Walesa elected President November, 1995; Alexander Kwasniewski elected President

The Collapse of the Communist Order: Hungary & Czechoslovakia Hungary Jano Kadar in power for more than 30 years Moves slowly toward legalizing small private enterprises The Democratic Forum won the elections of 1990 Were committed to a democratic government and free market economy Czechoslovakia Communist government collapsed in 1989 Vaclav Havel was in control of the government Ethnic problems will lead to a peaceful division

Collapse of the Communist Order Romania Nicolae and Elena Ceausescu established dictatorial regime Crushed demonstrations in Timisoara that led to other demonstrations Army will not support Ceausescu Ceausescu and his wife were arrested, tried and executed Bulgaria Todor Zhivkov (leader of Bulgarian Communist Party, 1954 – 1989) Protests result in Zhivkov’s ouster 1991: election of new government led by the United Democratic Front The Reunification of Germany Unrest due to economic problems Communist government falls, November 1989 Berlin Wall comes down Politically unified, October 3, 1990

The Berlin Wall

The Disintegration of Yugoslavia Death of Tito in 1980 League of Communists In 1990 republics of Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Herzegovina, and Macedonia worked toward a federal structure Slbodan Milosevic rejects these efforts without new border arrangements to accommodate Serb minorities Slovenia and Croatia declare independence Yugoslavian army sent to attach Croatia Army becoming more and more a Serbian Army 1992 Serbs turn on Bosnia-Herzegovina Ethnic cleansing NATO strikes back

Map 29.2: The Lands of Former Yugoslavia

War in Kosovo War erupted in 1999 Ethnic Albanians Stripped of autonomous status in 1989 Kosovo Liberation Army US and NATO intervene Milosevic refused to sign agreement and NATO resumes air strikes Milosovic ousted from office in fall elections, 2000 Brought to trial by an international tribunal for war crimes against humanity

Germany Restored Willy Brandt ( ), Ostpolitik, “opening toward the east” Treaty with East Germany, 1972 Helmut Schmide (b. 1918) Technocrat; concerned with economic conditions Helmut Kohl (b. 1930) Problems of union

Great Britain: Thatcher and Thatcherism Thatcherism Problems of Northern Ireland Direct rule from London, 1972 Conservatives gain political power, 1979 Political changes of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (b. 1925) Broke power of the labor unions Austerity to control inflation Hard line toward communism Rebuilds the military Anti-tax riots force Thatcher to resign, November 1990 Tony Blair (b. 1953), Labour Party, 1957

Uncertainties in France François Mitterrand ( ), Economic difficulties Socialistic policies Economic weaknesses of the 1990s Move to conservatism, Jacques Chirac elected 1995

Confusion in Italy Coalition Politics Eurocommunism Economic recession in the 1970s, economic growth in the 1980s Political Corruption Silvio Berlusconi

The Unification of Europe 1973: European Economic Community (EEC) becomes European Community (EC) when Great Britain, Ireland, and Denmark join 2000: EC contains 370 million people 1994: EC renames itself European Union (EU) and focuses on political unification 2002: Introduction of common currency (euro) Problems Toward a United Europe: May 2004: Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Cyprus join EU

Map 29.3: European Union, 2004

The United States: The American Domestic Scene Richard Nixon ( ) elected in 1968 Ends Vietnam war, 1973 Watergate scandal Resignation, August 9, 1974 Jimmy Carter (b. 1924), Stagflation – high inflation and unemployment Oil embargo, hostages held by Iran

The United States: The American Domestic Scene Present Ronald Reagan (b. 1911), Reverses the welfare state Military buildup Supply-side economics George H. Bush (b. 1924), Economic downturn Bill Clinton elected 1992 Misconduct George W. Bush Terrorism Economic policies

Presidents Bush, Reagan, Carter, Ford, Nixon in Historic Photo

Contemporary Canada Pierre Trudeau ( ), elected in 1968 Brian Mulroney (b. 1939), elected in 1984 Quebec René Lévesque Parti Québécois

The End of the Cold War During the late 1980s, US and Soviet Union move to slow down arms race : Political upheaval in Eastern Europe upset postwar status quo The Gulf War September 11, 2001: al-Qaeda attacked United States March 2003 – : Iraq War

An Age of Terrorism? Terrorist methods Munich Olympic Games, 1972 Left and right wing terrorist groups Militant nationalism Terrorist Attack on the United States September 11, 2001 Al-Qaida Osama bin Laden Afghanistan

The West and Islam The Israeli-Palestinian conflict fueled anti- American sentiment in the Muslim world Rise of Islamic governments in Iran and elsewhere Impact of the Persian Gulf War Impact of the Iraq War

Briefing on Iraq, with Bush Sr.

New Directions and New Problems in Western Society Transformation in Women’s Lives Decline in the birthrate Rise in the work force The Women’s Movement Abortion Women’s studies Anti-nuclear movement/Ecology International women’s conferences

Guest Workers and Immigrants Europe experienced a severe labor shortage in the 1950s and 1960s Guest Workers Backlash against foreign workers 1980s: Influx of refugees Impact of immigrants on social services New limits on immigration

The Environment and the Green Movements Problems in the environment Chernobyl, 1986 Green Parties

Western Culture Today Postmodern Thought Ferdinand de Saussure (1857 – 1913) Jacques Derrida (1930 – 2004) Art Rejection of object-based artworks Postmodernism Photorealism Literature Gabriel Garcia Márquez, One Hundred Years of Solitude Milan Kundera, The Unbearable Lightness of Being Music Serialism Minimalism

Religion & Technology Varieties of Religious Life Fundamentalism The growth of Islam Pope John Paul II, The World of Science and Technology Military-Industrial Complex German rockets; jets British work in computers J. Robert Oppenheimer and the Atomic Bomb Computers Dangers of science and technology New conceptions of the Universe

Popular Culture: Image and Globalization Music Punk Music videos Rap Film: Fantasy and Epics The Growth of Mass Sports Globalization of Popular Culture

Toward a Global Civilization? Problems are global not just national Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs) Interdependency

Discussion Questions How might we see Brezhnev as a transition between the old Soviet regime and the changes brought by Gorbachev? What steps did Czechoslovakia take to gain freedom from communism and then a peaceful split of the country? Why did the end of the Cold War prove so painful for Yugoslavia? How does the “war on terrorism” differ from previous international struggles?

Web Links Gorbachev The United Nations Nationmaster: Europe Europa: Gateway to the European Union Frontline: Truth, War, and Consequences