By 1975 the Soviet Union had been pouring all of its resources into military development, isolationism, the space race, and supporting foreign communist nations. Doing so, it was neglecting its own economy and people’s needs. It was going bankrupt. By 1975 the Soviet Union had been pouring all of its resources into military development, isolationism, the space race, and supporting foreign communist nations. Doing so, it was neglecting its own economy and people’s needs. It was going bankrupt. TIME FOR CHANGE! TIME FOR CHANGE! Background
The Collapse of the Soviet Union The Politburo is the ruling committee of the Communist Party
Soviet Union Can’t Keep Up
Mikhail Gorbachev becomes the leader of the Soviet Union. Glasnost or openness revolutionized the way people thought. (Free flow of ideas and information)
The Effects of Glasnost 1.Churches re-opened 2.It re-leased political prisoners 3.Allowed the publication of books that were previously banned. (Reporters investigated problems.)
Perestroika Perestroika is the economic re-structuring of an economy New openness allowed people to complain about the economy.
Democratization An opening of the political system that called for election of candidates
More than 100 ethnic groups lived under the Soviet flag NATIONALISM played a key role in the break up of the Soviet Union. People wanted their own nation!
Lithuania Gorbachev ordered an economic blockade and used military force to bring Lithuania back to the Soviet Union.
Boris Yelstin Hardliners feared Communism to collapse so they ordered troops to overthrow Parliament but the military refused.
“Shock Therapy” is an economic plan to free market planning.
Chechnya Vladimir Putin succeeded Yelstin and continued the war against Chechnya.
Collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe
People in Eastern Europe thought that Gorbachev was receptive to change. So, people rebelled! Poland
Poland SOLIDARITY is when you stick together and fight a common cause! Shipyard workers in Poland demanded that the gov’t recognize their union. SOLIDARITY is when you stick together and fight a common cause!
Poland Lech Walsea became Poland’s first President and used “shock therepy” to move his country to a free market economy. (Capitalism)
Hungary Once Poland broke away from the Soviet Union, Hungary was next.
East Germany Hungary took down their Iron Curtain so people began to escape into W. Europe. Erich Honecker (Party Leader) closed the E. German border In response, East Germans protested
East Germany To subdue the protests and to keep order, the E. German government allowed people to travel freely to W. Germany.
Europe after the Cold War (Contemporary Europe)
Fall of Communism Video
Effect of the Cold War in Eastern Europe After Yugoslavia fell, different ethnic groups fought for power. Serbia and Montenegro were the dominant forces in the region. Serbia began ethnic cleansing in Bosnia as they began to assume power.
Effects of the Cold War in Eastern Europe Serbian military forces were killing Bosnian Muslims intending to rid Bosnia of its Muslim population. Genocide: