The Soviet Union: Rise and Fall of a Superpower Chapter 20 Section 4 Page

Vocabulary இ Dissident இ Someone who speaks out against the government இ Glasnost இ Policy of openness instituted by Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in the 1980s இ Perestroika இ Restructuring of the Soviet government and economy in the 1980s இ Default இ Fail to make payments

Setting the Scene இ “We shall bury you,” Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev (K ROOSH Chawf) told the West during the Cold War இ He explained it wasn’t a military threat, instead a reference to his belief that capitalism was doomed and Soviet communism was the wave of the future இ His prediction did not come true, in fact, it was the Soviet communism that was doomed இ In the 1980s, the Soviet economy began to crumble இ Efforts at reform led the Soviet empire to disintegration

Soviet Government and Economy இ After WWII, the Soviet Union emerged as a superpower இ Under Stalin, it established a sphere of influence from the Baltic to the Balkans இ Victory brought few rewards to the Soviet people இ Stalin filled slave labor camps with “enemies of the state” இ He seemed ready to launch new purges when he died in 1953

Stalin’s Successors இ Nikita Khrushchev emerged as the new Soviet leader இ In 1956, he shocked top Communist party members when he publicly denounced Stalin’s abuse of power இ He then pursued a policy of de-Stalinization இ He didn’t change Soviet goals but did free many political prisoners and eased censorship இ He sought a thaw in the Cold War, calling for a “peaceful coexistence” with the West

Stalin’s Successors (Cont.) இ The thaw had limits, though இ When discontented Hungarians revolted against communist rule in 1956, Khrushchev sent tanks to smash them இ When critics at home grew too bold, he clamped down இ It appeared that Stalinism could return at any time இ Khrushchev’s successor, Leonid Brezhnev (B REHSH nehf) held power from the mid-1960s until he died in 1982 இ He suppressed dissidents இ Critics faced arrest and imprisonment இ Some were locked away in insane asylums, a policy once used by czarist Russia

Some Successes இ After WWII, the Soviet Union had rebuilt its shattered industries, using factories and equipment stripped from Germany இ Priority was given to industries such as steel, coal, and heavy machinery இ The government also poured resources into weapons, science, and technology இ In 1957, they launched Sputnick I, the first artificial satellite to orbit the Earth இ It was a propaganda victory because it suggested technological superiority over the US இ Other successes இ Low rent, cheap bread, free health care, day care for children இ Wages were low, although unemployment was almost nonexistent

Failure of the Command Economy இ The Soviet economy was plagued by severe problems இ Collectivized agriculture remained so unproductive that the Soviet Union frequently had to import grain to feed its people இ The Soviet command economy could not match the free-market economies of the West in producing consumer goods இ Soviet shoes, suits, and TV sets were far inferior to those made in the West இ Luxuries like clothes washers or automobiles remained rare

Failure of the Command Economy (Cont.) இ Low output was the result of inefficiencies in central economic planning இ A huge bureaucracy, rather than supply and demand, decided what to produce, how much, and for whom இ Government planners in Moscow often had little knowledge about local conditions இ Sometimes, factories were forced to shut down because needed supplies never arrived இ Workers set out to meet production quotas, regardless of quality இ Because workers had lifetime job security, they had little incentive to produce better-quality goods

Foreign Policy Issues இ Stalin and his successors forcefully asserted Soviet control over Eastern Europe இ In 1955, Khrushchev set up the Warsaw Pact, in theory to defend the communist bloc against NATO இ In practice, it was used to suppress dissent within Eastern Europe

The Developing World இ Both the Soviet Union and the United States sought allies among the developing nations இ One way to win and keep allies was to offer military and economic aid இ At times, this policy turned local conflicts into Cold War confrontations இ The Korean War இ Soviet backed North vs. American backed South இ The Vietnam War இ Soviet backed North vs. American backed South

Rivalry in the United States இ The relations with the Soviet Union would swing from confrontation to easing tensions இ In 1961, the building of the Berlin Wall increased Cold War tensions இ A year later, Khrushchev tried to build nuclear missile bases in Cuba இ Triggered the Cuban missile crisis இ That brought the two nations to the brink of war இ Brezhnev invested in a huge military buildup இ In the Brezhnev Doctrine, he asserted that the Soviet Union had a right to intervene militarily in any Warsaw Pact nation இ At the same time, he pursued détente and disarmament with the United States

Rivalry in the United States (Cont.) இ Détente came to an abrupt end in 1979, after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan to ensure Soviet influence in that neighboring nation இ The Afghan War drained the Soviet economy and provoked a crisis in morale at home

Collapse of the Soviet Empire இ In 1985, an energetic new leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, came to power in the Soviet Union இ As the war in Afghanistan dragged on, Gorbachev was eager to bring about reforms இ The changes he unloosed, however, soon spiraled out of control

The Gorbachev Revolution இ In foreign policy, Gorbachev sought an end to costly Cold War tensions இ He renounced the Brezhnev Doctrine, singed arms control treaties with the US, and pulled Soviet troops out of Afghanistan இ At home, he launched a two part effort at reform இ Glasnost (Openness) இ Ended censorship and encouraged people to openly discus the country’s problems இ Perestroika (pehr uh STROI kuh) இ Restructuring of the government and economy இ He hoped he could boost efficiency by reducing the size and complexity of the government bureaucracy இ He backed some free-market ideas, but wanted to keep the essence of communism இ Gorbachev wanted the Soviet economy to produce ore and higher-quality consumer goods இ Factory managers were made responsible for decisions இ Farmers were allowed more land

Unexpected Results இ Gorbachev’s reforms brought economic turmoil இ The reforms were denounced by old-line Communists and bureaucrats whose jobs were threatened இ At the same time, other critics, like Russian leader Boris Yeltsin, demanded more radical changes இ Problems increased as glasnost fed unrest in the multinational Soviet empire இ The Baltic republics of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania regained full independence in 1991 இ Countries from Poland and East Germany to Romania and Bulgaria broke out of the Soviet orbit இ In response, hard-liners tried to overthrow Gorbachev and restore the old order இ They failed, although they weakened Gorbachev இ In 1991, as more Soviet republics declared independence, Gorbachev resigned as resident இ After 74 years, the Soviet Union ceased to exist

The Russian Republic இ Russian, the largest Soviet republic in size and population, had dominated the Soviet Union since its creation இ After the breakup of the Soviet Union, Russia and its president, Boris Yeltsin, faced a difficult future

Economic Problems இ To solve Russia’s economic problems and gain western aid, Yeltsin privatized more state-run industries and collective farms இ The change to a market economy was painful இ Unemployment rates and prices soared இ Unlike East Germany, Russia got relatively little aid from the West இ Despite these difficulties, some Russians prospered in the new economy இ Their success, however, fanned resentment among poorer Russians இ Meanwhile, criminals flourished, and ruthless gangs preyed on the new business class

Economic Problems (Cont.) இ In 1998, Russia barely avoided financial collapse when it defaulted on much of its foreign debt இ The value of Russia’s currency, the ruble, collapsed இ The economy survived, but many banks and businesses closed இ People lost their savings and jobs இ In time, a few industries began to recover, but experts predicted further problems இ Yeltsin’s failure to solve the crisis and frequent change of top officials fed uncertainty and unrest இ Further troubles arose when minorities within Russia sought greater independence இ In 1994, Yeltsin failed in his brutal attempt to crush a revolt in Chechnya, a region in the Caucasus Mountains இ In 1999, fighting between Russian troops and rebel forces again raged in Chechnya இ At the same time, a wave of terrorist violence broke out in Moscow இ By early 2000, Russian troops had gained the upper hand

Economic Problems (Cont.) இ The future of democracy in Russia remained uncertain as politicians jockeyed for position இ In 1999, moderates made a strong showing in parliamentary elections இ In that same year, Boris Yeltsin resigned and Vladimir Putin, a veteran of the Soviet secret police, became acting president இ In the presidential election of 2000, Putin was elected president through the first free elections in Russia’s history

Putin in Charge இ Many Russians thought Vladimir Putin would improve conditions இ He brought Russia success in the war with the province of Chechnya, hope of a more orderly and less corrupt government, and some degree of economic improvement இ He also projected a toughness and strength that Russians have traditionally admired in their leaders இ Some, however, felt that Putin, because of his former ties to the secret police, was not strongly committed to democracy இ Critics worried about his muffling of critical journalists and his treatment of minority nationalities இ Still, President Putin dealt as an equal with foreign leaders இ There was a sense of “someone in charge here” in Russia இ As well as a feeling of economic and even political

A World Power இ Even though Russia was no longer considered a superpower, it still exercised influence around the world இ It retained a large military force and a nuclear arsenal இ Western nations hoped Russia might work to resolve global problems இ At times, relations between Russia and Eastern Europe was strained இ Eastern European nations were alarmed when Russian nationalists urged Russia to reassert its power இ Russia was unhappy when some of its former Warsaw Pact allies joined NATO இ It saw such moves as a thread to its security

The Other Republics இ Like Russia, the other former Soviet republics wanted to build stable governments and improve their economies இ They also faced unrest, corruption, and political divisions இ In some countries, authoritarian rulers gained power இ Ethnic conflict erupted in nations with mixed ethnic groups இ There were border disputes இ Armenia seized a piece of Azerbaijan, where many Armenians lived இ The Republic of Georgia survived a bloody civil war

The Other Republics (Cont.) இ These new nations endured hard times as they switched to market economies இ With help from the UN, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund, the new nations worked to increase trade with the rest of the world இ The republics of Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Belarus gave up the nuclear weapons on their soil in return for trading privileges or investments from the West