1. AFTER THE COLD WAR Chapter 29.4

2. The Breakup of the Soviet Union The Soviet Union Collapses  The Soviet Union was made up of 15 separate republics  By the 90’s many of these republics were fighting for their independence and The Soviet Union did not have the power or will it once had to stop them  1991 hard line Communist Party wanted to end Gorbachev’s reforms and planned a coup  The coup failed but it basically eliminated any power Gorbachev had  By the end of 1991 12 republics had won their independence from the Soviet Union and the Soviet Union ceased to function  After 40 years the Cold War had ended

3. The Breakup of the Soviet Union Economic Changes  After the fall of the Soviet Union came the end of communism in the former republics and Russia.  In Russia the new leader Yeltsin began capitalist reforms to free the market  Gained private ownership lost the guarantee of a gov’t backed job  The market reforms were not immediately successful  Few entrepreneurs prospered but ordinary citizens did not  Prices on goods rose and most people could not afford to buy as many thing  The road from communism to capitalism was not easy  Russian economy did not pick up until the early 2000’s Economic Changes in Eastern Europe  The rest of Eastern Europe faced the same problem  Some started new businesses  Highly skilled found well paying jobs  The many were unemployed and starving  Gov’t run industries closed which meant many people without jobs  Many Eastern Europeans moved to Western Europe for job opportunities Leading to economic strain in western Europe

4. Europe After Communism European Union  In 1992 The EU was established to build unity in Europe politically and economically  This union has created a single economic unit that is large enough to compete with the US  However not all nations are equal in the economies and some wealthier nations think they may suffer because of their unity with the poorer countries  Today in 2015 there are 28 nations apart of the EU

5. The United States Today The Economy  1990’s the economy was successful, unemployment was down and the federal budget was balanced.  Much the success came from the Clinton administration and technological advances that improved production rates Computers helped business and industry become more efficient  The internet and internet based businesses boosted the economy  In the early 2000’s energy prices increased so gov’t spending and the national debt rose  We are now in more debt then we ever have been  The income gap is wider than it has ever been and is the worst out of any other industrial country  The US poverty rate increased in the early 2000’s to one of the highest in any industrialized nation

6. The United States Today New Conflicts  In the 90’s Saddam Hussein threatened the oil supply in his neighbors Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.  He invaded Kuwait and refused to leave  The US led a multi nation army into Kuwait to free them from Hussein known as the Persian Gulf War  The US was successful and Hussein left Kuwait and agreed to strict military limitations  The US also led peacekeeping missions in Kosovo, Somalia, Haiti, and Israel and Palestine.

7. The United States Today The War on Terror  Beginning in the 90’s the US saw terrorist attacks  1993 the bombing of the world trade center  1998 bombing of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania  The attacks were being led by al Qaeda and extremist Islamic terrorist organization led by Osama bin Laden  He claimed his goal was to have a world wide Islamic revolution which required the destruction of the US  They launched their attack on September 11 th 2001. They hijacked three passenger planes and crashed them into the World Trade Center and Pentagon and one plane crashed in rural PA  3,000 people died in the attack

8. The United States Today War on Terror (continued)  In reaction to 9/11 The US attacked Afghanistan and their governing group the Taliban which supported and protected al Qaeda  In 2001 The US invaded Afghanistan and forced out the Taliban  The US then attacked Iraq and Hussein  He had use chemical weapons in the 1980’s and some US officials claimed that he still possessed chemical weapons and also supported anti-American terrorist groups and helped with the attack on 9/11  In 2003 The US toppled the Iraqi government but failed to find the stockpiles of biological and chemical weapons or any proof that Hussein was involved with 9/11  The US continued to occupy Iraq and help rebuild a gov’t, specifically a democracy  Many people in Iraq opposed the US occupation and the US soon realized the rebuilding of Iraq would take years and cost many lives.  The last US troop did not leave Iraq until Dec 18 th 2011.

9. The United States Today War on Terror (continued)  This book was published in 2007 create a slide with information on the “War on Terror” from 2007-present day