1980s Flashcards
Iranian hostage crisis ended The Iranian hostage crisis ended 444 days after it began
January 20th 1981
START During a summit in Geneva Reagan proposed Strategic Arms Reduction Talks
June 1982
Govbachov leader of USSR Mikhail Gorbachev became leader of the Soviet Union
March 11th 1985
Chernobyl Disaster An explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the Ukraine remains the worst nuclear disaster in history
April 26th 1986
Glasnost and Perestroika Mikhail Gorbachev announced his intention to follow a policy of glasnost – openness, transparency and freedom of speech; and perestroika – restructuring of government and economy. He also advocated free elections and ending the arms race.
June 1987
Afghanistan The last Soviet troops left Afghanistan
February 15th 1989
Poland Tadeusz Mazowiecki elected leader of the Polish government – the first eastern bloc country to become a democracy
August 1989
Hungary Hungary proclaimed itself a republic
October 23rd 1989
Fall of the Berlin Wall The Berlin wall was torn down
November 9th 1989
Velvet Revolution The Velvet Revolution, also known as the Gentle Revolution, was a series of peaceful protests in Czechoslovakia that led to the overthrow of the Communist government.
November 17th – December 29th 1989
Malta Summit This meeting between Mikhail Gorbachov and George H W Bush reversed much of the provisions of the Yalta Conference 1945. It is seen by some as the beginning of the end of the cold war.
December 2nd, 3rd 1989
Romanian Revolution Riots broke out which culminated in the overthrow and execution of the leader Ceauşescu and his wife.
December 16th – 25th 1989
