7 Collaspe of the USSR and the Warsaw Pact Flashcards
past leaders before Gorbachev
Brezhnev died 1982 -> Andropov + Chernenko -> could not stay in positions to solve SU problems -> 1985 Mikhail Gorbachev new General Security -> USSR change
internal problems facing Gorbachev
- serious inflation
- high cost of food subsidies
- decrease in industrial production
- inefficient central planning: corrupt and incompetent gov officials
- inefficient agriculture: not enough food grown
- shortage of goods
external problems facing Gorbachev
- High cost of the arms race
- high cost of maintaining control over satellites in Eastern EU
- war in Afghanistan too expensive-> no sign of victory in sight
Gorbachev leading period
1985-91
The change in ruling style (his comments on the cold war)
different from predecessors -> young well-educated energetic quick-witted -> visited the West before becoming Party Security
friendliness + willingness -> favourable impressions (especially among Americans -> president Reagan in 1985)
1. wanted to reform economy of SU -> could no longer afford to continue arms race + remain as enemy of West
Perestroika meaning
restricting the inefficient centrally-planned economy
1. central planning of economy stopped
2. farmers given larger private plots -> grow food + sell in private markets
3. some collective farmlands broken up
4. tenants given longer leases
5. industrial mangers:
1. more freedom to plan production + sell to local markets
2. set most of the prices + wages
5. corrupt + incompetent officials dismissed
glasnost meaning
openness
1. different opinions could be expressed openly -> people had more freedom of speech
2. dissidents like Sakharov were released (opposes official policy)
3. new constitution of 1988 allowed elections at local level + elections for president
4. the power of communist party reduced -> more power given to locally elected people’s parliament
Perestroika + Glasnost reason and why unpopular
determined to force SU to break form the past -> called for Perestroika + Glasnost
-» unpopular in:
1. conservative old communists -> disliked change
2. young radicals -> change was not taking place quickly enough
-» idea of glasnost led to growing demand for greater independence among communist states in eastern EU
Improvement of Soviet-American relations since 1985
- Geneva summit meeting 1985 -> Gorbachev + Reagan agree to work together to reduce their stocks of nuclear weapons
Gorbachev claim “world has become a safer place”
2.1988 -> SU + US signed Intermediate range nuclear forces treaty (INF) -> both agreed to destroy 2 categories of nuclear weapons
june 1988 -> treaty ratified by Moscow when Reagan visited SU - 1990 -> another treaty was signed to limit non-nuclear weapons
- research on “Star Wars” halted
- Soviet army withdrew from Afghanistan in 1989
summits -> relations between SU under Gorbachev + US under George WH Bush
Intermediate range nuclear forces (INF) treaty year and content
1988
SU + US signed Intermediate range nuclear forces treaty -> both agreed to destroy 2 categories of nuclear weapons
june -> treaty ratified by Moscow when Reagan visited SU
Geneva summit meeting year and content
1985
Gorbachev + Reagan agree to work together to reduce their stocks of nuclear weapons
Gorbachev claim “world has become a safer place”
when did soviet troops withdraw from Afghanistan
1989
What caused the collapse of the giant communist bloc from 1989 to 1990?
- inability to solve economic problems
- Gorbachev’s “liberal” attitude
- Development of the revolutions in Eastern EU
- Democracy movement in Poland
- The fall of communist governments in Eastern EU
order of communism rejection
Poland -> Hungary -> East Germany -> Czechoslovakia -> eventually all eastern Europe satellites left communist bloc -> collapse of Warsaw Pact (1955)
Communist bloc inability to solve economic problems
communism in Eastern EU did not produce the standard of living people expected
economic systems 1. inefficient
2. over-centralised
3. subject to many restrictions
mid 1980s -> economic problems everywhere
increased contact in west on 1980s -> how backward Eastern European countries were in contrast to Western countries -> people doubt
1. efficiency of communist system
2. leadership skills of leader
economic systems in the Eastern Europe were
- inefficient
- over-centralised
- subject to many restrictions
Gorbachev’s “liberal” attitude
“glasnost” idea contrasts Brezhnev’s “hard-line” policy
-> Soviet satellites in Eastern EU had to follow rules set by SU
-> failure to follow -> Soviet invasion (etc. Czechoslovakia in 1968, Hungary in 1956)
Gorbachev -> believed USSR would not afford the high cost of controlling the Eastern EU satellites
-> announced SU will no longer use military strength to support communist govs that were facing problems
-> believed people should be allowed to choose their own forms of government + go own way
-» people demanded all over eastern EU for
1. free elections
2. glasnost + perestroika in own countries
-» protest, strikes, chaos broke out -> govs begin to collapse between 1988-1990 when people realise liberal Gorbachev will not use force to crush democratic movements
get support from West for Soviet economy -> did not stop freedom movements
-> communist parties in Eastern EU defeated in free elections
how did people react to Gorbachev’s message that he would not use force to force them to follow communism
people demanded all over eastern EU for
1. free elections
2. glasnost + perestroika in own countries
-» protest, strikes, chaos broke out -> govs begin to collapse between 1988-1990 when people realise liberal Gorbachev will not use force to crush democratic movements
development of the revolutions in Eastern Europe: Poland
development of Democracy movement triggered by workers’ organisation called “solidarity” led by shipyard worker Lech Walesa
since 1945 -> poland soviet satellite
1. no free trade
2. union banned
3. food shortages
4. high prices -> life difficult
series of strikes in Lenin Shipyards in 1980 -> formation of Solidarity -> new + independent trade union (organized association of workers in a trade, group of trades, or profession, formed to protect and further their rights and interests)
polish gov at first made concessions (allowed it) -> right to form trade union -> becomes first independent trade union ever allowed to exist in a soviet satellite
SU no stern action -> worldwide reaction against invasion of Afghanistan + US warn them not to invade
1981 > demanded more political + social reforms -> was threatened to invade if situation not brought under control -> no choice but sterner actions
solidarity banned + Lech Walesa briefly imprisoned -> 7000 dissidents arrested -> solidarity forced to move underground
but better than full scale soviet invasion
result and significance of Solidarity
Gorbachev new leader in 1985 -> visit Poland in 1988 -> polish gov initiated talks with solidarity->
1. lifted bans
2. allowed formation of opposition political parties
3. plan for free elections
august 1989 -> first non-communist government -> Walesa become president -> took place mainly because of Gorbachev’s attitude -> first step for other satellites too
1980 in Poland movement
solidarity formed to fight for rights of workers
1981 in Poland movement
Solidarity demanded more political + economical reforms -> banned
1985 in Poland movement
Gorbachev became leader of SU
1988 in Poland movement
Gorbachev visit Poland -> lift ban on Solidarity + planned on free elections
1989 in Poland movement
Solidarity win majority of seats in elections -> Walesa elected president -> first non-communist government in Eastern Europe formed
fall of East Germany
1989: Gorbachev told East Germany that Soviet troops would not put down East German demonstrations -> massive protests + demonstrations broke out in Leipzig + East Berlin
November: Berlin Wall pulled down
1990: Germany reunified into a country
Collapse of Czechoslovakia
1989: huge demonstrations against communism began
november: communist government forced to resign
1990: non communists gained the majority in the new government
the fall of Hungary
1988: Gorbachev agree that it could be a multi-party state
1989: demonstrations for freedom spread
1990: democratic elections won by alliance of anti-communist groups
fall of poland
1988: Strikes occurred throughout country
1989: crisis talks held between Solidarity + communist government -> lift ban -> solidarity won most seats in election -> Tadeusz Mazowiecki became first non-Communist prime minister in Europe
first non-Communist prime minister in Europe
Tadeusz Mazowiecki
fall of Rumania
1989: riots broke out; Ceausescu ordered use of force + killed many -> unrest spread
December: Ceausescu + wife executed
1990: ex-communists re-elected
fall of Bulgaria
1988: free trade unions similar to solidarity formed -> demonstration(protests) for free elections + sacking(dismissing) of hard-line communists
1990: democratic elections held -> communists re-elected
Opposition of Gorbachev in USSR
vastly popular overseas -> increasing opposition
1. hard-line communist leaders -> “gone too far in his reforms”
2. radical party leaders like Yeltsin (later leader of Russian Republic) -> reform progress too slow + not gone too far along road of democracy + free-market economy
gorbachev did not want to abandon communism -> just wanted to make it more efficient by reforming Communist party from within
They breakup of the Soviet Union year
1991
8.19 coup
19 aug 1991 -> Yeltsin led resistance force against attempts made by some hard-line communists + army officers -> remove Gorbachev + “liberal” gov
the breakup of the soviet union
19 aug 1991 -> Yeltsin led resistance force against attempts made by some hard-line communists + army officers -> remove Gorbachev + “liberal” gov (8.19 coup)
-> Yeltsin hero :3 -> demanded Gorbachev sign decree abolishing Communist Party’s control
december 1991 -> Gorbachev stepped down from position
Russia + other republics agree to create new organisation -> CIS (commonwealth of independent states)
3 baltic republics + georgia outside of CIS formed new states
-> su end
when did Gorbachev step down from prison
dec 1991
end of communist rule
independent -> many of former soviet republics abandon communist system
communist rule collapsed in Soviet Union + Gorbachev lost position
Yeltsin -> one of the worlds most important leaders -> brought about economic reforms
end of cold war year
1991
end of cold war 1991
dissolution of USSR + fall of the communist government in eastern Europe -> collapse of communist bloc (under soviet leadership since 1946) -> 40 year cold war end
new world order since 1991
- easing of hostility between east and west
- emergence of new conflicts
- spread of nuclear weapons
- changing relations between western allies
new world order since 1991: easing of hostility between the East and West
collapse of communism in Eastern Europe + break-up of Soviet Union ease 45 year hostility
countries of NATO + warsaw -> treaty agreeing that they would no longer be adversaries -> weapons only used in self-defence
new world order since 1991: emergence of new conflicts
new conflicts -> nationalism -> was suppressed by communism -> re-emerged in former states of the USSR
disputes settled peacefully -> most ended in conflicts/riots
etc. civil war of Yugoslavia in 1990s -> bitter struggle lasted for almost a decade
new world order since 1991: spread of nuclear weapons
ussr broken up -> lots of nuclear weapons existing there
russia needs money to deal with economic problems -> sell of nuclear weapons to other countries -> possible threat
new world order since 1991: changing relations between Western allies
held together by need to stand firm against communism -> collapse -> differences over trade + other issues emerge
etc. Bosnia war -> US refuse to provide troops to US peacekeeping forces -> burden other member states
new organisations after the breakup of the SU
Russia + other republics agree to create new organisation -> CIS (commonwealth of independent states)
3 baltic republics + georgia outside of CIS formed new states
-> su end
