8.3 - Why did communism collapse in the late 80s? Flashcards
When did Gorbachev announce that the Brezhnev doctrine would no longer be enforced?
At a speech to the UN in December 1988
What did the ending of the Brezhnev doctrine mean?
The Soviet Union would no longer stop a country from trying to be communist
HUNGARY - THE FIRST TO CRACK
HUNGARY - THE FIRST TO CRACK
How had Hungary already started to reform before the collapse of communism?
- Small businesses allowed to operate privately
- Little censorship of media
- Differences of opinion from the communist line tolerated
What brought waves of protest in Hungary?
The anniversary of Imre Nagy’s death
When was Janos Kadar replaced as general secretary of the Hungarian Communist Party by Karoly Grosz?
May 1988
What did the Hungarian government do to aid economic reform?
They secured a 1 billion mark loan from West German banks
When were free elections in Hungary announced?
June 1989
What did the new Hungarian government order the dismantling of?
The border fence between Hungary and Austria
How did the dismantling of the border fence between Hungary and Austria affect East Germany?
Many East Germans travelled into Austria and then claimed asylum in West Germany
When did the communist regime officially end in Hungary?
23rd October 1989
When was Imre Nagy given a state funeral?
16th June 1989
POLAND - SOLIDARITY TAKES POWER
POLAND - SOLIDARITY TAKES POWER
What did Polish leader Jaruzelski do in December 1981 to end the Solidarity movement?
Impose martial law
How much did the USA give Solidarity per year?
$50 million
What happened to Lech Walesa and other Solidarity leaders after martial law was imposed in Poland?
They were imprisoned
When were the Solidarity leaders released from prison?
Late 1982
When were the political prisoners granted an amnesty by Jaruzelski?
1986
What did Jaruzelski do in February 1988 which led to a wave of strikes and protests across Poland?
Raised food prices as they were heavily in debt to Western creditors
When did Jaruzelski invite Solidarity to round-table talks on reform with the aim of keeping the communist party intact?
February 1989
What were 3 agreements at the round-table talks with Solidarity?
- Legalising of trade unions
- A new president
- Move towards free elections
What were the Communists guaranteed in the Polish June 1989 elections?
65% of seats in the Sejm (Polish parliament)
Of 161 available seats in the Polish June 1989 election, how many seats did Solidarity win?
160
Who won the first Polish presidential election in 1990 on what % of the vote?
Lech Walesa - 74.25%
BULGARIA - THE LOYAL SOVIET ALLY
BULGARIA - THE LOYAL SOVIET ALLY
Who served as general secretary of the Bulgarian Communist Party from 1954 to 1989?
Todor Zhivkov
What was Bulgaria’s reputation?
They were the most compliant of the Warsaw Pact countries
Why did the Bulgaria system of following the Soviet system start failing?
By the 1980s Bulgaria struggled to meet its debt repayments
When did the politburo request Zhivkov’s resignation?
November 1989
Why did Zhivkov step down as leader of Bulgaria?
Hew was informed that the army supported the reformers
Who was Zhivkov’s successor?
Petar Mladenov
What did Petar Mladenov announce immediately after succeeding Zhivkov as leader of Bulgaria?
That free elections would be held in 1990
What did the Bulgarian Communist party rebrand itself as?
The Democratic Socialist Party (BSP)
In what years were the BSP part of a coalition government in Bulgaria?
1992 to 1994
When did the BSP win a majority in Bulgaria?
1994
EAST GERMANY - HONECKER IS TOO LATE
EAST GERMANY - HONECKER IS TOO LATE
What were East Germans aware of?
That their counterparts in the West had a much higher standard of living
How much of its GDP was the SED in East Germany spending per budget?
9% - highest in the Warsaw Pact
What thing did East Germany do as a way of gaining much-needed Western currency?
They sold political dissidents and capture escapees to West Germany
What was General Secretary of the East German Communist Party Honecker responsible for?
The construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961
Who had liberated Honecker from the Nazis in 1945?
Soviet troops
What did Honecker refuse to consider, which other Eastern European countries all adopted?
Perestroika
Why did Honecker refuse to consider Perestroika?
East Germany was more economically advanced than the Soviet Union
What did Honecker do in response to Hungary opening its border with the West?
He sealed the southern border with Czechoslovakia to stop millions of economically active citizens fleeing West
When did Gorbachev attend the GDR for its 40th anniversary?
October 1989
What did crowds in East Berlin shout at Gorbachev?
‘Gorby help us’
What did Gorbachev tell Honecker when he visited he GDR?
He urged him to reform, telling him that ‘life punishes those who come late’
When did the GDR ban travel?
3rd October 1989
When did 70,000 people protest in Leipzig against the monopoly of power enjoyed by the SED in the GDR?
9th October 1989
How many protested in the GDR on the 16th October 1989?
120,000
When was there a misannouncement on the opening of the Berlin border?
9th November 1989
What did Honecker say about the Berlin Wall in January 1989?
That the Berlin Wall would stand for another 100 years - it lasted for only 11 more months
CZECHOSLOVAKIA - THE VELVET REVOLUTION
CZECHOSLOVAKIA - THE VELVET REVOLUTION
Who was at the forefront of Czechoslovakian protests in 1989?
Vaclav Havel
When was there a student demonstration in Prague?
17th November 1989
What happened after student demonstrators were attacked by the police?
Hundreds of thousands took to the streets
When did the Czechoslovak government relinquish power, knowing they no longer had the support of the Soviet army?
28th November 1989
Who became head of state after the Czechoslovak government relinquished power?
Vaclav Havel
When was the Velvet divorce?
1st January 1993
ROMANIA - CEAUSESCU OVERTHROWN
ROMANIA - CEAUSESCU OVERTHROWN
How did Romania leader Nicola Ceausescu respond to Romania’s debt problem?
The introduced a massive programme of austerity
What did Ceausescu do at the same time of his austerity programme?
He ordered the building of a massive palace in the centre of Bucharest
When did the Romanian revolution start?
17th December 1989
When were the Ceausescus shot?
25th December 1989
How many died in the Romanian Revolution?
1000
- What party was in power in Romania until 1996?
- Who replaced Nicolae Ceausescu and what did he immediately do?
- National Salvation Front (NSF)
- Ion Iliescu - abolished the 1 party system
WHY DID COMMUNISM COLLAPSE?
WHY DID COMMUNISM COLLAPSE?
Why were people in Eastern Europe becoming increasing unrestful?
They wanted the consumer goods and basic human rights enjoyed by Western citizens
What was Gorbachev’s doctrine called, which made it clear that the Soviet Union would not send in tanks if countries abandoned communist control?
‘Sinatra Doctrine’
