Chapter 9: The collapse of Soviet control of Eastern Europe Flashcards
What was the Brezhnev doctrine and how did Gorbachev rejecting it effect Eastern Europe
The soviets could invade any East Europe country who threatened the security of the Eastern Bloc
The fact that Gorbachev rejected the Brezhnev doctrine meant that eastern European countries could make changes, without fearing the red army
What was the Sinatra doctrine
1989
This was where members of the Warsaw pact could make changes to their own country without expecting interference
This meant that the Soviet Union would not always chose trade with communist countries, but with capitalist ones as well
Gorbachev also withdrew Soviet troops from European bases
Narrative account of the reforms during Gorbachev’s reign in Poland
- First to reform
1988: Strikes throughout the country
1989: Free trade union. A non - communist government win the elections and the guy becomes the first non - communist prime minister in eastern Europe
Narrative account of the reforms during Gorbachev’s reign in East Germany
October 1989: Gorbachev tells them that Soviet troops will not put down demonstrations there
23 October 1989: 300,000 protest in Leipzig
4 November 1989: One million protest in East Berlin
9 November: Berlin wall is opened/ destroyed, as a result of Hungary opening its own border with Austria
3 October 1990: Germany reunified into one country
Narrative account of the reforms during Gorbachev’s reign in Czechoslovakia
17 November 1989: Huge demonstrations against communism begin
24 November 1989: Communist government resigns
9 December: A new non - communist president comes in to power.
1990: Democratic elections won by an alliance of anti - communist groups
Narrative account of the reforms during Gorbachev’s reign in Hungary
1988: Gorbachev accepts that Hungary can become a multi - party state
1989: Hungary opens its border with Austria
1990: Democratic elections won by Democratic Forum, an alliance of anti communist groups
Narrative account of the reforms during Gorbachev’s reign in Romania
*The most brutal government in eastern Europe
16 December 1989: Secret police fire on demonstrations in Timisoara
21 December: Huge crowd boos the president Ceausescu, who flees
22 - 24 December: Army joins the rebellion and fights secret police. Hundreds are killed
25 December: Ceausescu and his wife are captured and executed
1990: Democratic elections won by National Salvation Front, containing many ex - communists
Narrative account of the reforms during Gorbachev’s reign in Bulgaria
1990: Democratic elections won by renamed Communist Party
Why did the Berlin wall fall
- Huge demonstrations, such as 1 million in Berlin on the 4th of November 1989, put pressure on the government
- Hungary opened its border with Austria. This allowed East Germans to loop around and see their families
On the 9th of November, East Germany announced the opening of the border. Over the next few days, millions visited a day
Why was Gorbachev unpopular in the Soviet Union in 1991
Gorbachev’s policies were treated with suspicion and ever increasing criticism
Glasnost and Perestroika were seen as weakening communism, not strengthening it
He was seen as too popular in the west, such as winning the Nobel peace prize in 1990
Who were the ‘Gang of eight’
These were a group of Soviet senior communist government officials who disliked Gorbachev for his policies. They organised a coup to remove him from power in August 1991
A narrative account of the events of the ‘gang of eight’
19 August 1991: The gang organised a coup and removed Gorbachev from power
They declared a state of emergency and removed the policies of Glasnost and perestroika
21 August 1991: The coup is officially overthrown and Gorbachev returns to power, thanks to help from Boris Yeltsin
25 December 1991: Gorbachev officially resigns and announces the dissolution of the Soviet Union
Why did the Warsaw Pact collapse
The alliance was a pact that united the communist states of Eastern Europe vs the Capitalist states of the West, so when countries in the East rejected Communism, the Pact no longer served a purpose.
The Soviets military strength was called into question after Afghanistan, whilst the country itself was on the verge of collapse
Why did the Soviet Union collapse in 1991
Increasing demand for freedom by the other states
Large economic problems
loss of the sphere of influence
Loss of military reputation after Afghanistan
Why did the Cold War end?
- Deepening Soviet economic problems
- Glasnost and Perestrokia
- SDI
- Soviet attitudes to Eastern Europe ‘Freedom of choice’
- INF treaty
- Soviet foreign minister, Gromyko, being sacked
- Reagans changing attitude to the USSR
- People did not want to be ruled by the Soviets anymore
- End of the Warsaw pact
