Discuss the reasons for the ending of the cold war/collapse of communism Flashcards
Intro Context
Emerging from a period of renewed hostility within the late 1970’s to early 1980’s, President Ronald Raegan’s hardline approach on Communism was eased by the political ascension of Mikhael Gorbachev, who reformed both the foreign policy and domestic policy, culminating
Intro Thesis
The end of the cold war/fall of communism in eastern Europe was attributable largely to Gorbachev reforms which allowed for normalisation with the West but also encouraged greater political independence/nationalism within the Soviet Republics, culminating in the dissolution of the Soviet State
Intro Arguments
Facilitated by landmark political forums and disarmament agreements; The normalisation of relations between the Soviets and the U.S was fundamental in ending the tension between the two superpowers.
In response to economic and political stagnation, Gorbachev’s reformist agenda introduced greater economic and political freedoms within the USSR which were transformative in reducing the centralisation of Soviet power and precipitated political independence movements.
The rise in independent nationalist movements within the USSR, lead to separatist movement
BP1 Greater political dialogue and agreements//Novomyshlenie
Upon Gorbachev’s ascension to power in 1985, the diplomatic engagement with the U.S improved, establishing greater dialogue on nuclear weapons which ameliorated Raegan hardline militarist foreign policy stance
The Nov. 1985 Geneva Summit was the first major political summit of two leaders since the renewal of the Cold War, was fundamental in decreasing hostility, agreeing on the direction of arm limitations and became the precedent for more political discussion.
The Geneva Summit crucially revitalised U.S/USSR relations from a point of extreme hostility.
There was greater aid given to the USSR by the west as a result of normalisation of relations
BP1 Greater political dialogue and agreements//Novomyshlenie
Disarmament agreements:
Diverting away from the renewal of the Arms Race, the disarmament agreements forged between the U.S and USSR were critical in reducing militarism and political tension between the two superpowers.
INF Treaty (8 December 1987). INF allowed both nations to inspect each other’s military installations.It banned nuclear and conventional ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges of 500 - 5500 kms. By the deadline of 1 June 1991, 2692 weapons had been destroyed→less militarism
Gorbachev’s popularity reached its zenith in 1988; Reagan stated that he no longer considered the USSR an “evil empire”
Treaty of Paris signed by the USSR, US and 30 other nations. Non-aggression pact between NATO and the Warsaw Pact. Bush declared that the Cold War was over. Critical in reducing tensions in Europe
“The process of negotiating these agreements also helped to build trust and communication between the superpowers, which contributed significantly to the end of the Cold War.”—MOD John Gaddis
START agreements 1991; Placed limits on the number of various types of vehicles and attributed warheads that could be deployed by either side.
ICBMs were highly regulated and identified as the most dangerous weapon that either side possessed. Reduced the number of deployed strategic nuclear warheads to 6,000.
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BP1 Greater political dialogue and agreements//Novomyshlenie
Warsaw Pact dissolvement;
In February 1991 the Warsaw Pact was dissolved, ending Soviet domination in Eastern Europe.
“It signified the evaporation of Soviet influence in Eastern Europe and heralded the end of the Cold War as an era of superpower rivalry.”—MOD Melvyn Leffer
BP2 Gorbachev policies
Glasnost (openness)
Was Gorbachev’s social and political agenda of reforming Soviet soviety, creating more freedom and transpacy by; promoting cultural freedom, freedom of expression and information, reduced media censorship
Openness led to greater information being available to the public regarding the economy which in turn allowed for greater criticism of the communist party
Media became a new platform of criticism of the communist party, The number of publications and circulation of independent newspapers and magazines increased significantly during the Glasnost era.
Historical revisionism of the Soviets was now exposed including Stalin’s purges and the romanovs
“Glasnost was a catalyst for the unravelling of the Cold War, as it allowed the Soviet populace and the world to see the true state of the Soviet system.” –MOD Stephen Kotkin
Historians and Gorbachev himself the Glasnost was critical in reducing the mistrust between the U.S and USSR, “key element in our efforts to end the Cold War and bring our country into the community of nations” —Gorby
BP2 Gorbachev policies:
Topic Sentence:
Gorbachev economic and political reforms were impactful on reducing the tensions between the Soviet and the West encouraging cooperation, as well as consequently diluting the Soviet’s centralised power which facilitated a rise in separatist movements.
BP2 Gorbachev policies
Context:
The Soviet economy was struggling with economic implications of the arms race, by the 1980s at least 25% of the USSR’s resources were used on nuclear weapons (compared to 6% in the US), the soviet economy had shrunk to under half the size of the american economy and living standards had subsided. Thus, the need to reform the communist system within the USSR facilitated the ascendancy of Mihail Gorbachev in March 1985; on a platform of economic and political reform, Gorbachev’s policies contributed to greater liberalisation of the USSR and dissolution of communist party.
BP2 Gorbachev policies
Perestroika
Gorbachev’s leading economic agenda, restructuring the economy and moving towards a mixed-economic system, however, the economic reform was not successful in implementations and did not mitigate underlying economic issues but did strengthen relations with the West
New economic policies began to be implemented in 1987; decentralisation of state enterprises, price negotiation (market), establishing small private businesses, foreign investment, and transparency around state finances.
The policies were generally ineffective at addressing productivity and output issues within the soviet union; agriculture output did not improve, industrial output had contracted 6 %, GDP contracted 4%
Inflation occurred; The private enterprise cooperative system failed because 90% of all production went to the needs of the state, and raw materials could only be purchased from state-sanctioned suppliers. This made private enterprises not profitable
-> Emergence of black markets
“Economic dislocation and political instability it [glasnost] caused also contributed to the disintegration of the Soviet Union”—MOD Robert Service
Perestroika was crucial however to rapprochement with the U.S; Raegan had supported Perestroika and aid was given to the USSR in an appeasement of the policy.
John Gaddis highlights a shift in Soviet ideas, and flexibility which would ultimately set the precedent for greater cooperation between the West and USSR.
BP2 Gorbachev policies
Democratizatsia
Was the policy of increased democratic representation, and decreasing the communist party control of the state.
The decentralisation of power was influential in the rise of nationalist movements
July 1988 after the 19th Party congress, the Congress of People’s Deputies of the Soviet Union. Democratically elected body to inform policy. Deputies would criticise the soviet state.
On 14 March 1989 the newly created Congress of People’s Deputies voted to end the Communist Party’s control over the government…Gorbachev elected as executive president of Supreme Soviet
Perestroika decentralised power of the communist party
1990’s: The suprmeme Soviet removed artical 6 of the consitiution
-> Offically seperated the party from the Soviet appartus.
“Demokratizatsiya allowed nationalist movements to gain political legitimacy and prominence.” MOD Stephen Kolkin
BP3 Nationalist movements
Topic sentence
The collapse of the USSR was fundamentally ensured by the rise of separatists movements, which resulted in the republics seceding from the Soviet Union culminating in fall of communism/end of the cold war
BP3 Nationalist movements
Ending of Breshenv doctine which facillitated freedom
“The use or threat of force no longer can, nor should, be an instrument of foreign policy.”—Gorby UNGA December 1988
The USSR was composed of 15 Soviet republics spanning across Eurasia and encompassing more than 200 million citizens
Withdrawal from Afghanistan 1989
-> Despite early commitment to Afghanistan, Gorbachev would not uphold the Brezhnev Doctrine in the face of increasing nationalist separatism.
BP3 Nationalist movements
Czechoslovakia November 1989
Deposing of Communist one party state embodied the democratic movements within the Eastern Bloc, aka Velvet Revolution
Under Gorbachev, the Brezhnev doctrine was repealed and the USSR would not intervene
-> A non-violent transition of power and the communist government agreeded to step down.
The velvet revolution reflected “the broader trend of democratisation across Eastern Europe.” —MOD John Gaddis
December 1988, Gorbachev said, “They have their own paths to choose, and they must follow them.”
