RUSSIA- Fall of the USSR 1985-91- NATIONALISM Flashcards
How many republics was the USSR divided into?
15
What had Soviet control over Eastern Europe been enforced by?
Military action under the Brezhnev Doctrine
How much did the USSR spend annually on propping up communist governments around the world?
$40 billion
What did Gorbachev believe about the use of armed intervention?
Morally wrong
When had communist rule been imposed on Eastern Europe?
After WW2
Why did the ending of the Brezhnev Doctrine pose a particular problem for those Eastern European leaders who wanted to resist reform?
Could no longer rely on Soviet military intervention to buttress their regimes
When did the Polish communist government yield to public pressure?
1989 with Solidarity- decided to allow it and any other political groups to stand in elections
How did Solidarity fare in the Polish general elections?
Defeated the Communist Party in a landslide victory
What happened to the Polish Communist Party as a result of the 1989 elections?
Collapsed
Which was the first satellite state to separate itself from communism?
Poland
Where did the pressure for reform come from in Hungary?
Within the Party
Who had been the hardline leader of the Hungarian Communist Party since 1956 and when was he sacked?
Janos Kadar; 1988
What did the Hungarian Communist Party do after it had sacked its leader?
Decided to allow other political parties to contest elections
Which satellite state was most reliant on Soviet support?
East Germany
When did the Berlin Wall fall?
9 November 1989
Who became the East German leader in October 1989?
Egon Krenz- refused to sanction widespread repression
When did Gorbachev encourage those who wished to push for reform in East Germany by visiting East Berlin?
October 1989
When was the communist regime in Czechoslovakia forced to make concessions in response to public demonstrations calling for reforms?
November 1989
What organisation emerged in Czechoslovakia to co-ordinate the campaign to get rid of the communist government?
Civic Forum
Who was elected as President of Czechoslovakia in December 1989?
Vaclav Havel
When did demonstrations against the communist government begin in Romania?
End of 1989
What sealed the end of communism in Romania?
Arrest and subsequent execution of Nicolae Ceausescu
Why was Ceausescu forced to flee Romania in December 1989?
Even the army were unwilling to support him
What increased the unpopularity of Ceausescu even further?
Urged the army to open fire on demonstrators
Where had reformers within the Communist Parties taken the lead in asserting national independence?
Hungary; Bulgaria
Where did bloody civil war accompany the break-up of communism?
Romania; Yugoslavia
When had every pro-Soviet communist government in Eastern Europe disintegrated by?
1989
What effect did the change in Soviet foreign policy have?
Changed the relationship between Russians and national minorities within the USSR
What encouraged the growth of nationalism within the USSR?
Environmental concerns; insecurity of local Party leaders; culture and language
Where had environmental damage been the greatest in the USSR?
Outlying regions
What was a major environmental concern in the Baltic republics?
Industrial pollution
Which area of the USSR was facing soil erosion due to the diversion of rivers?
Central Asia
Why did the insecurity of local Party leaders encourage the growth of nationalism?
Tempting for them to lend their support to popular local concerns in an attempt to maintain their position
What was the balance of Russians and non-Russians in the USSR by the 1980s?
145 million Russians/141 million non-Russians
Why was there violence in Nagorno-Karabakh in 1988?
Populated largely by Armenians- ethnic tensions arose over the desire of the Armenians in the area to join the Armenian republic
Where was Nagorno-Karabakh?
Autonomous region within the Azerbaijan republic
What was a clear indication of the growing weakness of the central Soviet government?
Armenia announced in November 1988 that Nagorno-Karabakh was under its control
Where were there ethnic clashes in the Soviet Union over growing nationalism?
Nagorno-Karabakh 1988; Georgia 1989; Kirgizstan 1990; Moldavia
Where was the growth of nationalism most concerning for the Soviet government?
Baltic republics
Which were the Baltic republics?
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania
Why was nationalism in the Baltic republics so threatening for the Soviet government?
Had higher levels of education than the Soviet average; among more economically developed regions of USSR
When were Popular Fronts established in the Baltic republics?
April-October 1988
When had the Baltic republics been incorporated into the USSR?
1939
Who took the lead in the formation of the Popular Fronts?
Intelligentsia
What did the Popular Fronts call for?
Protection for their native languages and cultural traditions and then independence
What was used by the Popular Fronts to stage a mass demonstration for independence?
Anniversary of Nazi-Soviet Pact, August 1989
What was the Nazi-Soviet Pact?
Resulted in the Soviet annexation of the Baltic republics
What did the protestors do on the anniversary of the Nazi-Soviet pact in a show of independence?
Organised a human chain of Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians holding hands that stretched across the 3 republics
What success did the Popular Fronts have in 1990?
Won a majority in elections to the Supreme Soviets in all 3 Baltic republics
Which of the Baltic republics took the lead in declaring independence from the Soviet Union?
Lithuania
When did Lithuania proclaim that it was an independent state?
March 1990
Who proclaimed that Lithuania was an independent state?
Speaker of the Lithuanian Supreme Soviet, Vytautas Landsbergis
What is the capital of Lithuania?
Vilnius
When did pro-Soviet communists and some Red Army troops attempt to take over the TV station in Vilnius?
January 1991
How many people were killed in the clashes over Vilnius?
At least 13
What were the limits of nationalism?
Limited experience of independence; Soviet Union had allowed degree of autonomous control; republics had been net gainers of Soviet economic investment; loyalty to local and tribal groupings; role of ethnic Russians
Which Ukrainian nationalist organisation found little support in the eastern half of the republic?
Rukh
Which different Muslim groups was there violence between?
Uzbeks and Kyrgyz; Uzbeks and Turkmens
How many Russians lived in the other republics of the Soviet Union?
60 million
What indicated popular support for maintaining the Soviet Union in all of the republics outside of Georgia/Baltic republics?
Referendum held in March 1991
What legislation contained enough concessions to keep support for a continued union alive?
Union Treaty of 1991
Which position allowed Yeltsin to undermine Gorbachev’s Union Treaty?
Chairman of the Russian Supreme Soviet
When was Yeltsin elected as Chairman of the Russian Supreme Soviet?
March 1990
Which group was Russian nationalism largely confined to?
Intelligentsia
What put an end to any hopes of Gorbachev’s Union Treaty?
August coup of 1991
What did Yeltsin use to undermine Gorbachev’s Union Treaty?
Support for Russian nationalism
What did Yeltsin call for to replace Gorbachev’s Union Treaty?
Commonwealth of Independent States made up of the former Soviet republics
