The collapse of Soviet control in Eastern Europe, 1985-91

Question 1

Gorbachev’s new thinking

Answer 1

Problems being faced by Soviet Union:
- huge sums spent on arms to compete with USA, meaning their economy was quite bad
- low standard of living and lack of human rights led to unrest in some satellite states
So Gorbachev introduced these policies:
- perestroika - ‘reconstruction’ of the Soviet state to include some capitalist practices
- glasnost - ‘openness’ for people to express their opinions on govt and foreign relations
- Brezhnev doctrine dropped (Soviet Union would no longer involve itself in other communist countries’ problems)
- reduce spending on arms

Question 2

The American response

Answer 2

Reagan saw Gorbachev’s new thinking as an opportunity to end the Cold War, since Gorbachev was not looking to expand communism, rather reform the Soviet Union and be work with the USA to reduce tensions.

Question 3

Nov 1985 - Geneva Summit

Answer 3

Gorbachev and Reagan met for the first time. No formal agreements made but relations were improving.

Question 4

Oct 1986 - Reykjavik Summit

Answer 4

Gorbachev proposed phasing out nuclear weapons if America gave up it’s SDI program. Again, no formal agreement was made.

Question 5

Dec 1987 - Washington Summit

Answer 5

Signed the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Force (INF) Treaty, saying both countries would abolish all land-based missiles with a range of 500-5,500 km.

Question 6

1988 - Moscow Summit

Answer 6

A complex detail related to the INF Treaty was resolved. Gorbachev visited the USA to make a speech to the UN saying Warsaw Pact troops would be reduced and Soviet forces would leave Afghanistan.

Question 7

1989 - Malta Summit

Answer 7

Gorbachev met with President Bush. No new agreements, but both leaders saw this as the end of the Cold War.

Question 8

The end of the Soviet hold on Eastern Europe

Answer 8

After Gorbachev announced that the Brezhnev doctrine would be abandoned, satellite states no longer feared what would happen if they introduced reforms, so they completely disbanded communism within their govt although this was not Gorbachev’s aim.

Question 9

The significance of the fall of the Berlin Wall

Answer 9

For the people of Berlin, they could finally be reunited with their relatives, but in political terms, it symbolised the end of Soviet control and the Cold War.

Question 10

The end of the Warsaw Pact

Answer 10

Since the Soviet Union was no longer controlling the Warsaw Pact members, its troops were no longer needed although govts all over Eastern Europe were creating reforms, so the Warsaw Pact fomally dissolved in Jul 1991. This was significant in the Cold War.
This brought about:
- the reunion of Europe - there was no longer an ‘Iron Curtain’
- the independence of satellite states - Moscow was no longer controlling their policies
- Gorbachev’s fall from power - unhappy communist hardliners staged coup to overthrow him