The End Of The Cold War 1985-91 Flashcards
Who led the USSR between Brezhnev and Gorbachev?
Give dates.
What was significant about both?
- Andropov - 1982-84
- Chernenko - 1984-85
Both were very old and died in office - signaling how unstable the Soviet system had become
When did Mikhail Gorbachev become leader of the USSR?
1985 (after the death of Chernenko)
How was Gorbachev different from other soviet leaders (broadly)
He was pragmatic and a reformist
Under what conditions in the USSR did Gorbachev inherit (5)
- economic stagnation/contraction caused by:
- inefficient production
- 70s oil crisis
- Subsidies to satellites
- Lack of incentive to work or be productive
- food shortages
- lack of investment in public services, healthcare and education
- technologically behind the west
- 37% total production of the US
All while Brezhnev had increased defense budgets
On what day did the Berlin Wall come down?
9th November 1989
what were Gorbachev’s 2 flagship policies
What did both mean?
- glasnost (openness) - encouraging criticism of the soviet regime to root out corruption and become more efficient
- perestroika (restructuring) - allowing market forces to enter the Soviet economy (capitalist reforms)
What 3rd policy did Gorbachev enact?
- Reduction in arms spending
- subsidies to satellites cancelled
- 1968 Brezhnev doctrine renounced
Where did Gorbachev and Reagan meet? (3)
Where did HW Bush meet Gorbachev?
When?
- Nov 1985 Geneva
- 1986 Reykjavik
- 1987 Washington
- HW Bush - 1988 Moscow
What was agreed between the US and USSR at Washington 1987?
INF treaty - agreement on arms reduction
While Gorbachev was popular abroad, what issues did he have domestically? (5)
- Glasnost —> a lot of criticism of the system
- nationalism grew in soviet republics - calls for independence grew
- Gorbechev’s policies weakened authority of eastern bloc states - USSR promised not to intervene
- the 1968 Brezhnev Doctrine was abandoned
- USSR began defunding satellites
Why was Poland so key to the USSR? (And why was solidarity so problematic)
(3)
- their army represented 1/3 of the Warsaw Pact
- largest population of satellite states - 36 million
- if it were to collapse - the eastern bloc would probably follow suit
What was solidarity?
What were their aims?
Why did solidarity arise in Poland?
- a trade union in Poland supported by intellectuals and the Catholic Church
- lower food prices
- referendum on one party state (allow more parties)
- because of the economic state of Poland in the mid 1980s:
- rising prices
- no western markets for exports
- outdated technology
Where did solidarity begin strike action
In the Gdansk shipyards
When were solidarity outlawed?
Oct 1982
How did the western reaction to the banning of solidarity appear to show a divide?
France and FRG didn’t criticize the ban - Soviets viewed this as a split in western opinions
Why did opposition to the USSR begin to become apparent in the 1980s?
Why did it only manifest in Poland at first?
- 1970s oil crisis caused economic turmoil
- western culture infiltrated during the 70s and 80s - anti-soviet rhetoric
- Quite simply, people were fearful of soviet retaliation
When did the now illegal solidarity call for strike action (which led to reforms)
What reforms were granted? When?
- 1988
- 1989
- solidarity made legal
- right to strike granted
- free elections in Poland
How did soviet control of Poland formally end?
- The polish people elected a non-communist leader - 1989
- for the first time since 1945
What happened in August 1989 that threatened the authority of the GDR?
Hungary opened their borders and 150 000 East Germans fled to FRG
Which eastern bloc states fell first? (3)
In no particular order:
- Romania
- Poland
- Hungary
What name was given to the collapse of Czechoslovakia?
Velvet revolution
Why did the GDR collapse (broadly speaking) (2)
- it needed public support but was poor and totalitarian
- once protests started, it collapsed (Nov 9th protests in East Berlin)
How many protested in East Berlin on Nov 9th 1989?
500 000
What did Gorbachev state at the Malta summit?
When was this?
- That the ‘Cold War is over’
- Dec 1989
After the collapse of the Eastern Bloc, why did discontent emerge in the USSR? (5)
- economic issues persisted
- basic commodities were scarce
- USSR became a net importer of oil due to inefficiency
- inflation worsened economic issues
- on top of this - glasnost allowed criticism of the government - now rife
What agreement ended the division of Europe? When?
- Gorbachev agrees to German unification within NATO
- July 1990
When was START 1 agreed?
What was it?
- August 1991
- agreement on reduction of nuclear weapons between US and USSR
Where in the USSR fell first? When?
- Baltic states (Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia)
- March and May 1990
How was Gorbachev viewed in the USSR after the collapse of the Eastern Bloc and Baltic republics?
How was this evident?
- He was unilaterally criticized
- Aug 1991 coup (which failed)
When did the USSR collapse?
December 1991 after Gorbachev resigned as president
What was the USSR replaced by? (2)
- a multi-national organization called the Confederation of Independent States (CIS)
- this now has 9 member states, mainly those close to the Russian Federation politically
