The End Of The Cold War, 1985-91 Flashcards
What was Reagan’s role in the end of the Cold War?
Combined bullying and negotiation to end the war
Bullying - 1982 description of USSR as ‘evil empire’ SDI Initiative (Star Wars programme) 1983 - laser system that would effectively be a shield of USA, driving away soviet missiles
Negotiation - negotiated 1987 intermediate nuclear forces treaty - reduction in arms on both sides
What was gorbachev’s role in the end of the Cold War?
Realised USSR couldn’t continue the Cold War and arms race due to:
Weak soviet economy
Cost of Afghanistan war
Outdated soviet technology
Devised policies to overcome weaknesses (glasnost, perestroika, Sinatra Doctrine)
What was glasnost?
Openness - freedom to debate, of media from gov control
What was perestroika?
Overcoming - restricting soviet economy through introduction of more western style policies (democracy)
What was the Sinatra Doctrine?
End of Brezhnev Doctrine in 1988 as if the Cold War ended there’d be no need for a buffer zone
Sinatra Doctrine ended it - no attempt to hold countries back if they sought freedom
How did East Germany leave the E Bloc?
October 1989 - Gorbachev visited east Berlin, encouraged people to push for democracy. East German leader Enrich Honecher, resigned
November 1989 - beeline Wall opened, allowing freedom of movement between east and West Berlin
October 1990 - Wall was removed and Germany reunified
How did Czechoslovakia leave the E Bloc?
May 1989 - huge protest rallies organised to demand change
November 1989 - after some initial resistance the communist regime was overthrown with almost no loss of life - Velvet revolution
December 1989 - chairman of newly elected federal Parliament was Dubček. Playwright Havel became President
1993 - Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia
How did the Baltic states (Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia) leave the E Bloc?
Initially, even Gorbachev resisted demands of Latvia and Lithuania for freedom. He feared it would lead other republics in USSR to seek the same.
1991 - Baltic states declared their independence
How did Poland leave the E Bloc?
1980 - solidarity set up as first trad union in Iron Curtain, as a result of opposition to Poland’s economic and political decline. Soon had nine million members and gov recognised
1981 - under pressure from Moscow, Poland’s leader declared martial law. Solidarity was illegal but continued underground and was supported by the Catholic Church.
1989 - solidarity legal again after strikes. Workers granted the right to strike. Solidarity won Poland’s elections and a non communist gov was installed with the solidarity leader becoming president of Poland.
How did the Cold War end?
Reagan and Gorbachev half a series of summit meetings to reach agreement as both leaders realised the overwhelming costs of maintaining the Cold War. These meetings concluded with Reagan’s successor Bush Snr.
Name some factors that helped with the ending of the Cold War.
1987 agreement - removal of nuclear weaponry
Ending of Afghanistan war - reduction in soviet armed forces
End of E Bloc and Warsaw Pact - removes one of the key symbols of east-west division
