The Ending of the Cold War, 1985-1991: Bush and US response

Question 1

Causes of the Communist world revolution in 1989?

Answer 1

Communist states were expensive, Gorbachev wanted to end the USSR’s responsibility of them.
Included abdonding the Brezhnev doctrine, which threatened the stability of apparatchiks (hardliners) and meant eastern bloc countries could more easily revolt

By end of 1989, only Albania remianed communist

Question 2

Whenb did Jazurelski make Solidarity’s constitution legal again?

Answer 2

September 1986, thinking it had lost popularity

At the same time as ‘New Thinking’, including Glasnost

Question 3

What happened in Feb 1988 in Poland?

Answer 3

Food prices increase, leading to peaceful protests, using Glasnost as justification.
After the Breznhev dontrine’s removal, the Polish governemnt now had to work with the dissenters rather than suppress them

Question 4

When did the government meet with solidarity and other opposition groups?
What was agreed?

Answer 4

Feb 1989
The Round Table Talks
Major reforms:
* the legalisation of non-governemntal trade unions
* creation of position of president
* the formation of a Senate which is freely elected
* However, in the Sejm, the lower house of parliament, only 35% were to be freely elected, the rest were resreved for the communist party

Working with the dissidents, not suppressing them

Question 5

How did the June 1989 elections go on Poland?

Answer 5

Solidarity won 92 out of 100 senate seats

Question 6

When was a new solidarity governemnt formed?

Answer 6

August 1989
By end of 1989, a multi-party state with a coalition government dominated by solidarity.
Successful transisiton to democracy

After Lech Walsea called for it

Question 7

When did Hungarian leader Janos Kadar resign?

Answer 7

1988, after increasing dissatisfaction due to economic decline
Replaced with Miklos Nemeth

Question 8

Why was Nemeth made Hungarian PM?

Answer 8

He had negotiated a 1 billion Duestsch Mark loan from West German banks

Question 9

What did Nemeth’s government do?

Answer 9

Adpoted basic freedoms, civil rights
Agreed to free elections in June 1989

Question 10

When did the Soviets agree to withdraw their military from Hungary?

Answer 10

April 1989

Question 11

What did Hungary do in September 1989?

Answer 11

To open up their border with Austria, and thus allow East Germans to travel to West Germany.
This caused a mass migration of people from East Germany, showed a rejection of communism.
Led to the East German Crisis Novemeber 1989.

Question 12

By September 1989, how many had left East Germany?

Answer 12

60,000

Question 13

How did revolution go in Romania?

Answer 13

Only country to have a violent communist revolution
1989, short-bloody revolution overthrew communist leader Ceausescu, who was executed.

Question 14

When did Eric Honeker resign?
Why?

Answer 14

Eric Honecker, East German leader, resigned in Oct 1989 after the politburo forced his resignation amid protests and Hungary opening border with Austria.
Protests were due to his reultcance to follow reforms that were embedded in perestroika and determination to keep East Germany a singleparty state. Plus economic struggles.

Question 15

WHat did East Germany’s growth go from in 1985 to 1989?

Answer 15

5.2% to 2.8%

Question 16

Who became the East German leader after Honecker?

Answer 16

Egon Krenz

Question 17

What did Krenz do?

Answer 17

Immediatley announced the implementation of democratic reforms and endorsed Gorbachev’s New Thinking.
Novemeber 5th, 1989, to appease its people during economic struggles, the government proposed a calming of travel laws, but this instead angered the people as they felt these reforms were not enough. The government lost control of the people and as a result the entire politburo resigned.

Question 18

How did Krenz respond to the crisis?

Answer 18

Novemeber 9th, 1989, new travel laws authorised travel into West Germany.
Berlin Wall became chaos, as many East Germans headed there.
Decemeber 1st, facing calls for reform, the government changed the consitiutution removng the communist party’s dominant role in government. Krenz resigned.

Question 19

When were Germany reunified?

Answer 19

October 3rd, 1990

Question 20

Features of the fall of the Berlin wall?

Answer 20

Sudden - shows people were ready to revolt
Choatic - tensions had been brewing for a while

Question 21

What ultimately caused the fall of the Berlin wall?

Answer 21

Economic collapse faliure largely

Question 22

Who were the Civic Forum?

Answer 22

An opposition group of intellectuals, against the Czech governemnt, led by Vaclev Havel. Formed in Novemeber 1989 after police attacked students involved in demonstrations.

Question 23

What were the ‘Programmatic Principles of the Civic Forum’?

Answer 23

The list of goals of the civic forum
Included goals for state law, free elections, social justice.
In response, the constitution was amended and communists were removed from their lead role in government.
Elections were caled, Havel was elected president in December 1989.

Question 24

What was the revolution in Czechoslovkia known as?

Answer 24

The Velvet revolution

As the change occured smoothly