TOPIC 4 Flashcards
Rise of Gorbachev: 1985
March 1985: Gorbachev became leader of the USSR
- Held the position until 1991, when he was forced to abdicate
He believed in Marxism, but the USSR was in a terrible state
- Economic system was corrupt and inefficient
- Food shortages and rationing
- Living standards were low
Gorbachev’s reforms
- Glasnost: Political and Social reforms – greater freedom of expression and political involvement
Greater media freedom
News about government corruption and criticism of government officials would be allowed - Perestroika: Economic, political and cultural reforms – Soviet economy more modern
Trade with non communist countries allowed
Foreign investments in Russian businesses - The end of the Brezhnev Doctrine:
7th December 1988: in a speech to the UN
- Cuts in Soviet armed forces of 500,000 troops
- 6 armoured divisions in Eastern Europe
Meeting in Geneva: 19th - 20th November 1985
Gorbachev raised the possibility of the Americans abandoning SDI, which Reagan refused
The leaders agreed to issue a joint commuiqué, declaring that a nuclear war would never begin
- Recognised the importance of preventing a future war between the two nations
1st January 1986: Reagan and Gorbachev broadcast televised messages of goodwill to the respective Soviet and American people
Meeting in Reykjavik: 11th - 12th October 1986
Gorbachev proposed to revive “Zero Option”, by which the USSR would withdraw its SS-20 missiles in Europe, and in exchange, the USA would take out its Pershing and Cruise missiles
Also proposed that there should be a 50% for long range nuclear weapons on both sides over a 5 year period
Reagan proposed to reduce ICBMs to 0 within 10 years
Gorbachev then proposed abolishing all nuclear weapon within 10 years – Reagan refused
September 1987: US SoS and Soviet FM announced an agreement on the “Zero Option” for intermediate range missiles and a 50% reduction in long range strategic weapons
Nuclear test 1987
3rd and 11th February 1987: US carried out 2 nuclear tests
Meeting in Washington: 7th - 10th December 1987
8th December 1987: Gorbachev and Reagan signed the Treaty of Washinton
- The destruction of all missiles with a range of between 500 and 5000 km that were based in Europe and Asia within 3 years
- 4000 US tactical nuclear weapons would remain in West Germany
Meeting in Moscow: 29th May - 2nd June 1988
Reagan travelled to Moscow for the formal Exchange of ratification of the Washington Treaty on their Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces
Start of negotiations for a reduction of 50% in the 2 powers’ principal nuclear arsenals
Agreements in trade and technological links
Collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe: 1989
Gorbachev’s policy of promoting “openness”
March 1989: Gorbachev made it clear that the Red Army wouldn’t intervene to restore communist regimes
Poland: Collapse of Communism
April 1989: the ban on Solidarity was lifted
June 1989: Free elections were held and Solidarity won
August 1989: Solidarity formed a non-communist government
Solidarity: a trade union which had emerged in 1980 as a result of the workers’ economic discontent
Hungary: Collapse of Communism
7th October 1989: government renounced the dictatorship
East Germany and the Fall of the Berlin Wall
9th November 1989: crowds rushed to checkpoints where frontier pólice allowed free passage to West Berlin
9th – 10th November 1989: Parts of the Berlin Wall were knocked down
3rd October 1990: Germany was reunited to form a single state which joined NATO
Bulgaria. Romania and Czechoslovakia: Collapse of Communism
Bulgaria:
10th November 1989: following the events in East Germany, the Communist leader, Shukov, was deposed
Romania:
21st December 1989: revolution
- Ceausescu, Communist leader, ordered his forces to open fire, but they refused
25th December 1989: Ceausescu was captured and executed
1990: Free democratic elections were held in Romania
Czechoslovakia:
17th November 1989: demonstrations in Prague, mainly by students
December 1989: Husak, Communist leader, resigned and was replaced by Havel, founder of Charter 77
Collapse of the USSR: 1990
Difficult situation for Gorbachev
- Economic problems hadn’t been solved
- Increase in nationalism amongst several nationalities
- Communists were becoming increasingly unpopular
Ideological crisis
February 1990: Gorbachev - document to present to the Central Committee of the Communist Party, “Towards a Humane, Democratic Socialism”
- Proposed to repeal article 6 of the Soviet 1977 Constitution, which proclaimed the directing role of the Communist Party in the state and thus establish its political monopoly
o March 1990: approved
Economic crisis
1990: the economy fell into decline
- American estimates put the decline in GDP between 2.4% and 5%
Nationalistic crisis
1990: movement of nationalities towards Independence - Communism had been rejected by the Eastern European countries
11th March 1990: Lithuania declared its Independence from the USSR
- Gorbachev sent troops to Lithuania
18th April: Soviet government cut off oil supplies to Lithuania
- Lithuania suspended its independence for 100 days
Fall of Gorbachev
1990: Gorbachev put a stop to the disintegration of the USSR
- Use force
- Appoint more old-style communists to key positions of government
o Gorbachev lost support
- December 1990: Soviet FS, Shevardnadza resigned
January 1991: Gorbachev acted to try to preserve the Soviet state by Force
- Soviet forces occupied Vilna and Riga (capitals of Lithuania and Latvia)
o Opened fire and killed 18 people in the 2 cities
