Breakdown of the USSREnd of the Cold War

Breakdown of the USSR/End of the Cold War Homework Next Time • Read annotate the reading, and complete the notes worksheet. • Intro to Middle East

Terms to Know • Leonid Brezhnev • Brezhnev Doctrine • Ronald Reagan • Mikhail Gorbachev • Glasnost • Perestroika • Democratization • Year of Miracles • Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)

Causes of the Breakdown • Two primary reasons for the fall of the USSR 1. Economic instability 2. Nationalism

Economic Instability • A significant factor in the end of the Cold War and the demise of the Soviet Union was growing economic stagnation in that country. • Under communism/socialism, there’s little motivation to make new/better products, and since you only get what the government gives you, you’re not motivated to work harder. Centrally-planned economy led to: • Shortages • Inferior quality goods • Housing shortages • Long lines with not enough supply to meet demand.

Political Instability • This led to cultural and political instability in the Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc states. • “Prague Spring”—Czechoslovakia had tried to liberalize the economy and undo certain communist controls. • In the 1960 s, a “human rights” movement had gained traction in Eastern Bloc countries as well—although they faced harsh punishment and suppression. • USSSR leader Leonid Brezhnev, who ruled from 1964 to 1982, instituted the Brezhnev Doctrine, which stated that if anyone threatened the communist party’s monopoly in the soviet satellite nations, the USSR would interfere with military force. • As a result, he spent more money on the military to put down various protests and rebellions throughout the Eastern Bloc.

End of Détente • THEN, Ronald Reagan became President and ended Détente, bringing back the arms race. • Why would he do that? ? Well—he knew the USSR was struggling economically. Why not push a tad harder? • Reagan did not want to just ease tensions— he wanted to encourage the political instability WITHIN the Soviet Union, in the hopes that the various Eastern Bloc states would be able to break free. • He continued to mount economic pressure on the USSR. • However, he did also sign the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty.

Change in Leadership—Mikhail Gorbachev • 1985: Mikhail Gorbachev comes to power. • He initiates a series of liberalizing reforms in an effort to save the USSR: • Glasnost (“openness”) Allowed the people to openly discuss Russia’s problems, instead of being arrested. • Perestroika: Economic restructuring—limited military spending, allowed private businesses, and encouraged foreign investment. But, most importantly…it brought Mc. Donalds to Russia!!!!! • Democratization: Allowed free elections. Which means Boris Yeltsin is promptly elected as the President of Russia.

Change in Leadership—Mikhail Gorbachev • The political and economic restructuring Mikhail Gorbachev did caused: • Greater freedom of speech: publications and individuals could say what they thought without fear of arrest. • Political prisoners were released, since their “crimes” of speaking against the government were no longer illegal. • Inflation skyrocketed and black markets flourished. • Multi-party elections began. • In an effort to save the USSR, however, Gorbachev’s reforms ultimately caused its downfall.

Just add a touch of NATIONALISM • The USSR had been made up of 15 different republics (see map), which had been assimilated after WWII. • They had never wanted nor asked to be a part of the USSR. • With the cuts in military spending, and the decriminalization of free speech, nationalist groups begin to flourish throughout the Eastern Bloc. • Without the force of the Soviet Union keeping them in check, the Eastern Bloc nations began to shake off communism and leave the Union, one by one. Gorbachev did not stop them. • Gorbachev also undid the Brezhnev Doctrine in 1989. As a result, a series of incredible events took place. • 1989 would be called the Year of Miracles.

The Year of Miracles • In Hungary, parliament voted to allow freedom of speech, hold free elections, and take down the barbed-wire fence with Austria (the iron curtain’s starting to come down!); thousands of East Germans flee through the newly-opened borders into the West. • In Poland, the Solidarity political party swept the free multi-party elections (winning 99 seats out of 100) and the Polish communist party is ousted. • In East Germany, demonstrations at the Berlin Wall grow to half a million people. Finally, quietly, border guards open the gates; East Germans are free to cross for the first time in 28 years—huge celebrations ensue. With open borders between East and West, there is no need for the Berlin Wall. It’s torn apart by the locals’ own hands and tools.

Of course, it can’t be that easy. • There were still many hardline communists—people who benefitted from the large amounts of power centralized in the government. • In the Summer of 1991, the KGB (the Soviet Secret Police) kidnapped Gorbachev and tried to overthrow his government. • Boris Yeltsin rallied a resistance to the coup. After seeing the lack of public support, the coup (surprisingly) broke apart.

The Soviet Union Collapses • In the 1991 elections, the Communist party lost its powerful majority. • Boris Yeltsin became Head of State in the newly renamed “Russian Soviet Federated Soviet Republic. ” • Immediately, these events happened: • September 6: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania declared independence. • December 1: Ukraine declared independence • By December 8, 1991 all 15 republics of the “former Soviet Union” were independent. • With the encouragement of the United States, a meeting took place between Boris Yeltsin and the leaders of Ukraine and Belarus. • On December 26 th, 1991, their agreement formed the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)—officially dissolving the Soviet Union.

The Cold War, finally, was over.

But the effects of the Cold War are still prevalent. • There are many questions that still have to be dealt with: • For one, what do we do about the nuclear weapons we’ve stockpiled? • What about all of the nations that are still struggling with communist uprisings? • What about all of the OTHER nations that have gained nuclear capabilities since WWII? • Another source of trouble was the Middle East—the Soviet Union had invaded Afghanistan in 1979 to support a new, pro-Soviet regime. In response, the US had begun supporting anti-Soviet rebels. Now the region was in political chaos.