Section 3 The Collapse of the Soviet Union
Gorbachev Moves Toward Democracy Politburo ruling committee of the Communist Party Chose Mikhail Gorbachev to be the party s new general secretary Youngest Soviet leader since Stalin Age 54
Gorbachev s Policies Glasnost openness, announced in 1985 Allowed churches to open Released dissidents from prison Publication of books by banned authors Reporters could criticize officials
Gorbachev s Policies Perestroika economic restructuring managers gained greater authority over their farms and factories People were allowed to open small private businesses make the economic system more efficient and productive
Gorbachev s Policies Democratization Gradual opening of the political system Election of a legislative body Could chose from a list of candidates
Foreign Policy USSR could not afford the costly arms race He and President Reagan signed the INF treaty Banned nuclear missiles with ranges of 300 to 3400 miles
USSR in Turmoil The move to reform the USSR led to its break up Various nationalities began to call for their freedom USSR had more than 100 ethnic groups
Lithuania Declared its independence in March 1990 Gorbachev tried to force it back to the USSR Ordered an economic blockade of the republic Attacked the capital in 1991
Boris Yeltsin Gorbachev was losing popularity Looked to Boris Yeltsin for leadership Member of Parliament Former mayor of Moscow Became the president of the Russian Federation
August Coup August 18, 1991 Communist leaders detain Gorbachev at his vacation home Demanded his resignation Tanks rolled into Moscow People were willing to fight the Communist Party
August Coup Protestors gathered at the Russian Parliament building Communist leaders told the troops to attack the parliament building The troops refused August 21 st, Gorbachev returned to Moscow
End of the USSR Gorbachev resigned as general secretary of the party Parliament votes to stop all Communist party activities Communist Party had collapsed
End of the USSR 14 republics had declared their independence Formed the Commonwealth of Independent States December 25 th, 1991 Gorbachev announces his resignation of President of the USSR The country ceases to exist
Russia Since the Breakup of the USSR
Russia Under Boris Yeltsin Goal was to reform the economy Adopted a plan known as shock therapy Abrupt shift to free market economies Lowered trade barriers, removed price controls, and ended subsidies to state owned industries
Russia Under Boris Yeltsin Inflation rate averaged 800% Factories had to cut production or shut down entirely Thousands of people were out of work Economic problems fueled a political crisis
Russia Under Boris Yeltsin October 1993 Legislatures opposed to Yeltsin s policies shut themselves in the Parliament building Ordered troops to bombard the building Opponents accused Yeltsin of acting like a dictator
Chechnya Rebels Chechnya declared its independence Yeltsin denied the regions right to secede Ordered 40,000 Russian troops into the breakaway republic
Chechnya Rebels Yeltsin sought to end the way because an election was coming Signed a cease fire agreement in 1996 Yeltsin won reelection Fighting soon broke out again 1999, Yeltsin named Vladimir Putin as acting president
Vladimir Putin Troubles continue to Chechnya July 2002, the Kremlin said it would begin pulling troops out of Chechnya October 2002, Chechen rebels seized a theater in Moscow More than 150 people died in the rescue attempt
Other problems Social upheaval in Russia Between 30,000 and 50,000 homeless children in Moscow High rates of domestic violence and unemployment Declines in population, standard of living and life expectancy
Section 4 Changes in Central and Eastern Europe
Poland Formed the union Solidarity led by Lech Walesa Polish government banned Solidarity and declared marital law Demand for the legalization of the union grew
Poland The military leader held talks with Solidarity leaders April 1989, Solidarity was legalized Poland s first free elections were held Elected Lech Walesa president
Poland Tried to revive Poland s bankrupt economy Adopted a strategy of stock therapy to move Poland toward a free market economy Inflation and unemployment soared
Poland Poles were unhappy with the pace of economic progress Elections of 1995 Votes Walesa out of office Elected a former Communist Aleksander Kwasniewski
Poland Tried to become part of the European Union Became a full member of NATO Provided support in the war on terrorism Continued the efforts to establish a strong market economy
Hungary Launched a sweeping reform program Encouraged private enterprise and allowed a small stock market New constitution allowed a multiparty system with free elections
Hungary Communist party leaders dissolved the party First time a European Communist Party had voted themselves out of existence Voters put a non-communist government in power
Hungary 1994, the Socialist party won a majority of seats in parliament Formed a coalition with the democratic party Joined NATO in 1999 2001, general economic downturn
Germany Reunifies East German leader, Erich Honecker, dismissed reforms When Hungary helped East Germans escape, he closed its borders entirely Huge demonstrations broke out Honecker lost his authority and resigned
Germany Reunifies Many demanded the Berlin Wall be knocked down The new leader Egon Krenz opened the Berlin Wall House thought he could restore stability by allowing people to leave By the end of 1989, the East German Communist party ceased to exist
Germany Reunifies Reunification: the merging of the two Germanys West German chancellor Helmut Kohl helped persuade leaders to accept German reunification Officially reunited October 3, 1990
Germany Reunifies Faced serious problems East Germany was in ruins Needed to be modernized Helmut Kohl had to raise taxes to improve Eastern Germany Workers in eastern Germany faced unemployment
Germany Reunifies Gerhard Schroeder was elected in 1998 Reforming the economy proved difficult Unemployment rate was the highest in Europe Inflation was also a problem
Czechoslovakia October 28, 1989 about 10,000 people gather in Prague to demand more democracy and freedom Three weeks later, 250,00 students gathered in Prague and demanded reform The police attacked the demonstrators
Czechoslovakia Government crackdown angered Czech people 500,000 protestors crowded into Prague Within hours, Milos Jakes and his Politburo resigned One month later, a new parliament and president were elected
Czechoslovakia Reformers also launched an economic program of shock therapy Caused a sharp rise in unemployment The country s two parts drifted apart
Czechoslovakia The country split into two countries on January 1, 1993 Czech Republic and Slovakia Both countries took a pro-western path Joined both NATO and the EU
Romania Led by Communist dictator Nicholae Ceausescu Ordered the army to fire on demonstrators in Timisoara The massacre ignited an uprising against Ceausescu
Romania The army joined the people Ceausescu and his wife attempted to flee They were captured and executed Romania held general elections
Romania Struggled with corruption and crime Made economic reforms to introduce elements of capitalism Reduced the bureaucracy to encourage foreign investment Began to move away from a state controlled economy
Yugoslavia 8 major ethnic groups Serbs, Croats, Muslims, Slovenes, Macedonians, Albanians, Hungarians, and Montenegrins Yugoslavia was made up of 6 republics, all with mixed population
Yugoslavia Tito led Yugoslavia from 1945 to 1980 Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic took leadership after Tito s death Serbs opposed Milosevic and his policies and fled the country
Yugoslavia Slovenia and Croatia declared their independence Yugoslav armies invaded both republics Freed themselves from Serbian rule
Yugoslavia Bosnia-Herzegovina declared its independence Bosnia s population included Muslims, Serbs, and Croats Muslims and Croats backed independence Serbs opposed it and launched a war in 1992
Yugoslavia Serbian military forces used violence and force emigration against Bosnian Muslims living in Serb-held lands Ethnic cleansing: policy was intended to rid Bosnia of its Muslim population
Yugoslavia The UN and U.S. brokered a peace treaty Bosnians elected a three person presidency, one from each ethnic group
Yugoslavia Kosovo is a province in southern Serbia Made up almost entirely of Albanians The independence movement made Kosovo grow more violent Serbian military forced invaded the province
Yugoslavia NATO began a bombing campaign against Yugoslavia in 1999 Yugoslav troops finally withdrew their troops from Kosovo
Yugoslavia Milosevic was extradited to stand trial for war crimes Yugoslavia s parliament voted to replace what remained of the federation with a loose union of Serbia and Montenegro