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The Fall of Communism

The Fall of Communism. Review. 1945: Potsdam and division of Europe 1944-9: Greek Civil War 1947-early 1950s: Marshall Plan 1948-9: Berlin Airlift 1950-1953: Korean War 1956: Hungary 1961: Berlin Wall 1962: Cuban Missile Crisis 1968: Czechoslovakia 1979: USSR invaded Afghanistan.

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The Fall of Communism

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  1. The Fall of Communism

  2. Review • 1945: Potsdam and division of Europe • 1944-9: Greek Civil War • 1947-early 1950s: Marshall Plan • 1948-9: Berlin Airlift • 1950-1953: Korean War • 1956: Hungary • 1961: Berlin Wall • 1962: Cuban Missile Crisis • 1968: Czechoslovakia • 1979: USSR invaded Afghanistan Soviet troops in Afghanistan

  3. 1980 Poland and Solidarity • Background: 1979 Afghanistan invasion sapped Russian morale, lives, and money • Background: 1978 Polish John Paul II elected pope • Polish government raised meat prices: strikes ensued • Dockworkers led by Lech Walesa, refused to join government-sponsored union • Government • recognized Solidarity • Communist Party permitted elections with true choice of candidates • 1981: General Jaruzelski imposed martial law until 1983, Solidarity leaders arrested Drawing of Solidarity logo and Lech Walesa

  4. Economic Pressure from Reagan • Ronald Reagan, elected 1980, began to outspend USSR on missiles • Reagan embargoed US grain exports to USSR • Invasion of Afghanistan and increased missile spending drove USSR to near bankruptcy Reagan giving the “Tear Down This Wall” speech

  5. Mikhail Gorbachev • 1982: Brezhnev died. USSR appeared rigid, corrupt, fearful of change • 1985: Mikhail Gorbachev became premier • Immediately began reforms • Perestroika: restructuring of economy with some private ownership, but unsuccessful in creating economic improvements • Glasnost: openness, with public discussion, criticism, relaxed censorship, release of political prisoners • Raisa Gorbachev’s style appealed to westerners • Open elections for Communist party in 1989 Mikhail Gorbachev

  6. 1989: Poland • Gorbachev redirected funds from military to domestic spending, cut armed forces’ size • Soviet army put down uprisings in Azerbaijan and Georgia, covered on Soviet TV • Polish strikes: Solidarity rose in power • 1989: Poles elected Solidarity leaders instead of Communists • Gorbachev allowed election results to install new government • Poland became model for uprisings throughout eastern Europe 2007: Polish soldeirs create Solidarity logo in Gdansk

  7. 1989: Fall of Eastern Europe • After Polish government took power, Hungary opened border to Austria: East Germans and Hungarians fled • Hungarian government fell • November 1989: East Germany removed the Berlin Wall • Helmet Kohl raised issue of German unification • Vaclav Havel led “velvet revolution” on Czechoslovakia • Ceausescu overthrown in Romania Blah blah blah

  8. 1991: Fall of the USSR • 1990: Three forces confronted Gorbachev • “Conservative” old-line Communists • Progressives, like Boris Yeltsin • Separatist republics, like Baltic States, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan • Gorbachev, troubled by turmoil, appointed conservatives • Gorbachev tried to negotiate new constitutional ties to republics: failed • 1991 coup led by army: failed after two days due to public protest (and Yeltsin’s anti-coup leadership, standing atop tank) • Commonwealth of Independent States created under Yeltsin Blah blah blah

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